All right, your boy is officially back from vacation and ready to stare down these next two months of the dead period with you. Big thanks to Jeremy Keown for holding down the fort and making sure there was a healthy dose of #CONTENT on here while I was gone.
Being back in New Orleans for the first time since the 2012 Final Four was pretty awesome, and it's crazy how memories from that weekend that I'd forgotten (or repressed) were triggered just by being in the same place. I'll talk about that and some other stories from the last 10 days on the radio this afternoon.
Anyways, I'm very happy to be back and very ready to tackle the ridiculousness that always seems to arise around here during the heart of the summer. Now, your news and your notes.
If you haven't read it yet, this piece written by Kevin Ware is worth your time.
After a while, it really started to bother me — all the attention, people wanting to talk to me everywhere I went. I had to start sneaking around campus, taking back ways to classes or the gym. I didn't realize the impact that my injury had had on other people or on my status on campus. I spent most of my time in my room watching Netflix, avoiding all the fuss.
But I didn't truly realize what a lasting impact my injury had had on other people until I finally got back on the court.
Seven months after the injury that made me famous, I returned to the court for Louisville. But something was different. Practices were different. Guys started playing soft against me, like they were afraid they were gonna hurt me.
Like Russ Smith, who was one of the guys who had gotten really emotional when I broke my leg. He's like a big brother to me. I spent my summer before my sophomore year going up against him every day in practice, and he made me work. I couldn't take one play off. He made me a lot better and a lot tougher that summer.
But now, I couldn't even get him to foul me.
Both Brendan McKay and Louisville commit/Ballard star Jordon Adell are listed among Sports Illustrated's top prospects for the 2017 MLB Draft.
This proposal for construction on the north endzone of Papa John's Cardinal Stadium details a very aggressive timeline for the stadium's expansion.
Never doubt Tom Jurich.
Bill Connelly's first ACC power rankings have Louisville in a tier by themselves.
Tier 1
For a long time, the ACC has been a middle-heavy conference, with almost no bad teams but few elite ones. Clemson's recent rise has given the league two heavyweights.
In theory, Lamar Jackson and Louisville have at least a slight chance of making it three teams. But no. Probably still two. With a massive midsection once more.
Tier 2
I'm trying as hard as I can to keep my expectations for Jackson tamped down. He's got work to do when it comes to avoiding mistakes as a passer -- too many sacks and picks -- but man oh man is he gorgeous with the ball in his hands. Almost the entire offense returns, along with a good portion of a good defense. To me, the Cardinals might be a step behind the big two, but they're ahead of everybody else.
CBS profiles Josh Harvey-Clemons as a 2017 NFL Draft prospect.
I love the U of L football equipment people.
Where the real work happens #Grind pic.twitter.com/4DWhdSUAtL
— Louisville Equipment (@UofLEquipment) June 24, 2016
"Louisville First," a horse owned by Rick Pitino and RAP racing, won the New York Stallion Stakes turf race Sunday at Belmont.
Former Trinity High standout and Kentucky defensive end Jason Hatcher is headed to West Georgia, which also landed former U of L quarterback Will Gardner this offseason.
Lamar Jackson is one of the 15 best non-SEC players that an SEC team will face this fall.
14. LOUISVILLE QB LAMAR JACKSON
The particulars: vs. Kentucky on November 26.
The skinny: Jackson (6-3, 196) isn't your typical Bobby Petrino quarterback. Jackson, who is from the West Palm Beach, Fla., suburbs, has a nice arm, yes, but he also is a high-level athlete who can be devastating as a runner. He needs to improve as a passer - he completed only 54.7 percent of his attempts last season - but he showed in three games against SEC foes last season just how dangerous he can be as a runner; in games against Auburn, Kentucky and Texas A&M, he ran 55 times for 518 yards and five TDs.
Local soccer legend John Michael Hayden has joined Ken Lolla's staff at U of L.
Kyle Funkhouse has been selected as a senior class award first team All-American.
Hank and I are on the same page.
Hank is ready for football season! #L1C4 @CardChronicle pic.twitter.com/2q8Z27hgGW
— D Lloyd (@dolloyd04) June 27, 2016
Despite people complaining about the foreign influence of the 2016 NBA Draft, basketball in America is thriving.
Class of 2018 guard Elijah Weaver took an unofficial visit over the weekend and said that Louisville would be a "great fit" for him.
Athlon's 14 ACC stats you need to know includes a nod to Devonte Fields.
1.73: Tackles for a loss per game by Louisville's Devonte Fields in 2015
Despite the loss of defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins to the NFL Draft, the Cardinals should be strong in the front seven again. Fields has to be considered one of the best edge rushers in the game, as this mark tied for him for third in the country to go along with 11 sacks.
Here's the full list of the 2016 U of L baseball summer assignments.
Louisville ranked 20th in the country this season in baseball attendance.
My wife & I still reppin the Ville @CWS in Omaha @JohnRamseyUofL @SpencerKietzman @CardChronicle @howielindsey #L1C4 pic.twitter.com/WjXpfVTskp
— Scotty Kohler (@wskohler) June 20, 2016
Jeff Greer updates his 2017 recruiting board for Louisville basketball.
Louisville native Travis Waldron has a great story for the Huffington Post about Muhammad Ali and his relationship with the Derby City.
NFL.com says Bobby Petrino is the 13th-best coach in college football when it comes to developing professional talent.
13. Bobby Petrino, Louisville
Charlie Strong gets most of the credit for developing the Cardinals' 10 draft picks of 2015, so Petrino can only take a smaller share of it, having coached that group for only one season. Still, his track record in his previous stint at Louisville and then at Arkansas includes an impressive 23 selections. And following his one year at Western Kentucky, the Hilltoppers had two late-round draft picks and an undrafted free agent who made the cut with the Tennessee Titans: RB Antonio Andrews.
The C-J's offseason profiles for U of L basketball start with Quentin Snider.
Louisville product Josh Rogers recently tossed his first professional shutout.
Running Man Challenge at The Coliseum.
@CardChronicle because @Dami0nLee can't be everywhere,@bradf28 steps up his game at the Colosseum. pic.twitter.com/tU3wyJhlv7
— Marty Fry (@mcfry15) June 15, 2016
The Louisville Cardinal ranks the worst moments from the 2015-16 U of L athletic season.
Saturday Blitz says Lamar Jackson and the returnees on defense make Louisville a legitimate threat in the ACC.
Hero Sports has Lamar Jackson as one of its five 2016 Heisman Trophy sleepers.
Louisville's Lamar Jackson is listed at 100-to-1 odds according to Westgate's oddsmakers. But Jackson became one of only three quarterbacks -- Texas' Vince Young and Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel -- to throw and rush for 200 yards in a bowl game when he led the Cardinals to a 27-21 upset of Texas A&M in the Music City Bowl last season.
His biggest disadvantage is playing at Louisville. While statistics are important, a Heisman candidate needs to have big performances in big games. So unless Jackson can carry the Cardinals to several upsets and keep his team relevant in playoff discussion, his chances are slim, but worth noting.
The Houston Chronicle examines Chinanu Onuaku's underhanded free-throw style.
Louisville native Bryston Tiller was a big winner last night at the BET Awards.
ESPN plays best case/worst case with Louisville football.
Best case
Lamar Jackson's bowl performance against Texas A&M was just a hint of what was to come. The darkhorse-flavor-of-the-offseason lives up to the hype this fall, turning into the country's most elite dual-threat quarterback and taking advantage of the receivers before him, including James Quick and Ja'Quay Savage. The offensive line shows massive growth after a rough 2015. Powered by the return of four seniors who put the draft on hold, Todd Grantham's defense looks as good as ever. In our best-case scenario, Louisville beats Florida State at home in Week 3 before losing at Clemson. However, Clemson then loses at FSU, and Louisville emerges as the winner of the Atlantic via tiebreakers. The Cards then win the ACC title game and crash the College Football Playoff. Not bad for Year 3 under Bobby Petrino.
Class of 2017 guard Brandon Randolph, who was cast to play Russ Smith in a movie a couple years ago, visited Louisville today.
I passed the torch to Tim when leaving Hilton Head Saturday morning.
@CardChronicle we've got Hilton Head S.C. Taken care of for the week pic.twitter.com/K4udw9Zwny
— Tim Reynolds (@villetim) June 26, 2016
Jax Levitch, the younger brother of David Levitch, has signed on to play his college basketball at IPFW. Go Mastadons.
And finally, I'm back on the radio from 3-6 this afternoon by myself sharing stories from the road as well as talking about all the major events from the last week and-a-half. As always, I will try not to swear. Listen here.
UPDATE: Rick Pitino will join the show at 5.