clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Thursday afternoon Cardinal news and notes

Air Force men Corey Elzy and Jose A. Lopez Castro are proudly repping both the Cards and the Red Rage Tailgate while working in Antarctica.

By Mike Rutherford

If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

I_medium Spread check: LSU by 3.5.

I_medium The 8th-ranked Louisville women kick off ACC play tonight against No. 25 Syracuse.

I_medium Bad news from up North, where Damion Lee's first professional season is done due to an ACL tear. Lee had been averaging better than 18 ppg for the Maine Red Claws of the NBDL.

I_medium Jeff Greer's latest profile is on Deng Adel and his long journey to Louisville.

I_medium This is inspiration.

I_medium Ironically, Alabama's 90-year old fight song is at least partly about beating Washington, the same team the Tide will face in the national semifinals on Saturday.

I_medium Bad news for former Card Anton Gill, who will miss the rest of his first season with Nebraska because of a knee injury.

I_medium Gregg Doyel profiles soon-to-be ACC villain Kyle Guy ... and his hair.

After the game is over, the truth comes out: Guy's hairdo is Derick Grant's fault. Grant is Guy's personal trainer from Indianapolis, a former Harlem Globetrotter who told Guy in January it was time to get ready for college. Grant said he wouldn't shave his face if Guy didn't cut his hair. For months they kept at it, Grant growing a beard and Guy growing out his buzz cut. It was after he got to campus in Charlottesville, Va., that Guy tried out his current look. He planned to cut off the man-bun by now, but told his mom he can't.

"He says the haters hate it," Katy Fitzgerald was telling me Wednesday. "And so he won't cut it."

Guy is standing with us, and objecting half-heartedly.

"I'm going to cut it after the season," he says.

"Probably," he says.

Guy's step-mother, Amy Guy, playfully reaches into her purse.

"We have scissors," she says. "Actually they're right in here ..."

Guy laughs and shakes his head: no. The man-bun will stay for now. A player has to be awfully good to wear his hair like this, and Kyle Guy is not afraid.

I_medium There will be no college football on New Year's Day 2017 partly because of some horses on New Year's Day in 1893.

I_medium Kenyon Martin's son is dunking all over people in high school games and holy shit I got old.

I_medium I support this.

I_medium Louisville's new volleyball coach talks about her expectations for the program.

I_medium The Cards slip from No. 6 to No. 11 in Gary Parrish's daily rankings for CBS.

I_medium Louisville commit C.J. Avery knows that he's coming to Louisville with high expectations, and he's embracing that.

"It's wonderful, man," Avery said after Wednesday's Under Armour practice. "You want to have a base (reputation) behind you and let people know that talent is coming to the 'Ville. ... I'm ready to embrace it. That's why I worked hard to be an early enrollee, and I'm going to school next weekend and will grind as hard as I can and show everybody the hype is real."

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Avery is ranked the nation's No. 78 senior by ESPN.com, the highest of any Louisville recruit since Brandon Heath was No. 58 in 2006. He and Indiana cornerback/receiver Russ Yeast are only U of L's second and third Under Armour All-Americans ever, joining Eli Rogers in 2011. Avery, whose muscular build resembles one of a college veteran, is one of three U of L pledges who graduated high school early in order to enroll in college midyear and participate in spring drills.

Avery said he won't be surprised to play a hybrid safety/outside linebacker similar to the one that departing senior Josh Harvey-Clemons has played for the Cardinals, and Avery said he expects to earn immediately playing in 2017 while having no desire to redshirt.

"I envision myself playing my freshman year," he said. "If I don't, it's a disappointment. That's exactly why I went in early, to get a head-start. If I'm going in early and doing all that work, what's the point of doing it for no reason?"

I_medium Louisville-Virginia highlights are here if you're so inclined.

I_medium Marshall coach Dan D'Antoni shut down a reporter with maybe the best defense of analytics that you're ever going to read.

I_medium Louisville continues its Citrus Bowl prep in Orlando. The Cardinal players and coaches are meeting with the media today, and we'll have video from that later.

I_medium Boise State's Nick Duncan has been called fat by the Utah State student section for four years, so in the closing seconds of his team's 83-80 (not 83-30) win over the Aggies, he let them know how he felt about their Dunkin Dounuts cheers.

I_medium The remarkable story of TCU Rhodes Scholar Caylin Moore is worth your time.

I_medium DePaul almost beat No. 1 Villanova last night at Villanova. I've seen some crazy shit over the past 12 months, but if that had happened, I wouldn't have made it to 2017.

A Card Chronicle coached Blue Demon team would have won by 10, by the way.

I_medium The best finish of the college basketball season so far happened last night in Eugene, where Oregon knocked UCLA from the ranks of the unbeatens.

Coach K thinks Dillon Brooks is too good a player for that mild celebration.

I_medium Virginia's win last night was both its ninth straight in ACC openers, and a strong message to the rest of the conference that they aren't going anywhere.

I_medium The last of the disco ball makers are still right here in Louisville.

I_medium A cool moment for these kids thanks to some U of L football players.

I_medium Inside the Hall reflects on Indiana's stunning loss to Nebraska, and begins to preview Louisville.

I_medium The Citrus Bowl is certainly being played up as the Louisville offense vs. the LSU defense.

It will be quite a challenge for LSU (7-4), but defensive coordinator Dave Aranda has the personnel to make life difficult for the dual-threat quarterback. LSU is sixth nationally in scoring defense (16.4 points per game) and 14th in total defense (323.0 yards per game).

Only Texas A&M broke the 21-point barrier against the Tigers this season.

"We know he is going to get out there and compete, and we know we're going to get out there and compete," LSU cornerback Donte Jackson said of Lamar Jackson.

"So that really brings more hype to the game. We understand that he is a dynamic player, we understand that he's the Heisman Trophy winner ... but we're going to treat it like a regular game. He's a great player, but we're a great defense, and we're going to be ready to play."

I_medium Pro Football Focus gives Sheldon Rankins a questionable grade for his rookie season.

I_medium FanSided likes LSU over Louisville by a field goal on Saturday.

I_medium And finally, R&R is at Fan Outfitters in St. Matthews from 3-6 today, talking about last night's dismal performance against Virginia and getting more reports from the football team in Orlando. Listen here.

More From Card Chronicle