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Monday evening Cardinal news and notes

When you're getting a degree from Clemson, but it's still Louisville First.

By Mike Rutherford

I_medium NFL.com ranks the top 150 players in college football and has Lamar Jackson at No. 2. Who's ahead of him? The man who almost single-handedly ended Louisville's national title dreams last November, Houston's Ed Oliver.

I_medium I thought baseball was the U of L sport that would have the highest new hill to climb with the move to the ACC.

I was incorrect.

I_medium The Cardinals remain No. 2 behind Oregon State in the new top 25 polls from D1Baseball.com, Baseball America and Perfect Game USA.

I_medium This is a graduation tweet done right.

I_medium And this is a prom tweet done right.

I_medium Despite Donovan Mitchell's decision to stay in the NBA Draft, Louisville's national championship odds at the Westgate Superbook in Las Vegas have actually improved from 12/1 to 10/1. That puts the Cards behind only Michigan State and Kentucky.

I_medium Deng Adel is enjoying the NBA Draft process, but his guardian says Adel wants to take Louisville to a Final Four.

"The feedback's been great: They love his size, his length," Jackson said.

Jackson said Adel, 20, wants to be a lottery pick - a player chosen in the top 14 of the draft. He is currently considered a fringe second-round selection on the popular NBA draft sites. DraftExpress.com lists Adel as the No. 96 prospect in this year's pool.

Those projections, paired with Adel not receiving an NBA draft combine invitation, mean the chances of him rising to that level this year are "very slim," Jackson said.

But the feedback Adel has received will help him reach his goals, his guardian added, in addition to U of L coach Rick Pitino talking more about Adel playing the off-guard position and having the ball in his hands more.

"What Coach Pitino wants to do with him next year," Jackson said, "will enhance his opportunities. He wants to go to a Final Four. He loves Louisville. He wants to be a lottery pick. This is just giving us him good feedback on what he needs to do to do those things. Just to position himself for the future is great."

I_medium After seeing them in the spring, Bobby Petrino says he's impressed by Louisville's emerging group of wide receivers.

I_medium Redshirting, recruiting and the ACC Network are among the main topics at this week's ACC spring meetings.

I_medium I tried to qualify for the U.S. Open last week.

I_medium Stephan Van Treese has wrapped up his third year of professional ball in Japan.

I_medium Donovan Mitchell says North Carolina's Theo Pinson was the best defender he went up against in college.

I_medium This is awesome.

I_medium With approximately 113 offseason departures, Pitt basketball finds itself in its most desperate position in two decades. Jamie Dixon was too mediocre though.

I_medium Highlights from Louisville baseball's Sunday win over Clemson are here.

I_medium Where's my 55 grand?

He did it, by the way.

I_medium The Louisville rowing team finished fifth at the ACC Rowing Championship over the weekend.

I_medium Baseball America says that in addition to elite talent, Brendan McKay has plenty of heart.

I_medium The final NBA mock draft from SB Nation before the lottery order is revealed has Donovan Mitchell going to the Pacers.

18. Indiana Pacers — Donovan Mitchell, G, Louisville

Mitchell was another big winner from the combine. He measured 6'3 with a 6'10 wingspan, minimal body fat and a 40-inch vertical leap. He projects as a guard who can defend either ones or twos and raise a team's athletic floor while his skill shooting and handling the ball develops. The Pacers could use another two-way guard to build with.

I_medium Bowling Green native Jared Savage is transferring from Austin Peay back home to Western Kentucky.

I_medium David Roth writes about one of the greatest sportscaster freakouts of all-time.

I_medium I'm not all that surprised to see this.

I also wouldn't be all that surprised to see Radcliff make a roster.

I_medium Colin Becht of Sports Illustrated names Dez Fitzpatrick as one of eight college football players poised to breakout in 2017.

As Lamar Jackson sets out to defend his Heisman Trophy in 2017, he'll have to do so without his top three targets from last season: wide receivers James Quick and Jamari Staples and tight end Cole Hikutini. Enter Dez Fitzpatrick, who redshirted last season. Fitzpatrick drew praise after a closed scrimmage from coach Bobby Petrino and then really put on a show in Louisville's spring game, catching nine passes for 176 yards with two touchdowns, including an 80-yard score in which he caught the ball over the middle at midfield and proceeded to simply outrun the secondary to break open the play.

With Jaylen Smith (36 catches, 615 yards last season) back, expected progress from sophomore Seth Dawkins and the addition of Fitzpatrick, Jackson should have no shortage of options to throw to this fall.

I_medium Eric Crawford covers a number of topics on his mind.

I_medium Gorgs being Gorgs.

I_medium After knocking off Central Florida, the Louisville men's tennis team saw its 2017 season end with a 4-0 loss to Ohio State in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

I_medium I stand by the super awkward first year after college piece of advice.

Weird stuff happens. Some friends move, some come back home, some start work right away, some go to grad school, some have a victory lap of undergrad, and some do nothing; it all makes for a very surreal 12 months. Enjoy it.

I_medium Mariya Moore will finish her college career playing at USC with her sister.

I_medium National champion Mallory Comerford was the top honoree at the annual Louisville swimming and diving postseason banquet.

I_medium Louisville commits Anfernee Simons and Courtney Ramey are both off to hot starts on the AAU circuit.

I_medium Just another trophy.

I_medium The U of L men's track and field team finished fifth and the women finished sixth at the ACC Championships.

I_medium The Anderson Independent Mail says the ACC got the better end of the deal in trading Maryland for Louisville.

The University of Louisville's membership in the Atlantic Coast Conference is almost as hard to digest as the University of Maryland's membership in the Big Ten. The debate over which one is better for the ACC may hinge on how much one values bourbon over crabcakes.

Because on the field, there is no debate.

Louisville's presence in the Atlantic Division has elevated the level of competition for perennial powers Clemson and Florida State. Louisville certainly is not a national powerhouse yet, but it has provided the ACC a program that cycles in and out of contention at a faster rate than most of its other mediocre programs.

Louisville certainly is a better horse to bet for the College Football Playoff derby than any thoroughbred Maryland has produced recently.

I_medium Duke got the news it had been waiting for with Monday's commitment from 5-star point guard Trevon Duval.

I_medium And finally, some rough news for former Louisville, ahem, commit JaQuan Lyle, who was arrested after punching a cop car in front of a cop over the weekend. It was also revealed that Lyle quit the team at OSU back in April.

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