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Wednesday evening Cardinal news and notes

Shane Roof and Dr. Dunkenstein spending some quality time at Kosair. More on Shane in the post.

By Mike Rutherford

Our featured news & notes picture today is of Shane Roof, an otherwise healthy 14-year-old who fell while mowing the lawn back on May 13. To everyone's surprise, his symptoms worsened throughout that day and by the evening he was at Kosair, paralyzed from the neck down and requiring ventilator support to breath.

The medical staff at Kosair is still baffled by Shane's circumstances, believing it now to be either be a spinal stroke or a rare virus. The only thing that's clear at this point is that Shane and his family have a long road ahead.

A die-hard Cardinal fan his whole life, Shane has already been paid visits by both Darrell Griffith and Denny Crum.

Friends have also started selling t-shirts and have launched a Go Fund Me in order to try and help the family deal with these unexpected medical expenses. If you have the means to help out, please consider doing so.

Our thoughts are with you, Shane.

I_medium Bob Stoops retiring was not news that I expected to face when I woke up this morning. Lincoln Riley will take over immediately as the Sooners' new permanent head coach.

I_medium All of the events for this week's I Am Ali Festival are listed here.

I_medium The New York Post features Donovan Mitchell, who is high on the Knicks' draft board.

I_medium Think you can throw bags? This weekend is your chance to prove it.

American Cornhole is bringing its high level of play to Louisville, Kentucky June 9th -€” 10th at the American Legion #180.

Cornhole players will experience the best in cornhole tournaments as they head to Louisville for the ACO Kentucky State Championship for Season XII.

ACO State Championships are more like a festival of events than just a cornhole tournament. Kentucky State Championship festivities include a Doubles Airmail Tournament, multiple Blind Draw tournaments, as well as divisions for Seniors, Juniors, Womens, Singles and Doubles. The ACO is all about cornhole in a big way.

Cost of entry is only $10 for the Seniors, Juniors, and Womens divisions. Blind Draw tournaments will have various entry costs, the Doubles Airmail Tournament will cost $30 per team, and the main event Singles and Doubles will cost $30 per player, covering both their Singles and Doubles entry.

Prizes include cash payouts for all tournaments, as well as custom ACO-PRO State Champion Jerseys for winners of the Seniors, Juniors, Womens, Singles, and Doubles divisions. In addition, those winners will receive a Golden Ticket to their specific division at the ACO World Championships of Cornhole, in Owensboro, KY July 25th -€” 29th.

Players do not have to be ACO Members in order to compete.

Eric Hinerman of the ACO says "Kentucky has always been home to some of the best players in the ACO, including World Champions Matt Guy, Bret Guy, and Eric Zocklein. This State Championship, coordinated by veteran Certified Official and ACO-PRO player Keith Blair, will not disappoint."

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS -€” ACO Kentucky State Championship

American Legion #180

4610 Shelbyville Rd

Louisville, KY 40207

Friday June 9th -€” Gates open at 6:00PM

6:00PM -€” Registration for Doubles Airmail Tournament and $20 Blind Draw

6:30PM -€” Registration for $5 Mini Blind Draw

7:30PM -€” Bags fly for Doubles Airmail Tournament and $20 Blind Draw

NOTE: $5 Mini Blind Draw will start as soon as first bracket fills up

Saturday June 10th -€” Gates open at 9:00AM

9:00AM -€” 10:00AM -€” Registration for Seniors, Juniors, and Womens

10:15AM -€” Bags fly for Seniors, Juniors, and Womens

9:00AM -€” 12:00PM Registration for Singles and Doubles

12:00PM -€” Bags fly for Doubles

NOTE: Singles will start immediately following conclusion of Doubles tournament

For more information visit americancornhole.com or call American Cornhole at 888-563-2002

I_medium Could a change to the one-and-done rule be coming soon? It certainly sounds possible based on Adam Silver's most recent comments. Matt Norlander of CBS says if that happens, it would be bad for college basketball.

I_medium SB Nation's Ricky O'Donnell says Brian Bowen is the shooter Louisville desperately needed for the 2017-18 season.

I_medium Former Card Chad Green was dealing for the Yankees last night.

I_medium The Reds Scooter Gennett hit four home runs last night and is now a part of weird baseball history.

I_medium It appears as though Chris Mack will not be the next head coach at Ohio State.

I_medium Athlon makes its full ACC football predictions for 2017.

Atlantic Division

  1. Florida State Seminoles
  2. Clemson Tigers
  3. Louisville Cardinals
  4. NC State Wolfpack
  5. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
  6. Syracuse Orange
  7. Boston College Eagles

Coastal Division

  1. Miami Hurricanes
  2. Virginia Tech Hokies
  3. Pittsburgh Panthers
  4. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
  5. North Carolina Tar Heels
  6. Duke Blue Devils
  7. Virginia Cavaliers

Championship game: Florida State over Miami

All three staff writers peg Lamar Jackson as the league's Offensive Player of the Year.

I_medium The U of L women's basketball team will face Southeast Missouri in the first round of the preseason NIT.

I_medium Despite Pitt's repeated attempts to stop it, transfer Cameron Johnson says he plans on playing basketball for North Carolina next season.

I_medium He also penned a perfect defense of why he should be allowed to play immediately wherever he chooses.

I_medium Every top 100 hoops prospect in the class of 2017 is now committed.

I_medium Former U of L lacrosse standout Nikki Boltja has been selected to play for the Baltimore Ride of the United Women's Lacrosse League.

I_medium Former Ohio State basketball player Mark Titus writes about Thad Matta not getting the goodbye he deserved.

I_medium Marc Murphy's latest C-J cartoon revolves around this weekend's series.

I_medium CBS lists Louisville as the fifth-best football coaching gig in the ACC. Florida State is No. 1.

I_medium Bobby Petrino revealed yesterday at the annual Governor's Cup Luncheon that both punter Mason King and kicker Blanton Creque have been placed on scholarship for the 2017 season.

I_medium Jared Diamond of The Wall Street Journal examines Brendan McKay and the future of two-way players at the next level.

With no precedent for such an arrangement, however, even McKay admits, "It's tough to figure out what would work and what wouldn't. You have to throw stuff against the wall and see what works." (Figuring out how to fairly compensate such a player also raises intriguing questions.)

In spite of all that, McKay wants a chance, saying, "It would be hard to give up one and only do one of the other." Dan McDonnell, McKay's coach at Louisville, said he has told major-league scouts that if their team takes McKay, "You're getting two first-rounders with one pick." He believes a two-way player can exist, that a forward-thinking organization brave enough to try something new can reap unprecedented rewards.

For the first time, some teams seem willing to do just that, tantalized by the possibilities of discovering the baseball equivalent of a unicorn.

"What if you had a team of three catchers and 22 players that could pitch and play the field and you could just mix and match every day?" Williams said. "How cool would that be?"

I_medium Mark Stoops dismissed a defensive end on Tuesday.

I_medium The Yale Sports Analytics formula has Kentucky as the strongest team remaining in the field of 16 and a slight favorite over Louisville this weekend.

I_medium The ACC is winning on the field and court like it never has before, but still ranks fifth among Power 5 conferences in revenue production.

I_medium Louisville native Bryson Tiller -- who has the No. 1 album in the country right now -- stepping up and re-doing the courts at Wyandotte Park is pretty awesome.

I_medium U of L commit Anfernee Simons has been one of the biggest risers in the 2018 class so far this summer.

I_medium A big part of that is because he can do this:

Good lord.

I_medium Jon Rothstein moved Louisville up to No. 4 following its addition of Brian Bowen.

I_medium There aren't many organists left in college baseball, but Al Greener is still rocking it at Jim Patterson Stadium.

I_medium I enjoyed this.

I_medium The Ringer says Donovan Mitchell is this year's NBA Draft steal.

I_medium The Sporting News ranks Deng Adel's withdraw from the NBA Draft as the most impactful in all of college basketball for 2017-18.

The more players hang around Rick Pitino, the better they seem to get. That's been true since he first met Billy Donovan at Providence back in 1985, and it has accelerated over the course of this decade at Louisville. Russ Smith, Chinanu Onuaku, Terry Rozier and Preston Knowles are among the players who made major advances in production as veteran players — at least in part because Pitino needed them to do so in order for the Cardinals to excel. Donovan Mitchell did it last year, essentially doubling his scoring and helping UL earn a No. 2 NCAA seed.

This time, it's got to be the 6-8 Adel. And if Adel delivers in the same way as his predecessors, the Cardinals will contend for an ACC title and a fourth Final Four under Pitino. Don't bet against it.

I_medium We all love Red Panda, but now ESPN tells us more about her. Very cool story.

I_medium Highlights from the 2017 U of L lacrosse season are here.

I_medium Football Study Hall takes a closer look at the day Texas A&M made Jeff Brohm's life hell and rolled Louisville, 42-7.

I_medium I'll take these odds.

I_mediumLouisville closer Lincoln Henzman is a semifinalist for the Gregg Olson Award Honoring Nation's Breakout Player of the Year.

I_medium Be thankful that you get to enjoy Myisha Hines-Allen for one more season.

I_medium The C-J focuses on Josh Stowers, who has gotten red-hot at the perfect time for Louisville.

I_medium ESPN lists Reggie Bonnafon as one of the ACC's breakout stars for this season.

Reggie Bonnafon, Louisville

After two years at QB, Bonnafon tried his hand at receiver last season and -- well, it was a mixed bag. His drop rate (12.5 percent) was the sixth-worst in the Power 5 (minimum 30 targets), as was his overall reception percentage (40.6). But keep in mind, it was his first real crack at the position, and while he showcased his flaws, he also showcased his strengths. Bonnafon had just 13 catches last season, but five went for touchdowns. He caught all six passes thrown his way in the red zone last season, with only Alabama's O.J. Howard collecting more red-zone targets without a misfire among Power 5 players. Now add in that Bonnafon is a Bobby Petrino favorite and one of the hardest workers in the league, and it's easy to see how his second season at receiver might be far better than the first.

I_medium Donovan Mitchell is going to the Bulls at pick 16 in the latest SB Nation mock draft.

I_medium Frank Deford was an incredible sports writer. Alexander Wolff remembers his life here.

I_medium And finally, I have to give a shoutout to my guy Jahyde Brown, who sits in front of me at home football games.

Despite being a second grader playing in the 3rd Grade Diamond All-American Game in Virginia, Jahyde took home MVP honors after notching five big tackles and a 75-yard TD run.

He's now been invited to the East Coast/West Coast All-American Game in Las Vegas this January.

Keep an eye out for the young man in the years to come.

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