Sunday afternoon Cardinal news and notes

—The latest update from spring practice is here, and it focuses on the quarterbacks.

—Four friends making up a fake college basketball award that fooled everyone for 40 years might be the best April Fool’s prank.

—Love this guy.

Three of my favorite college hoops people — Beilein, Jay Wright and Kenny Klein — will all be within about 40 feet of each other on Monday. Recipe for a classic.

—Rick Pitino’s horse rolled to a victory at Gulfstream yesterday and is now locked in for the Kentucky Oaks. Pitino says he won’t be at Churchill though, “unless David Grissom and the pizza guy, Papa John, retire from the board of trustees.”

—U of L has expressed interest in Albany transfer Joe Cremo, the same Joe Cremo who lit up the Cards back in December.

That would be awesome.

—Villanova’s total number of points through five NCAA tournament games in 2016: 424.

Villanova’s total number of points through five NCAA tournament games in 2018: 424.

The similarities between the two runs for Jay Wright’s teams are legit creepy.

—Do I ... do I like Geno now?

—It looks like a horse named Gronkowski is going to run in the Kentucky Derby.

—Jeff Greer caught up with David Padgett at the Final Four. The former interim U of L coach is still trying to figure out his next move.

Padgett’s goal when he entered the coaching ranks eight years ago was to be a head coach by 35.

At 33, the Nevadan already reached it, albeit in a way he didn’t anticipate, guiding Louisville in an interim role after two seasons as director of basketball operations and one as an assistant.

”That goal is still achievable,” Padgett said, “but being an assistant at a great program somewhere with a great coach would be very exciting to do if that opportunity came up.”

Seth Greenberg, a head coach of 22 years who now works as a hoops analyst for ESPN, said Padgett carried himself at Louisville “in a way that will help” him find another head-coaching job.

”I think he was terrific,” Greenberg said. “He was poised, calm but forceful. He was put in an impossible situation and made the most of it. That interim thing really limits you from putting your fingerprints on a program. ... The next job he gets, he has to be in position to succeed, with good support from the school and his (athletic director).”

—Michigan is tops amongst the Final Four teams when it comes to selling gear.

—The Louisville baseball team avoided a sweep at No. 5 Florida State.

—If you’re a fan of “The Sandlot,” the Louisville Slugger Museum & Bat Factory now has an exhibit dedicated to the film.

—Already making friends.

—The backstory of Kansas’ Udoka Azubuike is pretty incredible.

—If NFL teams actually picked the best players coming out of college, Lamar Jackson would be going to the New York Giants.

—Chris Mack didn’t shy away from scheduling tough games at Xavier, will that continue at Louisville?

He continued that scheduling tactic even after Xavier moved to the new Big East for the 2013-14 season, a change that helped the Musketeers post top-40 rankings in strength of schedule in each of the past five seasons. Even when Xavier was in the Atlantic 10, its lowest-ranked strength of schedule was 64th in the 2012-13 season.

The schedule for the upcoming season, still seven months away, is already tough from the previous staffs, so Mack’s true scheduling philosophy won’t come into play until the 2019-20 season.

This coming campaign, Louisville already has games at Indiana and Seton Hall; the annual rivalry game against Kentucky, this time at home; games in New York against two of Kansas, Marquette and Tennessee; and the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

The first full schedule Mack puts together with his staff will include a renewal of the series against Western Kentucky in Nashville. Louisville will also have fewer nonconference slots to fill — that’s the season the ACC changes to a 20-game slate.

The two biggest questions related to Mack’s scheduling philosophy have yet to be answered.

One relates to the associate athletic director for men’s basketball position that was created as part of Mack’s contractual agreement with Louisville. That would be a new position, similar to a director of basketball operations.

Under Pitino and then Padgett, the director of basketball operations was in charge of scheduling, and the head coach would sign off. Mack used the associate AD to help with scheduling.

The second question is what kind of home-and-home series Mack will seek out with the more demanding conference schedule waiting after the first two months of the season.

—The unlikely legacy of Mario Chalmers’ iconic shot: The cleverly designed play that has spread across college basketball, including to Louisville.

—Loyola forever.

—Very cool move by former Card/Bulldog Josh Rogers.

—Lamar Jackson bolstered his case at Louisville’s pro day, says the AP.

—Vince Tyra says Louisville’s getting nine different sets of basketball uniforms for next season, which is awesome.

It’s about time that whole “Oregon of adidas” promise started kicking in.

—Chris Mack’s teams will “never lack in confidence.”

—And finally, I couldn’t be a bigger fan of how thoroughly the Macks have jumped in.

Having a coach who’s active on social media is going to be a brave new world.