Thursday afternoon Cardinal news and notes

—Carlik Jones has been named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch List on the men’s side.

—On the women’s side, Dana Evans is one of the 25 players to make the same list.

—The Louisville baseball team is No. 2 in the Perfect Game preseason top 25 poll, which was released Wednesday.

—We’ve got even more changes to the U of L women’s basketball schedule, which is impossible to keep track of.

As a result of several postponements impacting games this week, Louisville will travel to Virginia Tech on Thursday, Jan. 7 for an 8 p.m. tipoff on RSN. The game was originally scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 28, but will now move up three weeks.

The league also announced two rescheduled contests as Miami will play at Louisville on Jan. 26 at 4 p.m. and Florida State will play at Louisville on Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. Tickets and parking for the original games will be valid for the rescheduled contests.

Adjusted/Rescheduled Games

Thursday, January 7

Louisville at Virginia Tech | 8 p.m. | RSN

Tuesday, January 26

Miami at Louisville | 4 p.m.

Tuesday, February 23

Florida State at Louisville | 2 p.m.

—The Cards are back in action tonight at 8 against Vah Tech. Here’s a preview.

—Louisville has officially announced the addition of Georgia Southern S transfer Kenderick Duncan.

—Highlights from the Louisville women’s team’s Tuesday trouncing of UT-Martin:

—The CJ’s Shannon Russell shares her biggest takeaways from Louisville’s triumph over Virginia Tech.

—Lance McGarvey has officially been named the new AP announcer for men’s basketball games at the KFC Yum Center.

—Louisville was the No. 4 market in America when it comes to watching ESPN in 2020.

—Dana Evans simply could not be slowed down on Tuesday.

—Gobbler Country reacts to VT’s loss at Louisville.

—Trevor Lawrence has officially announced that he wants no part of Jack Fagot and Louisville in 2021.

—NC State QB Bailey Hockman has entered the NCAA transfer portal.

—The potential of Jae’Lyn Withers was on full display Wednesday night.

—You can still get some pretty solid odds on Louisville to win the ACC regular season title on BetOnline.

—The latest episode of the Cardinal Sports Zone podcast is here.

—The U of L field hockey team tore it up on the field and in the classroom last fall.

—Former U of L RB coach Norval McKenzie, who is headed to Vandy to coach the same position group there, says thank you to The Ville.

—If you missed the first 2021 episode of the CC Podcast, you can find it here.

—The Key Play covers Virginia Tech losing in its first true road game of the season.

—Not exactly a ringing endorsement of the current state of Kentucky basketball here from ESPN draft guru Jonathan Givony.

—The Courier Journal printing presses in downtown Louisville will be permanently closing soon.

—Cardinal Sports Zone has an exit interview with Dez Fitzpatrick.

—Guy can shoot it.

—Ryan McMahon is the guest on the latest episode of Jeff Greer’s podcast.

—Louisville football is getting a “big, powerful kid” in defensive line signee RJ Sorensen.

—Lamar remains the best.

—Louisville is a 7-seed in Andy Katz’s latest mock tournament bracket for NCAA.com.

—From the Rumble Seat reacts to the news that Louisville and Georgia Tech will square off in the 2023 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.

—Clemson fans have officially jumped the shark.

—Here’s Mark Berman of The Roanoke Times’ gamer on Louisville-Virginia Tech.

—Five Louisville baseball players have been named to the Perfect Game Preseason All-America teams.

Alex Binelas and Michael Kirian were each named to the first team at third base and relief pitcher, respectively. Jared Poland was the utility selection on the second team. Henry Davis was the third team catcher, while Levi Usher was one of three third team outfielders.

Louisville was the only program to have multiple first team selections and had the most representatives across the three teams with no other program having more than three selections.

Binelas missed the majority of the shortened 2020 season due to injury, but drew freshman All-America honors in 2019. The Oak Creek, Wis., native hit .291 as a freshman with 14 home runs and 59 driven in on his way to an All-ACC selection.

Kirian has been lights out in the Louisville bullpen over the last two seasons, posting a 1.41 ERA in 32 appearances with a 3-1 record and 11 saves. The southpaw was dominant in 2020, allowing just two baserunners in his 6.1 innings of work and striking out 11 with just one walk.

—Here’s the official Virginia Tech website’s write-up on last night’s game.

—I’ve never wanted Mike Brey to Coach K’s successor at Duke more than I do right now.

—Elsewhere in the ACC last night:

No. 21 Duke 83, Boston College 82
No. 22 Virginia 70, Wake Forest 61
Pittsburgh 63, Syracuse 60

The league has no games on the schedule for tonight.

—David Teel of the The Richmond Times-Dispatch says that last night’s game in Louisville was the embodiment of winter life in the ACC.

This is the way it’s going to be, my friends. Darn near every night of this college basketball season is going to be a coin-flip grind in the ACC.

Exhibit A is Virginia Tech.

The Hokies’ three league games have been decided by 10 points combined, the latest drama Wednesday night in a 73-71 setback at Louisville, their first road test of the season.

Trailing by as many as 14 points during the second half No. 19 Tech hustled its way back into the contest, diving for loose balls and making clutch shots, only to be denied when Hunter Cattoor’s long, open 3-pointer at the horn was just long.

The Hokies (8-2, 2-1 ACC) and Cardinals (8-1, 3-0) have been two of the ACC’s most impressive squads to date, so a quality, taut game was hardly a surprise. But no matter the teams of late, tension has been the rule in the ACC.

The six conference games Tuesday and Wednesday were determined by 21 total points, the lone “blowout” Virginia’s 70-61 victory over Wake Forest. In the first of Wednesday’s four league contests, Pitt rallied from 18 down to win 63-60 at Syracuse.

The ACC thus far lacks its usual allotment of top-10 teams, but good luck evaluating the 15-school collective.

“So many of them are just hard,” Hokies coach Mike Young said of the conference games. “I watched North Carolina and Miami last night. … Buckle up for safety. Get rest when you can. Nothing is easy.”

—The CJ tries to keep track of the ever-fluctuation U of L men’s and women’s basketball schedules.

—And finally, beat Vah Tech. Again.