Thursday afternoon Cardinal news and notes

—Spread check: Louisville by 6.

—The folks over at BC Interruption have reset their expectations for the second half of Boston College’s football season, which starts Saturday in Louisville.

—The CJ’s Cam Teague writes that a mix of Hassan Hall’s stellar performance and an improved offensive line could continue to prove beneficial for the Cardinal rushing attack moving forward.

—It’s a huge weekend for the second-ranked Louisville volleyball team, which will host Virginia on Friday before a monster showdown with No. 4 Pittsburgh on Sunday.

—I’ve got less than a week left to make my case. Hopefully this helps.

—Louisville football fans are being encouraged to bring non-perishable food and hygiene products to Saturday’s game versus Boston College for the Kroger Zero Hunger Food Drive

—Six former Cards will be inducted into the U of L Athletics Hall of Fame tomorrow night.

—A Kentucky sports betting bill will reportedly be filed in early 2022. You should be able to wager legally in the state sometime around the winter of 2061.

—The fourth-ranked Louisville field hockey team is on the road this weekend to face No. 10 North Carolina on Friday and No. 25 James Madison on Sunday.

—Jeff Greer addresses the importance of Dre Davis in his latest newsletter.

There might be louder voices on Louisville’s squad. There might be more talented players on Louisville’s squad. But no players better embody the tenacity and toughness Chris Mack wants his team to have than Davis and James. That’s why James’s season-ending Achilles’ tendon injury is such a bummer, but it’s also why Davis’s role is so important this season for Louisville.

“That’s something that’s always been a part of me and a part of my game,” said Davis, a sophomore from Indianapolis. “It’s something Coach Mack wants to keep bringing out of me. I want to take that challenge head on and be an energy-giver for this team.”

I’ll be honest: Earlier this offseason, I wasn’t sure what kind of role Davis would have this season. Louisville returned Samuell Williamson and Jae’Lyn Withers as the likely starting forwards and the two favorites to have breakthrough campaigns after the departures of David Johnson and Carlik Jones. Miami transfer Matt Cross, a 40-percent 3-point shooter and former top-100 prospect, committed to the Cards in February, before the season even ended. James, another four-star prospect, signed out of the 2021 prep class, too.

Where would there be room for a 6-5 small forward who — while emerging as a strong defender and promising post-up option — shot 25 percent from 3 last season, struggled with turnovers and posted the lowest defensive rebounding rate on the team?

Yet in watching two practices and the annual Red-White scrimmage, the answer is pretty obvious to me. Louisville has to find time for Davis. He is too valuable.

—Cardinal Authority plays Know the Foe with Boston College.

—The Washington Wizards are unveiling a bust of Wes Unseld in Capital One Arena on Thursday, a day ahead of his son’s first home game as head coach.

—Jordan Nwora was impressive in his 2021-22 debut for the Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday night, finishing with 15 points and six rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench.

He also did this:

—Pete Thomas and Malik Cunningham spoke with the media after practice on Tuesday. Here’s a transcript of what they had to say.

—Bryan Brown and Ashton Gillotte (who is healthy and ready to go for Saturday) did the same on Wednesday.

—Louisville men’s soccer forward Aboubacar Camara has been named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week.

—Ten years ago today, Rick Pitino sounded off on Syracuse and Pitt bouncing for the ACC during Big East media day.

“This was a basketball move taking Pittsburgh and Syracuse, it was not a football move,” he said Wednesday at Big East media days. “They (ACC) wanted to get back to what we remember, 15-20 years ago, growing up a college basketball fan, the ACC was dominant. They don’t like the fact that the Big East has been the premier basketball conference,” he said.

“My problem is not them leaving,” he said. “My problem is you did it in 48 hours. Don’t run away with a girl after one date when you’ve been dating someone else for three or four years. You’ve been dating this woman for 30 years, show a little respect.”

Pitino is a native New Yorker, so envisioning the league without one of its bedrock teams has been unfathomable.

“I can’t picture the Big East without Syracuse. I can picture the Big East without Pittsburgh. It’s tough for me to understand (Syracuse) since the alumni base is this area and Long Island.”

“Syracuse is playing Clemson tonight on TV!” he said in mock excitement. “It’s not Syracuse-Georgetown. Syracuse will play Florida State tonight! N.C. State! Wake Forest!”

Pitino was only just starting.

It’s hard to believe these comments directly resulted in our football loss to Wake Forest three weeks ago.

—The Louisville men’s soccer team was dealt an ugly 2-1 home loss by Oakland Tuesday night.

—The annual Louisville baseball Pizza Bowl has wrapped.

—Single game tickets are now available for the first eight U of L men’s basketball home games of the upcoming season.

—High school athletes in New York can now benefit from their name, image and likeness.

—Louisville is the 15th-best city in America for soccer fans.

—GoCards.com recaps the U of L men’s basketball media day.

—BettingPros says Boston College +6.5 is one of the best plays of the weekend ahead.

—The Louisville men’s soccer team will play its final home match of the regular season when it hosts NC State on Friday.

—This is madness.

—Boston College’s FanSided site outlines the keys to an Eagle victory over Louisville.

—The CBS college basketball crew is out with its preseason All-American team.

—Our own CardinalStrong answers some questions about Saturday’s game over at BC Interruption.

—Still on the board (via BetOnline).

—Fraternities at UK have been suspended from accepting new pledges following the death of an 18-year-old student earlier this week.

—Scott Satterfield University pulled the upset of No. 14 Coastal Carolina last night.

—Harry Douglas will be back in town this weekend for Homecoming.

—DeVante and Charlie got to spend some time together across the pond last weekend.

—Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley is very worried about Louisville’s speed. He also believes Malik Cunninham should be a top tier candidate for ACC Offensive Player of the Year.

—Adam Duvall had a big night for the Braves in their game four win over the Dodgers Wednesday night. Duvall and company are now just one win away from the World Series.

—On one hand, Booker’s rocking the double L’s down here. On the other, he’s also rocking the Dick Tongued Wildcat shirt.

To me, it’s a push.

—The latest Cardinal Sports Zone podcast previews Saturday’s game against BC.

—The ACC formally announced the additions of Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA Thursday morning. With Southern Miss and Marshall poised to join the Sun Belt, C-USA appears to be easily the biggest loser in all of this. Sorry, ‘Tops.

—This is easily the most important nugget to come out of this latest helping of conference realignment: All three Owl schools in Division-I are now members of the American Athletic Conference.

—The What High School Did You Go To? boys are diving deep into Cardinal hoops in their latest podcast episode.

—Matt McGavic over at Louisville Report is predicting a 35-31 Louisville win on Saturday.

—After the 4th quarter collapse against Virginia, Bryan Brown’s U of L defense is now focused on closing out games.

—Love this angle of one of Lamar’s best NFL highlights to date.

—The depth charts for both Louisville and BC are out.

—Tomahawk Nation sees its home basketball game against Louisville as one of the toughest on FSU’s 2021-22 schedule.

—UK freshman guard TyTy Washington is now driving a Porche after signing an NIL deal with Porche of Louisville.

Time to step it up, car dealership owners who support the Cards.

—The Orwell vibes are already overwhelmingly strong in Durham.

—The seventh-ranked U of L swim and dive squad is taking on Tennessee this weekend.

—The Louisville women’s soccer team is facing a tall task on the road tonight against No. 2 Virginia. Here’s a preview.

—Jack in the Box is coming to Louisville.

—It unintentionally ended up dominating yesterday’s radio show, but “Unlimited Erections Cardinal Stadium” needs to happen.

Once the new stadium name gets Cardinal football back up, it’ll stay back up.

This needs to happen.

—Cardinal big man Gabe Wiznitzer will be sidelined for a few weeks because of a broken wrist.

—And finally, here’s an updated look at Louisville’s bowl projections heading into the second half of the season.