Thursday afternoon Cardinal news and notes

—The U of L women’s basketball team is back in action tonight at 6 at Clemson. Bally Sports South will have the TV coverage.

—Cool story here on how Yasir Abdullah is using the money from his NIL deal to give back to his community.

—Did you know that yesterday was National Signing Day? Well, it was. Swear to god. It’s certainly lost most of its luster since the Early Signing Period became a thing, but Louisville still added to its class yesterday.

—Love this guy.

—What does Louisville do for a WR coach now that Gunter Brewer is off to Maryland?

—Scott Satterfield says he’s looking for the “best fit” to fill the position.

—Conferences banning members who are about to leave for different leagues from postseason play is such a ridiculous and selfish move. The latest league to partake in the shameful act is the America East, which has banned Stony Brook from all conference championships for the remainder of the season.

Those players have absolutely zero say in what their institution chooses to do, and you’re telling them a month before the league tournament tips off that they’re not going to be able to play? Beyond shameful, especially from a smaller conference where the entire season for every team is building up to the league tournament.

—Greer’s latest newsletter focuses heavily on Mike Pegues’ ability to reach players.

The light bulb went off for Ryan McMahon in the weeks before his final season at Louisville, the 2019-20 campaign. For more than a year, assistant coach Mike Pegues simply refused to call fouls when McMahon took hits in drills and scrimmages, no matter how hard the knocks were. Defenders would clatter into McMahon, and he’d look at Pegues for whistle relief.

Nothing. Zilch.

That 2019 preseason, McMahon finally gave in and spoke up. He called out Pegues. What the hell, man? Pegues, the former University of Delaware star forward and longtime assistant coach, just laughed.

“‘Yeah, I’m never giving you anything,’” Pegues told McMahon.

But this wasn’t bullying. This wasn’t the case of a coach singling out a guy he didn’t like. Far from it. This, McMahon said, was Pegues’s way of reaching him, of coaching toughness.

“The harder I was fouled in practice, the more inclined he was to swallow his whistles,” McMahon said. “I didn’t notice until right before my senior year that I was just playing through so much more contact. I wasn’t worried about calls. I can thank Coach Pegues for that. I thought he was picking on me; I wasn’t even aware he was coaching me.”

—Rick Pitino and Iona are reportedly in negotiations for a lifetime contract.

—The ACC isn’t talking about Tuesday night’s officiating or returning the calls of anyone asking for a comment. Rick Bozich says Louisville deserves better from the conference.

—Louisville football expects to be more physical during spring practice than they have in past years.

—Pierce Clarkson talks with Rivals about his commitment to Louisville and U of L’s succeeding run of success on the recruiting trail.

—The SBLive California podcast also has a conversation with Clarkson.

—After an ... intense ... loss Tuesday night, Mike Pegues’ initial message was one of thanks.

—Jeremiah Caldwell talks about his decision to commit to Louisville here.

—At least something has gone well for U of L men’s basketball since 2015.

—Here’s the U of L recap of the women’s basketball team’s come from behind victory over Miami Tuesday night.

—Highlights from the win are here.

—Angel McCoughtry has officially signed with the Minnesota Lynx.

—This is actually awesome.

Look forward to (likely) having Nolan in the Ville on a more consistent basis in the future.

—Louisville has offered class of 2023 RB Jamari Ford out of Miami Northwestern.

—U of L social media folks weren’t going to let this one just fade away without further comment.

—Louisville Report has a coaching candidate profile of Mick Cronin.

—Craig Meyer of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette writes that Louisville is a proud program that suddenly finds itself facing an uncertain future.

—Male High star and U of L signee Selah Brown takes pride in helping the Cards build something special.

—Tobacco Road mentality.

Listen, your father and I prepped together, went to war together, played golf together. We built this club, he and I. And let’s face it, some people simply do not belonnggg. Let’s not ... cave in too easy. What do you say, Ty?

—Cardinal Authority has a Q&A with incoming Louisville freshman QB Khalib Johnson.

—Kaleb Glenn told the CJ’s Brett Dawson that Chris Mack leaving Louisville has no impact on his commitment.

—Well, the ACC made Paul Rogers cry. Now you’ve really fuckin’ done it.

—Scott Satterfield gave the headline-friendly quote all Cardinal fans wanted to hear yesterday: 2023 will be the best recruiting class in Louisville football history.

—Clemson’s official site previews tonight’s contest against Jeff Walz’s Cardinals.

—Pretty large Lamar Jackson endorsement here.

—The U of L swim and dive teams completed a Senior Day sweep of Cincinnati.

—Tar Heel Blog lays out three things they learned from UNC’s Tuesday night win at the Yum Center.

—Despite the weather, the Mike Rutherford Show will be on the air this afternoon from 3-6 on 1450 AM and 96.1 FM. You can also stream the show here. If you’d like to hear yesterday’s episode featuring the return of Salty Mike, you can find the podcast here.

—And finally, beat Clemson.