Host of Wake Up 502 96.1 FM/1450 AM/Anchor PGN News/Member U.S. Basketball Writers Association looking to bring truth to the masses. Card Nation Stand Up!
#L1C4
Yesterday my best friend and mother of my 2 beautiful children TaLisa Brents lost her battle with cancer. She was a smart, amazing, loving, confident, funny, giving, and as selfless as anyone you will ever meet. I am so thankful to have known you, I love you, and will miss you.
That drive by
@Lj_era8
on the road at Arrowhead Stadium to tie the game vs the Cheif should shut up anyone who said this kid can't play at this level. What a drive!
UofL fans that may be nervous about Pat Kelsey as the new HC of
@LouisvilleMBB
, but I can promise you one thing you'll love his energy, his feisty nature, and aggressive approach. He'll not be afraid of UK and he won't back down to anyone and his teams reflect that. He's good.
How good is
@LouisvilleMBB
? They shoot 21% 4-19 from three, miss 8 FTs, and beat the hottest team in the country
#4
Michigan by 15 points. If that's not impressive I am not sure what is. UofL probably had a C- game offensively and still dominated because they locked in on D.
So Johnell Davis is trending to Arkansas and Liam McNeely is crystal balled to UConn. Looks like these guys are not really wowed by the allure of UK reaching out to them minus John Calipari. Who'd of thunk it! 😱
Anyone who thinks there are 25 teams let alone 40 teams better than
@LouisvilleMBB
are on some powerful drugs. This squad is legit. Talented, skilled, long athletic, high IQ, and lethal shooting.
With Kamari Lands going to Arizona State, Jaelyn Withers to UNC, and now El Ellis heading to Arkansas it's starting to become clear at least other Power 5 programs believe that UofL had a considerable amount of talent on the roster and they just weren't being utilized properly.
Shout out to the unsung hero Olivia Cochran. She had to battle in the paint with 2 All American post players vs. Tennessee and Michigan sacrificing her offensive game to make those players work for every point and rebound. That's how you win championships. Sacrifice and effort.
Per NCAA guidelines just handed out in the 2017 NCAA memo to basketball athletes any athlete who accepts benefits from a agent or someone representing and agent will forfeit their and NCAA eligibility so that means any player that got a dinner or more from an agent is ineligible.
The freshman 4 man group that
@coachkennypayne
has put together for his 2023 recruiting class is truly impressive and likely the best since the 80s in terms of talent:
G/F Curtis Williams Jr.
F Trenton Flowers
F Kaleb Glenn
C Dennis Evans
@LouisvilleMBB
will be better.
I'm going to be honest with you guys.
@LouisvilleMBB
hasn't had this large a group of gritty, nasty, aggressive athletes as part of the program since probably 2014 or so. That has me excited to see how
@patkelsey
finishes off the rest of the roster. If the close Chucky look out!
Congratulations to
@DAndreDavis
for going home to Indianapolis and making the biggest play and game winning shot in your hometown and win the NIT championship for
@SetonHallMBB
! Do your thing young man!
Understand this. If UofL loses to App State tomorrow the Cards will likely be 0-10 to start the season. Even if they win tomorrow they'll probably be 1-9 to start the season. Anyone who says that is okay have allowed allegiances to override your common sense as a UofL hoops fan.
It's hilarious to me people act like
@LouisvilleMBB
has been horrible since Pitino left. Coach Mack had the program headed in the right direction before getting screwed out of the NCAA tourney. He also handed Roy Williams and Coach K their largest losses in their school history.
This was 4 years ago today. I loved this team so much. This win at Duke was so huge. Felt like the program was on top of the world when it happened. Also,
@Troy_Beckman
is amazing with the 🎥!
This year's
@LouisvilleWBB
team deserves a standing ovation for what they were able to accomplish this season.
@CoachJeffWalz
had to reinvent this team over and over to find their groove and they got it together just in time for a March push. Making the Elite Eight is amazing.
I sincerely thank David Padgett for everything he did for the University of Louisville. He came into an unenviable situation and handled it with class and Grace. He is a first-rate human being and he will make a good coach down the road.
I was vilified and called names for my honest analysis of this team and staff since they got here in March of 2022. Since they got here everything about this program has been disorganized, lazy, lacking critical thinking in roster development and team preparation. That's facts.
It's an amazing revelation when you have
#1
vs
#2
as well as
#3
vs
#4
yet the talk of college basketball the next day is
@LouisvilleMBB
. I don't think many saw that coming. Wow.
The same issue I had with Scott Satterfield when he said that UofL football couldn't recruit the top players is the same problem I have with Kenny Payne saying UofL basketball can't recruit the top players like UK. If you really believe that you're not the man for the job. Weak.
Hey folks I am a pretty private person but I need to ask all of you if you can please your thoughts and prayers to my best friend in this world and mother of my children TaLisa Brents as she is in the fight of her life right now. God bless you guys.
Folks ready to pull out their pitchforks about my commentary about Richard Pitino all I'm saying is I'd like for everyone let Josh Heird make his own hire. Since the man got the job he's been pressed left and right with hiring suggestions. I want to see who HE wants and hires.
This is the worst coached team in the last 50 years of
@LouisvilleMBB
. This team has way too much talent to look this bad. We don't accept this type of play and ineffective pathetic coaching. They should NOT look this bad against a horrible Pitt team.
The only culture Kenny Payne is building at Louisville right now is lazy and lackadaisical basketball. It is pitiful. Just a half hearted effort on both ends.
This is why I tried to tell folks to relax. Once the Osobor commitment was made known yesterday that things would begin to move quickly. Trust and believe
@patkelsey
is working tirelessly and will put
@LouisvilleMBB
in the best position possible to succeed. Pryor ain't the last!
NEWS: Louisville running back Peny Boone plans to re-enter the transfer portal, he tells
@On3sports
.
The 2023 MAC Offensive Player of the Year rushed for 1,400 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. Just transferred to Louisville in January.
More:
Now that the Sunbelt Player of the Year is in the fold I'd love to add the Horizon League Player of the Year to go along with him. I feel these guys exemplify what Pat Kelsey wants his team to be. Guys that are equal parts - tough, skilled, and aggressive.
You guys want the crazy stat of the night? Syd Curry only played 8 minutes tonight but while he was on the floor UofL scored 19 of their 63 total points tonight. Roughly a little more than 30% of all Cardinal points were scored in his time on the court. That's a big impact.
LMPD has successfully doubled down and made sure the city of Louisville is seen as a place that major pro sports will never want to be a part of. Way to go! 🙃
Anyone who says it's okay for the UofL coach laughing and smiling after getting your ass whooped by UK in the handshake line care more about than man than the program.
It's crazy that mid-season there was legitimate discussion about if
@LouisvilleWBB
would make the NCAA Tournament and now
@CoachJeffWalz
has these ladies one win from hanging another banner in the Yum!. This man is the best coach in the game. Appreciate him while he's here.
I know some in
#CardNation
are getting nervous that there have not been many commitments yet for
@LouisvilleMBB
with their portal targets, but understand
@patkelsey
is out targeting some of the best most highly coveted players in the transfer portal. Takes time to get elite kids.
If Heird hired Richard Pitino because he's being pressured by a bunch of his buddies and boosters here locally wouldn't that be the same thing he did hiring Kenny Payne because he was pressured by a bunch of the former players and boosters? 🤔
There were good coaches that didn't want to leave comfortable situations to take over at UofL where KP was a disaster so now I'm supposed to believe they will want to go to UK where Cal got
#1
recruiting classes every year and dominated and still got run off? I don't know. 🤔
I LOVE college basketball and I'm going to really enjoy covering
@LouisvilleMBB
this season, but with all due respect the football team deserves all the attention right now. They are playing to stay in a race for the
@OrangeBowl
bid. That's amazing and has my attention no doubt.
I hope
#BBN
knows that embarrassing one of your own to try and shame the university into not hiring him is not going to help you get a better candidate. It may push you further down the ladder. There's already enough coaches that don't want to deal with your crap.
South Alabama wide receiver Caullin Lacy has committed to Louisville, he tells
@On3sports
.
The wide receiver ranked No. 5 in the nation this year in receptions (91) and yards (1,316). Louisville has now added Lacy and Ja'Corey Brooks.
Sorry but UofL is just a poorly coached team in pretty every area. Bad offense, bad defense, poor conditioning, poor IQ. I can't really figure out what they do well consistently. Not one thing.
Chris Mack just allowed one loss to become two. His refusal to make the needed adjustments are the reason UofL is in this spot today. You can't win at this level in this league not putting your best guys out there and not putting them in positions to succeed.
Congrats to UK on the big win! You came out and kicked our butts today! That is without a doubt! That being said this game does not bother me in the least! I am over the moon excited with what UofL has done this year and 7 wins, 2nd place finish in the division, and a bowl berth.
It's also amazing that with Atwell out UofL still doesn't look to get the ball to Fitzpatrick as much as possible. I just don't understand why this kid doesn't get 10+ targets a game.
One thing I do think is worth noting. There are a lot of players from the Pitino/Tubby era that are really excited and see this as a chance to reconnect with the University
It's hilarious to me that the primary excuse that was given for firing Tom Jurich was because there was a lack of transparency in the Athletic Department, but since the new board, President, and AD have come in there has been little to no transparency AT ALL. Bait and switch.
The UofL defense more than likely just sent their brothers to their first ACC championship game! Cards win 31-24 in one of the most amazing comebacks Cardinal Stadium has ever seen! Wow!!!!!!
I'm staying out of any commentary from today outside of saying I will miss Denny Crum greatly. He was the man who fostered my love for basketball, and set the example for how people should treat one another. He was a Louisville icon and the face of UofL athletics.
This i do agree with. The symbolism of what a JQ commitment means is worth as much or more than anything he will give the Cards on the court next year. It's a signal that UofL is back and not to be played with. 💯
For Louisville, a Jayden Quaintance commitment and what he would bring to the team as a player is so secondary to the optics and the statement it makes to the college basketball world.
NEWS: Wisconsin transfer guard Chucky Hepburn has committed to Louisville, source tells
@On3sports
.
The 6-2 junior averaged 9.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game this season.
I don't give a damn if UofL does win this game Plummer's performance is unacceptable. His job should be up for grabs. He looks like a freshman out there.
I am now sending my son out into the world was a young black man starting high school and I worry about him daily until he is back at my door. Don't tell me that racism is not real until you are the hunted.
Everyone who wants to know what's going on we've been spoiled by back to back Hall of Fame coaches the last almost 50 years. Now we are seeing what a poorly coached team looks like. It is a foreign concept to Louisville basketball because we've not had it in a LONG time.
I'm telling y'all
@LouisvilleMBB
ain't gone nowhere!
@patkelsey
is about to have us right back where we should be. Great coach and great NIL setup will yield this program the players we need to get back to respectability.
James Madison transfer Terrence Edwards Jr will be visiting Louisville next week, per
@jdemling
.
The Sun Belt Player of the Year led the Dukes in scoring (17.2) and assists (3.4) per game 👀
Good job out there today reds blatant hold on a 100 yard kick off return on turner
#4
0 penalties called on the most penalized team in the sec makes sense.
This game for
@Lj_era8
feels so reminiscent of the eve of the FSU game of his sophomore season. Of course that was the springboard to the Heisman trophy. Could Lamar replicate that performance on the big stage? 😉
Listening to Coach P and his lawyer today confirming that in the Katina Powell case the NCAA used 2nd hand heresay when they leveled an unprecedented ruling is still crazy to me. And I love the fact that the IARP pretty much scoffed at that foolishness during this investigation.
Also Skyy Clark is not a point guard he is a ball dominant shooting guard. He needs to be off the ball and Ty-Laur in at the point. You can get the ball taken from you as many times as he has in these two games and be the starting PG.
It is crazy to me that KP said in the press conference yesterday that it's not fair to him to be expected to come in and win games right away. I did think to myself "This is still UofL basketball right?" Of course you're going to be expected to win games. Was a weird comment.
Wow GG Robinson said that the coaches never ate with the players. Was just happy they ate with them. How do you build team unity and family atmosphere when you don't break bread together? Underscores the lack of positive culture.
You guys wanted the tough questions asked so I made sure to go to the press conference and plainly ask if he thought the product on the court currently is up to the standards and expectations of the program and fans of UofL. Here's his response:
"I don't have a lot of guys that I can go to when something goes south on us, that I can go to and fix it... next."
Kenny Payne was asked about the product on the court for Louisville and how to get it up to standards. Here's his full answer:
@WHAS11
#GoCards
I love Coach P but I'll be damned if I'm going to cheer for his success right now when
@LouisvilleMBB
is still being held hostage by the
@NCAA
. We can be cool again when we are free and can see the light of day. Forgive but don't forget.
The buzz about incoming freshman Norika Konno around
@UofLWBB
is not a shock at all. Very gifted ball handler and passer with great size at the guard spot. Impressed me with her play in the World Cup for Japan. Cards are going to be a problem again this year.
Programming note: Head Coach
@JeffBrohm
will be on the Jim Rome show today at 2:20 pm Eastern time! More love for UofL athletics after Pat Kelsey was on just a bit ago! Now
@LouisvilleFB
is getting their time to shine!
Evansville transfer Ben Humrichous took an official visit this weekend at Louisville.
The 6-foot-9 wing led the Aces in scoring (14.7), shooting 41% on 5 3PT a game. Also ranked in the 97th percentile as a PnR ballhandler. Perfect fit in Kelsey’s system
Huge signing and
@LouisvilleMBB
kept this one very quiet. That was completely intentional and pays huge dividends. This kid has extremely high upside and will also be impactful early. 6-10 kid who says he models his game and is inspired by Giannis Antentakoumpo.
Blaming fans or media for any of the struggles, issues, losses, defections, or recruiting problems within the basketball program is silly, incorrect , and an attempt to find a scapegoat. You know what makes program optics look bad? The people that actually run the program.
So let me get this straight. UofL responds to a game where the team lost because of a slow start by benching Nwora and still starting the same backcourt that combined for about 3 points last game. The result? UofL down 12-5 at the under 16 minute timeout. Just stupid.
There's not a chance in hell that JQ is worth that much. I'd move on if I'm UofL. Juice is not worth the squeeze. You can get a better player that will help you for next year for half that.
Hearing bidding is around $1.5 - 2 million for Jayden Quaintance.
Getting Memphis involved gives JQ’s camp leverage to up the bidding for Arkansas to match. Smart move.
Big time addition! Lockdown defender and efficient 3-level scorer. Great size at 6'6" to pair with 6'6" Terrence Edwards Jr.! Just a great start for
@patkelsey
and
@LouisvilleMBB
!
Huge frontcourt commitment for
@patkelsey
and
@LouisvilleMBB
! Pryor gives UofL the type of versatile stretch ability to be a threat on the perimeter as well as in the paint. Will fit perfectly in the Kelsey system!
BREAKING: South Florida transfer forward Kasean Pryor has committed to Louisville, he tells
@On3sports
.
The 6-10 junior averaged 13.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per game this season.
NEWS: Charleston transfer forward James Scott tells
@On3sports
he’s committed to Louisville, following his head coach Pat Kelsey.
The 6-11 freshman shot a staggering 79% from the field this season and blocked 45 shots, averaging only 16 mins per game.
Story:
The winds seem to be blowing the way of Dusty May as the next coach of
@LouisvilleMBB
and doing some research I understand the interest. Besides the Final Four run last year he's also never had a losing season in his 6 years there and FAU only had 4 winning seasons prior to May.
Make no mistake I don't care if it was Pitino or whomever I don't think they could have done a better job coaching UofL tonight. Facing 9 fouls in the first 8 minutes of the second half with the defending Big Ten Champs at home and they have fought tooth and nail. Well done.
Great news for the
@LouisvilleMBB
backcourt! The early best available PG in the portal commits. Early momentum continues for the 23-24 edition of the Cards.
That was a HELL of a number retirement for
@Specter_Smit
and everything that could have been asked! From
@RealPitino
to Big Russ yelling "Put that banner back up!" Just WOW!!! Chills and got a little choked up!
#Russdiculous
#RUS2
The
@Ravens
have been a pistol team all year and for whatever reason they have put Lamar in all these shotgun sets all game mostly with no backs and just had him slinging it. None of this is who they are. Poor planning by the Baltimore coaching staff.
Nothing is going to come of this UK stuff because they are one of the protected brands. They had all this information from the beginning and intentionally kept it out of the public eye. We know what it is and we know how this ends. Things will never change and it is what it is.
I'm not subscribing to the UofL football struggled this past season because there's no talent on the roster. They struggled because of a perfectly terrible combination of a bad scheme, bad coaching staff, and no emotional connection between players and coaches. Perfect storm.