Monthly Archives: November 2014

Montrezl Goes Coastal Leading Cards To Victory In Armed Forces Classic

Posted on by

Uploaded from the Photobucket <br /> iPhone App

photo D44720DE-A393-49D8-BA2C-203BF2EA08A5_zpsrzxoeipf.jpg

The first game of the college basketball season is in the books and for the 11th straight year our Cardinals start it off with a win. Louisville beat Minnesota tonight 81-68 in the Armed Forces Classic. It was the 18th time that a Father and Son coached against each other and after the outcome of this game the dads now lead 16-2. Richard Pitino has a good team and he is a very good coach but he won’t join Ed Dibble Jr and Jan van Breda Kolff as the only sons to beat their dads in a college basketball game. With the win the Cardinals even the overall series with Minnesota 3-3, and Coach Rick Pitino is now just four wins away from 700 in his career.

Louisville has always been a team under Rick Pitino that relies on the defense to generate offense. And while this team has a ton of offensive potential it was the defense again tonight that helped this team find their offensive rhythm and score points when they needed them the most. The Cardinals scored 18 points off turnovers and had big efforts from Montrezl, Terry and Chris.

Montrezl was all over the court and making big play after big play. He had a career night to start his season scoring 30 points, and grabbing 7 rebounds. He was 3-4 from the 3-point line and also showed off that little 15 foot jumper a few times. His most impressive moment for me came when he threw down an alley-oop on the offensive side of the ball and then sprinted down the floor to take a charge on the defensive side of the ball. Its hustle plays like that along with his polished offensive game that makes him a solid candidate for National Player of the Year. He made a good opening statement tonight and boy I’m glad that he came back for another year.

Terry is one of those players who lets the flow of the game come to him and doesn’t force anything. Before you know it he has 18 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assist and 4 steals without a single turnover. Coach Pitino said about Rozier after the game “I’ve not seen a guy work that hard in a long, long time at both phases of the game.” And Terry made it look effortless.

Chris had a very solid first game himself with 13 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assist. He was also very disruptive on the defensive side of the ball and had 3 steals. I really think he and Terry work well together and they do very well in their joint effort to run the offense.

The most impressive freshman of the night was Quentin Snider. This kid carries himself with such confidence and it carries over into his game. He had 7 points with 4 rebounds and didn’t have a single turnover. He hit a big three point shot late in the game when Minnesota was making a little run that sparked a 19-2 run for the Cardinals. I said after watching him in the scrimmages that I loved his moxie and he didn’t disappoint me tonight.

The biggest area for concern for this team will be what it can get from the 5 spot. Tonight between Onuaku and Mango it was 4 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assist, 1 block, and 1 steal. I do feel like the more experience Nanu gets the better he will get as the season progresses. I have to say that I really expected a lot more from Mango considering how he finished last year. It may also take him some time to get it going.

It is no secret that the Cardinals multiple 30 win seasons have come on the back of some really great defensive teams. I think this team will carry on that tradition. The Cardinals were very active in their pressing defense tonight and were flying all over the court. They held a pretty solid shooting team to just 40% from the floor and 22% from behind the arc just .87 points per trip. The Cardinals had 11 steals and forced 18 turnovers. If this team can continue down this path their offensive prowess will just be an added bonus to the arsenal.

Just a day before he would coach in the first game of the season against his legendary father Richard Pitino gathered with his family in Puerto Rico for the Christening of his son. Tonight Richard’s father gave him another baptism by fire. No doubt that the younger Pitino will take this loss and build on it and I do think his team will be very good this season. I really like Richard Pitino and really want to believe that the Louisville job will be his someday when Rick decides to head to the rocking chair. This really was a fun game to watch from the build up to the end. I was satisfied with how the Cardinals played and think we will have something for them come March. The road started tonight folks enjoy the rest of the season. Go Cards!

photo 83F2274A-64F4-4E62-BC07-763B7E59B519_zpsnufpe34z.jpg

The Beak Basketball Breakdown: Minnesota

Posted on by

Uploaded from the Photobucket <br /> iPhone App

photo 8568BAFD-0EDD-4B3E-A072-F4F51A75FDB2_zpsfwdpiowl.jpg

It was back on December 20th of 2012 when Rick Pitino faced his son Richard Pitino for the first time. That was the 17th time in NCAA Division I history that a father coached against his son. That was a pretty cool evening at the KFC Yum Center and it was great to be a part of that moment. Friday will mark the 18th time that a father and son will do battle in the NCAA and it will be the Pitino’s who will once again take center stage. The dads are 15-2 in these games, but the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree and this time Richard Pitino will have a team to compete.

Coach Richard Pitino has done an excellent job at creating a winning culture in Minnesota during his short time there. In his first year as their head coach they won 25 games and the NIT Championship. Returning from that team are four starters and eight letter-winners, including two of the team’s top leading scorers in Andre Hollins (13.6 ppg) and DeAndre Mathieu (12.0 ppg). In total, Minnesota returns 63 percent of its scoring and 71 percent of its rebounding from a season ago. Four newcomers will potentially make their Gopher debut in Puerto Rico in junior college transfer Carlos Morris, a projected starter, along with freshmen Bakary Konate, Josh Martin and Nate Mason.

Minnesota’s starting back-court is comprised of a pair of senior guards in Andre Hollins and DeAndre Mathieu. Hollins ranks 17th in career scoring at Minnesota with 1,309 points while Mathieu led the team with 4.2 assist per game good for fourth in the Big Ten. Both of these guys received all Big Ten honorable mentions after last season.

They also have a very solid front-court that is led by seniors Elliot Eliason and Maurice Walker. These guys share time at the center position with Eliason leading the team in rebounds (244) and blocks (72) last season. Walker is also a solid big man and averaged about 1 block and 5 rebounds last season. They will start a junior Joey King in the forward spot and he averaged about 8 points, 3 blocks last season.

-Minnesota 2013-14 OVERALL RANKINGS Offense | Defense
-POINTS PER GAME
71.2
171st
OVERALL
-REBOUNDS PER GAME
34.5
193rd
OVERALL
-ASSISTS PER GAME
13.7
94th
OVERALL
-FIELD GOAL PCT
.445
157th
OVERALL

2014-15 Kenpom Rankings
Overall- #37
Defense Adjustment Efficiency
-95.7 ranks 59th
Offense Adjustment Efficiency
-110.5 ranks #27
-Per Kenpom game prediction he has the Cardinals winning the game 76-67 based on his indexes.

This is the toughest opening game that the Cardinals have played in a very long time. Usually these early games are that of the warm-up variety, but that won’t be the case on Friday evening. Richard Pitino is one of the best up and coming coaches in the country and he has had the privilege of learning from two of the best coaches in America. He has taken coaching qualities and philosophy from both Rick and Billy’s benches and put his own spin on it. His system features an aggressive style of pressing defense and an up-tempo style on offense. His kids play hard for him and he gets the most out of each of them and knows how to utilize their skills for the benefit of the team. Richard Pitino can flat out coach folks and it will be fun to watch him and dad go head to head.

I give Minnesota the edge at the center position. They will play two very solid veterans against some not so seasoned Louisville bigs. This will be a good measuring stick for Mango and nothing will come easy for him on Friday. I will also be interested to see how much time Onuaku gets in the first game and will Rick give any time to the Big Egyptian.
We pretty much have the advantage at every other spot but Chris, Terry, Wayne, and Montrezl will also be tested all game long. Like I mentioned above those Minnesota guys give it their all for Richard and they each know what their roles are. This is just a great first test for the Cardinals.

Other than the basketball part of this game I keep thinking of how cool it is to see a father and son in this position. As a father I can only imagine the pride and gratitude that Coach Rick Pitino feels when he looks over and sees his son across from him and carrying on the Pitino coaching legacy. Here is his son who grew up watching game tapes on his father’s knee, standing on the sidelines while his father ran practices, listening to the late-night strategy sessions and coaching beside his father for years as an assistant now starring in this moment with him. Friday night is going to be a great night of college basketball but to the two men leading their teams in battle it is going to mean much more. Cardinal fans and Minnesota fans are both lucky to share in this moment.

The Beak Prediction
Louisville 80 Minnesota 72

Cards Get A BONNAfied Win To Finish ACC Season

Posted on by

Uploaded from the Photobucket <br /> iPhone App

photo 4A5D24B8-B005-41EB-A9F8-9103449E7CF2_zpsq2zcyeui.jpg
(photo courtesy @UofLFlyingCard)

The last ACC game of the season did not go without any drama. This one went back and forth with the Cards and Eagles throwing blow for blow. But after some great defensive play and some great play by the freshman quarterback it was the Cardinals who would emerge victorious 38-19. They now move into the lead in this series 4-3. With the win the Cardinals finish their inaugural ACC football season 5-3 and in 3rd place of the Atlantic division. The Cards still have a shot at getting Coach Petrino another 9 win season. His record at UofL is now 48-12 overall.

The Cardinals showed a lot of moxie tonight and showed just what they are made of. With our top receiver out, our top defensive player out, our starting QB out, they could have very easy folded up the tents after some things weren’t going their way early. But they stayed the course and emerged with a very good win on the road to finish out their ACC season. We have grown used to watching our football teams step up and create big moments for themselves over the last few years. That is a part of the culture now that doesn’t appear to be going away. Cardinal Football is a winner.

The offense got off to a slow start tonight and was especially bleak in the red-zone. But Coach Petrino stayed the course and with Gardner out things started to pick up late in the second quarter and really started off well to start the 3rd quarter when Reggie Bonnafon lead a heroic drive down the field on 14 plays covering 75 yards. He topped it off with a touchdown pass to Eli Rodgers. This drive would put the Cardinals ahead for good. Bonnafon would finish the game with a gutsy 69 yards and two touchdowns. He really did show a lot of heart tonight, and while there is still a long way to go with him he proved tonight that he is on the right path. The offense would put up 423 yards on a very good BC defense. I have to give a big shout-out to the Cardinals offensive line that held their own again tonight.

The other offensive stand-out tonight was DeVante Parker. He recorded his third straight 100-yard performance and fifth dating back to last season. He finished the game with 8 receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown. DeVante is now Louisville’s leading receiver and has only played in 3 games this season. We can only assume what would have been had he been healthy for the whole schedule.

The Cardinals defense really put out another great effort holding a very good run game to just 166 yards on the night and they really locked things down when they needed to late in the 4th quarter with a big goal-line stand. The guy leading the way for these big stops was Gerod Holliman. Gerod had 3 big interceptions making him the all-time leader in a season at Louisville and #6 all-time in a career. At 13 interceptions he is just one away from reaching the NCAA record for a single season. Our guys on the defensive line really came through tonight as well.

It seemed like our first season in the ACC went by pretty fast. Cardinal fans have to be really pleased at how it ended. This team can really build off the momentum of this win and carry it into the last two games. A nine win season and finishing the season ranked in the top 25 are still very possible. And each win just upgrades the Bowl game. I know I’m really happy with how the team fought their way through the ups and downs and am very excited to watch this program continue to grow under the leadership of the current coaching staff. Two games and a Bowl left to cheer for this group of young men who have given their all for us this year. Let’s enjoy them… Go Cards!

The Beak Football Breakdown Cards vs. Eagles

Posted on by

Uploaded from the Photobucket <br /> iPhone App

photo images2fghfsg_zpsda21f2ff.jpg

Doesn’t seem like it was that long ago that we were all gathered down at 4th Street Live celebrating the Cardinals official move into the ACC. Now we are almost halfway through a sports season and are down to only one ACC Football game left. Louisville will be traveling up to Chestnut Hill Massachusetts this weekend and will close out the ACC portion of their schedule against the Boston College Eagles. The Cardinals and Eagles have played six times on the gridiron and the series is tied 3-3. It was the Cardinals who won the last meeting 52-28 back in 1998. BC is in the Atlantic Division and they are currently in 3rd at 3-2. The Cardinals are 4th at 4-3.

Boston College improved to 6-3 on the season after beating Virginia Tech 33-31 last Saturday. The Eagles have won two straight games and they have wins over UMass, USC, Maine, NC State, and Wake Forest this season. They have lost to Pittsburgh, Colorado State, and Clemson. On the year, the Eagles rank 19th in points against, allowing an average of 20.1 points per game. Boston College’s offense is averaging 27.4 points per game, which ranks 80th in the country. The Cardinals have recently faced the Eagles head man Steve Addazio when he was Temple’s head coach. He’s a very good coach who is affectionately referred to as “Vitamin A” because of his high-energy nature on the practice field, on game days and on the recruiting trail. He has the Eagles playing well and will have them ready on Saturday night.

Leading Addazio’s offense on Saturday night is dual-threat quarterback Tyler Murphy, who is a transfer from Florida. While his passing has been far from great this season (55.6% completion rate, 8 touchdowns, 6 interceptions), he has been unstoppable on the ground. Murphy has 965 rushing yards is averaging 7.4 yards/carry this season and has 9 rushing touchdowns.
The Boston College rushing attack does not stop with Tyler Murphy. BC is 9th nationally in Rushing. They have four running backs who have at least 100 yards. Leading this unit is Jon Hilliman who has 578 yards with 9 touchdowns. He is followed by Myles Willis who has 399 yards with 2 touchdowns, Tyler Rouse who has 144 yards with 2 touchdowns, and Marcus Outlow who has 137 yards.
Their passing attack isn’t very formidable, but they do have some guys who are very capable if Murphy is forced to throw it. Leading their wide receiving corps is Josh Bordner who has 289 yards with 3 touchdowns, Dan Crimmins who has 225 yards, Charlie Callinan who has 127 yards with 1 touchdown and Sherman Alston who has 109 yards with 1 touchdown.

On the year, the Cardinals are allowing only 17.7 points per game on average, which ranks 8th in the country. They are ranked 3rd in the country in rushing defense giving up 78.7 yards per game and have only allowed 4 rushing touchdowns on the season. They will have to maintain this effort against BC to give the Cardinals a chance on Saturday night. They will have to do so without one of their leaders Lorenzo Maulding who will be out with a hamstring injury. I’d say that coach Grantham will load the box and force Murphy and this BC offense to use something they really don’t like and that’s their passing game. The Cardinals defense has faced some decent rushing attacks this season including Winston and company last week so they should be ready.

Boston College has a pretty good defense themselves. Their unit is ranked 11th in total defense and just behind the Cardinals ranked 4th in rushing defense. They have a very good defensive line that is stocked with some very big guys. Leading this unit is Defensive end Brian Mihalik 6-9, 295 pounds with 22 tackles, defensive tackle Truman Gutapfel 6-3, 289 pounds with 18 tackles, and defensive tackle Connor Wujciak 6-3, 304 pounds with 22 tackles. These guys are veterans and they will be ready to try and stop the Cardinals attack.

Louisville’s offense is averaging 30.9 points per game, which ranks 57th in the country. The Cardinals gained 488 total yards against Florida State last week and turned the ball over twice. The offensive line did a great job last week and will have their hands full again this week with this very good BC defensive front. They will have to block well to give Dyer and Radcliff some room to run the ball. They will have to excel in their pass blocking to give Will Gardner time to throw the ball down field to Parker and Quick. This is one of the best defenses that the Cardinal offense has faced this season. They will have to have one of their best efforts to give the Cardinals a chance to win.

The Cardinals much like the fans were very dejected after last weeks heart breaking loss to Florida State. A game like that can really zap the energy and the drive out of a football team. It is very hard to regroup after coming up short like that after a very good effort. I think that’s why a lot of folks are looking at the game Saturday night against Boston College as one of those trap games. The outcome of this game will be determined by how these Cardinals come out of the locker room. Will they still have a hangover from a tough loss? I have total and complete confidence in our coaching staff and it is their job to make sure that doesn’t happen. I do think our guys will come out very focused as they are still playing for a bowl upgrade and still have a chance at finishing the season very strongly. A top 25 ranking is still very possible especially with a shot at knocking off Notre Dame after the bye week. This game will be a defensive slug-fest with our Cardinals winning a close one.

The Beak Prediction:

Louisville 13 Boston College 10

Election Day: A Vote Determined by Red or Blue?

Posted on by

Uploaded from the Photobucket <br /> iPhone App

photo 2D227CF4-15C3-45F0-B9D1-477C198B9857_zpsuxflygvc.jpg

As Kentuckians from Paducah to Pikeville cast their votes for state senator, legislators, county leaders and other representatives will they be voting for issues like the war on coal, the economy? Studies suggest that they may not be really voting on the issues at all, and that the current state of the Red and Blue political parties may not be what sways voters on this Election Day. It may be the current state of the Red and Blue athletic programs in the state that have the biggest impact.

Voting is one of the most important duties by the citizens in a democratic society, but when it comes to making the decision on who to vote for it may not be the important issues that sway voters the most. There have been many studies that have shown that the voters mental state at the time of an election may cause them to lean more towards a certain candidate. Information and events irrelevant to government performance, yet still consequential to an individual’s sense of well-being, affect the decisions that voters make in the polling booth.

What happens with the Cardinals and Cats in the state of Kentucky is deeply ingrained in its citizens. Positive or negative news from either of these major athletic departments can create a ripple effect that is felt by all. To put it simply we live and die by our sports here in the Bluegrass state. When we talk about Nations in Kentucky it’s usually the Big Blue Nation or Cardinal Nation that we are referring to. Currently the state of both programs appears to be in pretty good shape. Both teams had rough losses this past weekend on the gridiron, but both have two of the top basketball teams heading into the season and that has both fan bases feeling pretty good.

So what will this positive attitude towards the Cards and Cats mean in the Election today? The studies suggest that the persons general sense of well being will more times than not favor the incumbents reelection. So this could mean good news ahead tonight for Mitch McConnell and others who are seeking to hold their positions of power. The study I linked above and many others like it made the correlation between a particular win or loss by a football team or basketball team to a voters decision. Using that specific logic and taking into account that both the Cards and Cats had tough losses in football this past weekend it could mean good news for Alison Grimes and those who are seeking to replace the incumbents.

I’d like to think that when I go to my polling location later today and cast my vote that I will be voting based on my perception of how things are going in our economy and based on our states well being in general. Today I will let the serious issues that face our state sway my decision. When I head to the polls I will be voting Red or Blue but today that won’t mean what it usually does in this state. Get out today and exercise your right to vote, and don’t let a general sense of well being or other irrelevant factors sway your decision. This election means too much for that. Happy Election Day!