We have reached the part of the college basketball season where teams are winding up conference play and ramping up for the post season tournaments. Years of hard work hang in the balance as seniors across the country near the end of their college basketball careers, and programs across the country are having their Senior Night/Day ceremonies.

On Saturday the University of Louisville will honor one senior Wayne Blackshear, and Montrezl Harrell who will be leaving the program early to pursue his NBA career… These guys will lace em up in that locker room for the last time, will come charging out of that tunnel to the Alma mater for the last time, and will get the love and admiration from the Yum Center crowd for the last time.

Cardinal fans will celebrate the contributions of these guys, recognizing the significant role they have played in this program, especially in the last three years where they have claimed two Big East Championships, an AAC Championship, two Final Fours and a National Title. These guys like the last group we sent out had their fair share of winning. Ceremonies like on Saturday are part of the process that allows closure for the seniors and a passing of the torch to the underclassmen. But they really are bittersweet and I never look forward to saying good-bye to our players.

In successful programs like the University Louisville the players leave but the tradition never graduates. This program is rich and vibrant because many guys like Wayne and Montrezl have cared enough to give their very best. There are still many chapters that have yet to be written, but these guys have added to the outstanding tradition of Cardinal basketball.

Montrezl Harrell said the best basketball advice he was ever given was to never give up. Not only has he never given up on this team or this program he is one of the hardest workers you’ll ever see on a basketball court. I heard an announcer in one of the U18 basketball games where Montrezl won a gold medal for this country call him “Enthusiasm Personified”. This announcer also said that he had never seen a player go as hard as Montrezl. That enthusiastic attitude on the basketball court has resulted in Harrell being the program leader in one of the most enthusiastic plays in the game the slam dunk.

He became the UofL career leader in dunks with seven slams against Indiana on Dec. 9, passing Pervis Ellison. He has 63 this season and currently has 204 dunks in his Louisville career. Harrell’s school-record 97 dunks last year shattered the Cards’ single-season mark by 38 slams. This along with his never give up mentality will be the legacy he leaves behind. Things always seem to work out in the long run. Louisville wasn’t Harrell’s first college choice but will forever be his home. Thanks for all of your hard work Trez and all those highlights that will be a part of Cardinal lore forever.

Wayne Blackshear said the best basketball advice he was ever given was to stay positive. He has taken that advice and applied it into his last four years as a Louisville Cardinal. He has had his fair share of tough luck during his college career. Struggling through two years of shoulder injuries and constant criticism Wayne has always stayed the course and maintained a positive attitude. He’s a guy that has never had attitude issues with his team or his coach, and has been an honor student in the classroom. He may not be known for his all-star play on a basketball court but Wayne is an all-star at life. These are the kind of guys that every coach wants on his team and the kind of player every fan wants to cheer for.

Louisville adapted the “Louisville First Cardinal forever” motto during Wayne’s four years here, and there isn’t a player that has come through the program that has epitomized that more. Wayne in the face of high expectations and adversity has always put his teammates first and showed courageous leadership. In four years he has also shown great perseverance and has become one of the rocks of the program. He has done it through nothing but hard work. And I thank you Wayne most of all for your character. Nobody better symbolizes the best of what the Louisville basketball program stands for than you.

We will honor Montrezl and Wayne on Saturday in the final home game of their careers, but the program will continue to count on their leadership. We’ll surely miss these guys but will never forget them. Their departure will be the end of an era as they are the only remaining participants from the 2013 title game, but their legacy will always be just a glance towards the rafters at that National Title banner.

Wayne Blackshear and Montrezl Harrell Louisville First Cardinals Forever…

I never thought I’d see the day when a former Duke basketball player becomes one of the biggest Kentucky Wildcat homers on the planet, but that is what has happened with ESPN analyst Jay Bilas. Bilas’s recent love affair with John Calipari’s latest NBA training camp rivals that of former SEC analyst Jimmy Dykes who always sounded like a giddy school girl when doing UK games.

Bilas’s love affair with the Wildcats even led him to go on a personal crusade against a former Louisville player for flopping during the annual Battle of the Bluegrass game. Bilas who is paid to call games in an objective manner didn’t hold back during the television broadcast and let his disgust for the flop be heard across the country. He even took to twitter to acknowledge his disgust.

Bilas’s rant sparked up a series of attacks from all over social media and he had everyone bashing this flop. National media swarmed to the story like flies to dung, and the UK fan base had a field day. They even got their kids in the mix with a Claymation version of the flop. Even it made its way around the national rags.

For about two weeks all we heard is about that horrible, disgusting flop. I mean how, why, it was a crime against college basketball and Jay Bilas created an angry mob over it.

On Tuesday night I decided against my better judgment to actually sit through a UK SEC basketball game. I have to admit that it was a very entertaining game and Georgia put up a gutsy effort even though the deck was clearly stacked in the Cats favor. It would have been better had it not been for the incessant rambling about UK’s greatness by Jay Bilas.

The most perplexing moment for me was when Andrew Harrison pulled off what was perhaps one of the best flops of the college basketball season. It was a flop that would rival that of a former Louisville player back in December. I was expecting Jay Bilas to have another meltdown and announce his utter disgust for flopping. But that didn’t happen and in fact Bilas found the Harrison flop to be amusing. That’s right he chuckled as if it was one of the funniest things he’d ever seen. It was quite the opposite reaction from the outrage he displayed back in December.

Did Jay Bilas take an anger management class to deal with his rage against the flop? Where was the outrage?

Folks it’s very obvious that Jay has turned into that guy. Who knows where it all went wrong. Jay used to be one of the best basketball guys on TV. He knows the game better than any of those other ESPN talking heads and yet he chooses to be a blind homer for the Kentucky Wildcats. Seriously how does this happen?

Guess we can just add Jay Bilas’s name to the list of things John Calipari has ruined in College basketball. Jay Bilas once a great player and analyst now will be known as Jay BIAS. Sad indeed… Guess it won’t be long until he’s writing articles for KSR.

Chances are that if you are a sports fan then there are moments in your life where sports have transcended the competition on the field of play and provided defining moments in your life. Sports have healed relationships, created long lasting bonds, brought nations together, brought communities together, and sports have inspired people for generations. In some way or other sports will impact a person in some way in their life’s journey.

I remember the first time my father took me to Riverfront Stadium for a Reds baseball game and the ride home having an actual conversation with him. Being able to relate to my father for the first time on that level was a very special moment for me. It’s a moment that I can’t wait to have with my own son someday.

I will always cherish those moments shared with my friends over the years going to basketball and football games. The high fives, the hugs, and the chest bump when our favorite player made the big play. All of those laughs I’ve shared before and after the games have been great times indeed.

My son is only three years old and I have already had immeasurable joy taking him to his first Cardinal basketball game, and watching that big smile come on his face when he seen the mascot for the first time. I’m certain that the feelings a father has at that moment can only come from that experience.

These are only moments in my life experienced as an observer of sports. The defining times I’ve had during my involvement in sports have been just as impactful. That coach who inspired me to reach further, that game where I got my moment and that comradery shared with a team. Learning what it means to win and lose and the appropriate way to deal with both.

With all of the positive moments that sports brings to our lives there are times that they bring a dose of reality. Yes sometimes sports serve as a sobering reminder that we are only human and humans are capable of doing horrible things. I don’t think anyone could have said it better than the voice of the Louisville Cardinals Paul Rodgers did yesterday.

Sports have reminded Cardinal fans this week just how much it can relate to real life. And while it’s happened before I’ll never get used to watching human failure. Just like all of you I’m ready to get back to those happy moments and ready to see more achievement. I’m ready to share that next awesome experience with someone.

In a few weeks we will be heading into spring. Spring is a time of the year that brings life back to nature. The time moves forward and new beginnings are abound. As we head into the new basketball season that is March Madness and as we head into the spring football practices I hope the Louisville athletic program can move forward and put this latest negative behind us. Go Cards!

Tonight will be the very first appearance on a Big Monday ESPN telecast for the Cardinals. And this will also be a big night for this Cardinals team to move forward. I’m glad they are out of town and hopefully have been able to escape all of the negative vibes floating around the Cardinal universe. Tonight it’s time to circle the wagons as a team and a fan-base and move forward as this season approaches its finale.

I expect with the loss of point guard Chris Jones that Coach Pitino will adjust his offense around the three other guys on this team who have been the statistical leaders throughout. Terry Rozier is averaging 17.6 points a game, Montrezl Harrell is averaging 15.6 points and 9.5 rebounds a game, while Wayne Blackshear is averaging 10.5 points and 4.3 rebounds… These guys will be counted on to carry the bulk of the load as they have done for most of the season, but we really need these younger guys to also step up.

For Quentin Snider who dreamed of someday being a hometown hero and starring in front of the Yum Center crowd this is his time to start that journey. He played 38 minutes last week against Syracuse and ran the team with poise and control. The guys seemed to really feed off his positive energy.

Shaqquan Aaron was called out by Coach Pitino last week and was challenged to put his team first and to be a Louisville man. This is his opportunity to show his coach and his peers that he is ready to get past the me-ball and ready to put in the work it takes to get to that next level as a college athlete. The minutes are going to be there now.

Chinanu Onuaku is oozing with potential. He has the god given size and athletic ability to really be a premiere Center in college basketball. Coach Pitino has called him one of the best passing big men he’s ever seen. Word is that he’s been working with another one of those great passing big men assistant coach David Padgett. If Onuaku can decide he wants to listen he could also be a valuable asset for a team that is going to need some points from the five spot.

Let’s face it folks there is going to be a huge opportunity for these guys including Anton Gill who will also get the opportunity at the guard spot, while Jaylen Johnson, Mango Mathiang and Anas Mahmoud will get their chance at minutes at the five spot.

I think Coach Pitino needs to roll the ball out and really start to simplify some of the things he tries on the defensive end of the floor. That is what has been holding a lot of these guys back. Just let them get out there and make their mistakes and play basketball. These guys need to start having fun in these games instead of worrying about making a mistake and being in the wrong spot on defense. Coach Pitino doesn’t have a veteran team and just dismissed his best defensive player. In my opinion it’s time to relax and tell these guys to guard their man and do their best. Maybe this will also let them play looser on the offensive side of the ball leading to more production.

I love new beginnings. It’s a big reason why I love the NCAA tournament. It’s like a season all of its own and as long as you get there it doesn’t matter what happened along the way. Anyone can ask last year’s UCONN team about that. As far as I’m concerned tonight starts the new University of Louisville basketball season. I think and hope we’ll see a revived group of Cardinals ready to face the challenges that lie ahead. Go Cards!

It’s been less than 24 hours since our beloved Louisville Cardinals lost another disappointing game. It has been a while since we have had to deal with back-to-back losses and some might be taking it a bit hard. I run through my Cardinal Stages of grief pretty quick these days and have already reached the acceptance phase. What stage are you in?

-The Five Stages of Cardinal Grief

-Denial: It is a normal reaction to rationalize overwhelming emotions. It is a defense mechanism that buffers the immediate shock. We block out the words and hide from the facts. This is a temporary response that carries us through the first wave of pain.

“The Cards lost a lot of key guys the last couple of seasons. They needed Blackshear to realize his talent, Jones to NOT be a knucklehead, Mathiang to take that next step, and at least 2 freshmen to contribute regularly. None of these things happened.”

“I love seeing these freshmen get playing time.”

“The 2012 team lost to USF and Syracuse back-to-back games just before the conference tournament and Pitino still took them to the Final Four.”

“I was encouraged by the play of Q, Nanu and Anas though. On the flip side the Aaron comments are IMO out of line for the general public and I am a bit concerned about some of the recruiting choices over the last couple of years.”

-Anger: As the masking effects of denial and isolation begin to wear, reality and its pain re-emerge. We are not ready. The intense emotion is deflected from our vulnerable core, redirected and expressed instead as anger. The anger may be aimed at inanimate objects, complete strangers, friends or family.

“Our front court screwed us in this game. Those guys are not ready for the season. I refuse to believe that Blackshear is a competitor.”

“We have lost back to back to two teams that are on the bubble (or would be if Cuse didn’t take themselves out) we are going to lose to them by nine and ten points. We have one win over a team that might make the sweet 16. I had questions about us with Jones, but there is no excuse for the total lack of talent on this team. We have two players that will play in the NBA.”

“That is the problem with Rick Pitino’s system. His teams need you to turn the ball over at a relatively high rate to be successful. Undoubtedly, Louisville will run into a team in the NCAA tournament that takes care of the ball, and then the Cardinals are done.”

“Play smart? Keep in mind that this is a Rick Pitino coached team. He simply can’t coach his way out of a box when it comes to strategy in the final minutes of a tight game.”

“Harrell is good for a few poster dunks, but is never a factor in most games and disappears at crunch time. Blackshear better have a good major.”

“Remember when Denny couldn’t adjust to the 3 pointer? Rick can’t adjust to the one and done.”

-Bargaining: The normal reaction to feelings of vulnerability is often a need to regain control.

“No, this Louisville team is not terrible, but it is a mediocre team. This team is a far cry from the overly hyped team that started the season.”

“This was a product of the fact that Cuse simply didn’t turn the ball over enough. Louisville can only shoot a decent percentage when the opposing team turns the ball over, because obviously, this creates high percentage shots.”

-Depression: May be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods after the Cards lose. It’s usually what we feel before the reality of the situation becomes more clear.

“This is the most poorly prepared team ever under Pitino. Time to retire if you can’t get them to work harder to be prepared.”

“Sad to see that Louisville’s chance of winning it all is actually not that good though.”

“I am extremely disappointed in this Louisville team.”

“Most disappointing loss I have seen in a long time, we could have beat Syracuse and should have played better.”

“I don’t know why but the game felt terrible. They started out great moving the ball and Trez hit a couple shots early. We were getting the ball inside and Nanu and Mahamoud even took a couple shots. I started having high hopes for the team minus Chris Jones at the start of the Cuse game. Christmas killed us. Absolutely destroyed it. Hats off to him for the game he had.”

-Acceptance: Not everyone is capable of reaching this stage. It is that moment when you can put the entire season in perspective and realize that one loss isn’t the end of the world. It is also when you realize why the Cardinals actually lost the game.

“Calm down Card Fans. Today was our first real test playing the freshman and playing Cuse can only help as the season progresses. After all it’s not like we got beat by Little Sisters of the Poor. Cuse is one of the elite programs in the country and they are playing every game like they are in the NCAA Tournament already due to their self-imposed sanctions. And even though they may not be quite as good this year they are still Cuse. We have one of the best back-courts in the country especially if Jones gets it together and a Hall of Fame coach. He will get it fixed. I am confident that by the end of the year our Cards can play with any team in the country. Go Cards!”

“This is going to be one heck of a year in college b-ball! Who needs to wait until March it’s already crazy!!!! Congrats Cuse and keep you heads up Cards fans.”

“My expectations for this team haven’t changed. This team looks about as good as it was projected to be in the preseason. We have Sweet 16 ability and can hopefully realize that potential. With any luck, we’ll make the Elite Eight. And if many of the bounces go our way, a Final Four is possible.”

“This year is wide open for the hottest teams come March. Should be fun.”

“A lot to learn from this game. We had way worse losses last season. Pitino is a March-Master. And he’d better work some of that magic. Time to figure out how to make the Louisville front-court be effective”

There you have it Cards fans some real examples of other members of Card Nation going through some of the same emotions as you are. And as I said at the beginning I am in the acceptance stage of my Cardinal grief. I don’t think the last two losses will factor into the big picture of this season.

I was impressed with the play of Quentin Snider last night and he was very level headed in crunch time and the team appeared to feed off of his patience. He just had a cool demeanor and his team-mates benefited from that greatly. Chris Jones may find his way back to this team if he decides that he wants to put his team-mates first and he has the ability to be a great point guard, but simply doesn’t have some of those on the court intangibles that a team like this needs.

The Cardinals have really missed a good defensive big man, a great rim protector, shot-blocker, and a presence down low that allowed the guards to take chances with the knowledge that the 7-footer could make up for their miscues. I thought that once Montrezl settled into the season and Mangok got used to his role that they would be able to make up for some of this loss, but like the situation at point guard there are just certain intangibles that these guys don’t have that this team needs. I was impressed with the play of Onuaku tonight and maybe he will start putting complete games together on offense and defense.

This program has lost a lot of great players and great young men over the last couple of years. We lost four seniors last year that were the winningest in program history. Wayne Blackshear is a great young man, great student and a quality athlete. He just isn’t a guy that’s going to lead you to a National Title. Terry and Montrezl are great players who are just going to play their game and do their part. Neither of them seem like they want any part of trying to motivate these younger guys. We needed Chris to be something he’s never been. It was probably unfair to place such high expectations on this guy. He had some pretty big shoes to fill. We really needed a few of these freshman to come in and play like upperclassmen, but again probably unfair to expect that. We are also seeing for the first time in a long time a Louisville team who is struggling to play elite defense.

I’m not trying to make excuses here folks. This is the reality of the situation and these things just can’t be ignored. Our Cards are 20-6 and this team is a 20-6 team right now. Coach Pitino has come down pretty hard on these guys. We as fans expect a lot but he expects perfection. In the last few weeks he has laid it all out on the table. It will be the Louisville way or the highway. Let’s hope these guys buy into that.

Every loss our Cards have is very tough to deal with but when you go through your Cardinal stages of grief you can understand and accept that those losses eventually mean nothing. All that matters is how you perform under the bright lights of March. We have seen things fall apart during this time of the year before and seen teams come back to perform well in the post season. We’ve got some guys on this team that can make that happen again.