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The Beak Basketball Breakdown: Clemson

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The Cardinals took care of business on Sunday evening down in Winston Salem beating Wake Forest in their very first conference game. Now the Cardinals will play their very first ACC game at the KFC Yum Center on Wednesday night against Clemson. The Cardinals and the Tigers have only played three times on the hardwood with Louisville leading the series 3-0. After their win Sunday the Cardinals are 149-66 against current ACC teams.

COACH PITINO TALKS CLEMSON AND THE PROGRESS OF HIS TEAM

Clemson has won four of their last six games. They are averaging 65.2 points a game shooting 42.5% from the field, 28% from Three and 66.5% from the free throw line. Jaron Blossomgame is averaging 13.6 points and 8.2 rebounds while Damarcus Harrison is averaging 11 points and 3.5 rebounds. Donte Grantham is the third player averaging double-digit points and Landry Nnoko is grabbing 6.5 rebounds. The Tigers are a team that rely heavily on their defense and they are holding teams to 62.6 points a game on 39% shooting from field. Their defense has held teams to 65 points or less in seven of their last 10 games. They average almost 6 blocked shots a game good for 19th in the country.

Clemson 2014-15 Overall Rankings Offense | Defense

OFFENSE
-POINTS PER GAME
65.2
248th
OVERALL
-REBOUNDS PER GAME
37.0
93rd
OVERALL
-ASSISTS PER GAME
10.8
292nd
OVERALL
-FIELD GOAL PCT
.425
232nd
OVERALL

DEFENSE
-POINTS ALLOWED
62.6
101st
OVERALL
-REBOUNDS PER GAME
25.4
103rd
OVERALL
-BLOCKS PER GAME
5.7
19th
OVERALL
-STEALS PER GAME
5.0
316th
OVERALL

2014-15 Kenpom Rankings
Overall- #141
Defense Adjustment Efficiency
-97.5 ranks 106th
Offense Adjustment Efficiency
-99.2 ranks 204th
-Per Kenpom’s game prediction he has Louisville winning the game 70-53 based on his indexes.

Our Cardinals have four players averaging in double figures with Terry Rozier (17.1 points, 5.6 rebounds), Montrezl Harrell (16.7 points, 9.5 rebounds), Chris Jones (12.1 points, dishing out 3.2 assists) and Wayne Blackshear (12.1 points). With Shaqquan Aaron coming around the Cardinal’s now must get something going at the 5 spot. Chinanu, Mango, and Anas are averaging 8.3 points a game combined while averaging 13.3 rebounds. These numbers have to come up for the Cardinals to be any real threat in the post season.

It will be interesting to see if Chris can put together great back to back performances and if the play of Shaqquan Aaron has lit a fire under Wayne Blackshear. We’ll see if the post guys show any type of spark after Coach Pitino said that he was going to put his focus on them. I don’t think the Cards have any trouble with Clemson and it will be another opportunity to get better. Tough road trip to Chapel Hill is looming.

The Beak Prediction:
Louisville 79 Clemson 65

Cards Exorcise The Demon Deacons

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The Louisville Cardinals have played in and won their first ACC game beating the Wake Forest Demon Deacons tonight 85-76. No matter what happens now the Cardinals can always say that they won the first one. They say first impressions are always the most important and while the Cards weren’t overly impressive tonight they did let the conference know that they are here. The Cardinals have now won their first conference road game for the 8th straight season. Louisville now leads the series over Wake Forest 3-1 and their record against the ACC is now 149-66.

COACH PITINO WAKE FOREST POST GAME

The Cardinals didn’t play their sharpest game of the season and the effort on defense wasn’t the best but Coach Pitino played a lot of guys and was dealing with foul trouble. They Still had 8 steals and 4 blocked shots. The Cardinals found out tonight that they aren’t going to get the whistle on the road in the ACC and had 25 team fouls. The Cardinals were out-rebounded by one 36-35, they ran the offense much better tonight and the shots fell well enough to go 50% from the floor, and 41% from the three. The Louisville bench outscored theirs 16-9.

There were a few solid performances tonight but the most impressive outing was from Chris Jones. He sat down with Paul Rodgers after the game and said “We are more focused now and we know what we need to do to win a national championship and I’m all in”. This kid took a beating from the fans after that Kentucky game and also took a pretty good tongue lashing from his coach. He was benched last week in the game against Long Beach State. He could have easily buried his head in the sand and really struggled to come out of this funk. But talk about exorcising the demons Jones did that tonight showing some Memphis moxie getting his first double-double of his Louisville career scoring 22 points, and dishing out 10 assist. He also had 4 rebounds and 3 steals while only having 2 turnovers. I couldn’t be happier for this guy. If we can keep “Memphis Moxie” around this Cardinal team will be a force to be reckoned with.

Montrezl Harrell wasn’t much of a factor in the second half but did pace the Cardinals with a huge first half. He had his 6th double-double of the season with 25 points, and 13 rebounds. It was a homecoming for Montrezl and there were reportedly signs in the crowd that welcomed him back.

If Louisville fans didn’t understand how important Terry Rozier is to this team they do now. He quickly picked up his 4th foul in the second half with the Cardinals up 46-35, and without his offensive prowess the Cardinals would only score 12 points in the next 9 minutes while Wake Forest closed the gap to 56-55. He did get back into the game and ended up hitting several big-time shots when the Cards needed them the most. He finished with 18 points.

Rick Pitino said after the game tonight about Shaqquan Aaron “He is an active participant, fear of failure is the worst thing for a ball player and he has no fear”. I’ve said from day one that this kid was going to be the real deal and that he would contribute immediately. So far he hasn’t let me down and tonight he hit some big shots scoring 11 points and grabbing 5 rebounds. Can’t wait to see this kid when he adds some bulk. Watch out!

This team is an obvious work in progress. They have to find more consistency on the offensive end of the floor while maintaining the tenacity for 40 minutes on the defensive end of the floor. We have to bring some of the younger guys around and they have to learn the system better. They must become a more cohesive unit and by the sound of some of the post game comments tonight that is slowly coming about. One thing I noticed after the game tonight was the guy’s high-fiving each other and noticed that Chris and Montrezl shared a moment.

The Cardinals are 1-0 in the ACC, ranked #5 in the country and things appear to be on the right track. I still have a lot of optimism about what this team can achieve over the next 3 months. Instead of worrying about the things that need to be fixed I’m just going to enjoy watching the progress every week. It’s going to be a fun conference season folks. Go Cards!

The Beak Basketball Breakdown: Demon Deacons

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The Cardinals have made it through those less than exciting games of the non-conference schedule and will now head into their first season in the ACC. Standing with my son last summer during the ACC celebration I was filled with anticipation for the Cardinals move into the ACC conference. Most of that anticipation was looking forward to the quality football opponents and while we have had the fortune of playing in a quality basketball conference last years’ time in the AAC made me look forward to this season in the ACC. Now that day is here and the Cardinals will head to North Carolina to play the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. These programs have played three times in the past with the Cardinals leading the series 2-1. The last time these teams played was during the 1996 NCAA Tournament in the Midwest Regional Final. The Demon Deacons won that game 60-59 and the Cardinals were led in scoring by Samaki Walker. The Cardinals will head into their inaugural season in the ACC with a winning record. They are 207-61 all-time vs ACC teams.

COACH PITINO TALKS ABOUT HIS TEAM AND THE WAKE FOREST GAME

The Demon Deacons are 8-6 this season and have won their last three games. They are averaging 70.2 points, shooting 42% from the floor, 34% from the three, and 65% from the free throw line. Defensively they are allowing 66.4 points and their opponents are shooting 43.1 percent. Codi Miller-McIntyre leads the Demon Deacons averaging 13.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Devin Thomas is averaging 10.7 points and 9.6 rebounds, Konstantinos Mitoglou is averaging 8.4 points and 5.1 rebounds, and Mitchell Wilbekin is averaging 8.0 points. Wake Forest is 6-3 at home this season and this is their first game this year against a ranked team. The Demon Deacons have struggled on the offensive end of the floor but they do get after it on the defensive end and are ranked within the top 50 in defensive efficiency.

Wake Forest 2014-15 OVERALL Rankings Offense | Defense

OFFENSE
-POINTS PER GAME
70.2
131st
OVERALL
-REBOUNDS PER GAME
40.8
23rd
OVERALL
-ASSISTS PER GAME
13.6
131st
OVERALL
-FIELD GOAL PCT
.420
252nd
OVERALL

DEFENSE
-POINTS ALLOWED
66.4
188th
OVERALL
-REBOUNDS PER GAME
27.5
30th
OVERALL
-BLOCKS PER GAME
4.2
105th
OVERALL
-STEALS PER GAME
7.9
66th
OVERALL

2014-15 Kenpom Rankings
Overall- #123
Defense Adjustment Efficiency
-93.5 ranks 49th
Offense Adjustment Efficiency
-97.5 ranks 234th
-Per Kenpoms game prediction he has Louisville winning the game 69-60 based on his indexes.

Our Cardinals are 12-1 heading into conference play and are ranked fifth in the nation with their lone loss coming to top ranked Kentucky. They are averaging 74.1 points, shooting 43.1% from the floor, 29% from the three and 65% from the free throw line. Defensively they are allowing 54.2 points and their opponents are shooting 35%. Terry Rozier leads the Cardinal’s averaging 17.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Montrezl Harrell is averaging 16 points and 9.2 rebounds, Wayne Blackshear is averaging 13.3 points and 5.8 rebounds, and Chris Jones is averaging 11.4 points. This will be the second road trip of the season for the Cardinals.

This is a team struggling to find that closeness of some of the teams we’ve had over the last 4 years. Part of that is due to there being so many young guys and the lack of four-year guys. Team chemistry is very important especially during the March run. Hopefully they will find some of it during these upcoming ACC battles. And hopefully some of the guys struggling to grasp the team concept will also find their way. These things must happen for this group to achieve their full potential.

The Beak Prediction:
Louisville 75 Wake Forest 69

The Beak Looks Back, Louisville Football 2014

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Now that there have been a couple of days to process Louisville’s loss to Georgia in the Belk Bowl, it seems like a good time to start taking a look back at the Cardinals 2014 football season. The Cardinals would start the 2014 season after losing 3 first round NFL draft picks and their entire coaching staff. The gamble to bring back a proven winner to the program paid off and Coach Bobby Petrino was able to lead this team to 9 wins and a trip to a bowl game in his first season back. What makes his first year back even more impressive is that he did it with a roster full of players that were recruited to play in a different system, three inexperienced QBs and in the Cardinals first season in the ACC.

OVERVIEW

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Let’s take a look at the Cardinals first ACC season from a Bird’s-eye view (pun intended).
I can’t think of a football season in my lifetime that I had been more excited about than this one. A big reason why is for the first time ever the Cardinals would be playing in a very solid football conference. Gone were the days of playing schools with little or no football tradition. We were about to embark on a whole new journey with this team.
Coach Petrino’s Louisville sequel would start with the Cardinals ACC debut. It was obvious in the first game against Miami that this would be a season defined by a solid defense. In that game the Cardinals got their first ACC win but the offense faced many challenges especially after having to play without DeVante Parker who would miss the first seven games.
Not long after the first ACC win the Cardinals would get their first ACC loss at Virginia. The inconsistency at the quarterback position would become a reality during this game and would become a weekly theme. Our loss was their gain as it was their first win in the ACC in 11 attempts.
The wins weren’t pretty but they would be welcomed as the Cardinals beat Wake Forest and old foe Syracuse in the next two games.
The offensive woes probably weren’t more evident than in the Cardinals 2nd ACC loss of the season in Death Valley. The Cardinals had a chance for the go ahead TD with one minute left in the game but couldn’t get into the end-zone from the 1 yard line.
The offense would get a boost in the very next game against NC State as DeVante Parker would return to the line-up. Michael Dyer would also have his best game in a Louisville uniform in this win.
With these guys giving an extra boost to things it would help the Cardinals hang tough with the defending champs, but the Cardinals would still get their 3rd ACC loss to FSU.
The Cardinals were able to maintain some of that offensive consistency and would finish their first regular ACC season on a winning note beating Boston College and Notre Dame.
After taking Cardinal Fans on an up and down ride the Cardinals finished the regular season 9-3 and 5-3 in conference play.

BEST MOMENT

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After a back and forth game the Louisville defense had another big goal line stand. With a minute left in the game the Notre Dame kicker Kyle Brindza missed a 32 yard field goal to give Louisville the win. The 15,000 Louisville fans that made their way to the game got to watch the Louisville Cardinals get a win in their very first trip to South Bend. The Cardinals offense leaned on running back Brandon Radcliff and Reggie Bonnafon that night. For Reggie this game was the answer to his late father’s request to own his destiny and it really was special watching him walk off the field to the echo of fans congratulating him along the way. Notre Stadium has been described as having the power to inspire. And it has inspired some great athletes over the years, and was the backdrop to one of the biggest underdog stories in sports. It has also been the site of many special moments and on that cold November night it was the Cardinals that left their story of triumph and glory among those walls and with those thousands of ghosts of seasons past. The Cardinals became only the 12th team in history to go to South Bend and win on their very first trip.

WORST MOMENT

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All three of the Louisville losses were tough to take but in each game it felt like the Cardinals could have very easily won them. There was also no obvious valley to the season to point to. That being said the Cardinals 37-14 loss to Georgia was probably the toughest one of the season. From the start of the game Georgia quarterback Hutson Mason picked apart the Louisville secondary picking up third down after third down. The Bulldogs had raced out to a 20-7 lead by halftime, and after the half they pounded away with Nick Chubb who finished the game with over 266 yards. His rushing total was second highest in school history. The Cardinals defense gave up 492 yards of total offense. It was really hard seeing that unit go out like they did after standing tall time and time again all season. And it was tough watching that group of seniors go out with this type of loss. In a season full of optimism and pride this had to be the worst moment. It was really the only one I could think of.

SURPRISE MOMENT

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No matter what the projections were for the Cardinals season, nobody expected red shirt Kyle Bolin to be playing and few people expected the season finale against UK to go right down to the wire much less to see Louisville trailing 40-37 with 5:38 left in the game. In that position though Kyle Bolin in his first college game came up with a seven-play, 81 yard drive that Brandon Radcliff capped off with a 4 yard touchdown run giving Louisville a 44-40 lead. A sack and interception by Gerod Holliman on the next Kentucky drive ended the game and sealed the 4th straight victory over the Cardinals arch rival.

OFFENSIVE MVP

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There were a lot of gutsy performances this season on the offensive side of the ball for the Cardinals, but nobody had more of them than Cardinals running back Brandon Radcliff. He ran the ball 144 times this season for 737 yards and 12 touchdowns. He had big-time games against Wake Forest 129 yards with 2 touchdowns, Syracuse 110 yards with 2 touchdowns and his best of the season in the biggest win of the season at Notre Dame 136 yards with 1 touchdown. Even in the loss in the Bowl game to Georgia he ran his guts out for 89 yards carrying most of the load on the night. He is a remarkable young man with a lot of drive and determination and he only broke the mold on what he’s capable of this season. HONORABLE MENTION: DeVante Parker had 43 catches for 855 yards with 5 touchdowns and he did this while only playing in six games this season. His biggest performances of the season coming against Florida State 214 yards and Kentucky 180 yards with 3 touchdowns. He would have won the MVP by a mile had he played in every game.

DEFENSIVE MVP

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I had to think about this one for a little while, but it kept coming back to Gerod Holliman. Not only did he have 44 tackles and one sack but he tied the NCAA record with 14 interceptions. His biggest games were at Boston College where he had 3 interceptions, Florida State with 2 interceptions and in the game against Kentucky where he had a big sack and huge interception on back to back plays to end that game. He really was a big part of a Louisville defense that stepped up all season. HONORABLE MENTION: Lorenzo Mauldin was the heart and soul of this Louisville defense and even if he hadn’t made a tackle all season just his leadership on and off the field would have got him mentioned in this article. He did have a lot of tackles though 52 of them to go along with 6 and a half sacks. His biggest game was against Wake Forest with 5 tackles and 3 sacks. Both of these guys are going to be deeply missed next season.

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When Charlie Strong decided to leave the program Tom Jurich and other members of the Louisville administration were faced with a difficult decision. They had the choice to find a coach who was an up and coming unproven in the college ranks or go with the guy who had won here before. The second choice would bring a splattering of skepticism. The program had come too far since the last failed experiment of an unproven coach and Tom Jurich knew what he had to do to maintain the level of excellence that had been established. He did face a ton of backlash from the skeptics, but after watching his program win 9 games while facing their toughest schedule in years and becoming bowl eligible for a 5th straight season he had the last laugh. I think he made the right choice and the excitement for Louisville football is at an all-time high. We have a lot of momentum heading into year number two of the Bobby Petrino sequel. We will sign a top 25 recruiting class in February and should march another top 25 team on the field in April. I can’t wait to attend the signing day party and can’t wait to attend the first day of spring football practice. GO CARDS!

Rivalry Overreaction

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After the basketball game between the Cards and the Cats last weekend I came down with a terrible stomach virus. It has taken me a few days to be able to read all of the articles and really reflect back on that game and get a feel for how folks felt about the outcome. Maybe it’s because this was the first season where the rivalry game in both football and basketball happened only a few weeks apart, maybe it’s because of the recent disparity of both sports, but the back and forth between the fans has been as heated as ever. And I have also noticed how some think the basketball game should be stopped all together.

Look we all overreact sometimes and it is tough losing the last 7 out of 8 to the other side especially when you may work in an office full of their fans. I wrote an article last year before the Cardinals and the Cats played each other in the Sweet 16, and explained why I even felt like it wouldn’t bother me if this rivalry ended. But my feelings had more to do with the vitriolic nature and the hate filled back and forth more than the string of recent losses. It really did put a damper on this game for me. But that was an overreaction and me getting too caught up in what a small minority of folks were doing. I since have regained my passion for both the football and basketball Battles of the Bluegrass and hope it last forever.

The majority of the current overreaction appears to be because of the latest string of losses in the basketball game and due to their coach holding a 7-1 advantage recently in the series. So based on that I decided that I would take a closer look at what most consider the other top rivalries in college basketball to see what those overall records looked like.

These are in no particular order, but are thought of as the other top rivalries in college hoops.

-(UNC 133 DUKE 105)

*There has been several times when UNC won 16 straight in this series. And Roy Williams has lost 8 out of the last 11 to Krzyzewski.

-(Georgetown 41 Syracuse 49)

*There have been as many as 6 losses in a row by teams in this series.

-(Cincinnati 49 Xavier 32)

*Cincy has won as many as 8 in a row in this series.

-(Kansas 187 Kansas St 92)

*Kansas has won as many as 32 straight in this series.

-(Duke 113 Maryland 63)

*Duke has won as many as 15 straight in this series.

-(Indiana 88 Purdue 113)

*Indiana has won as many as 13 straight in this series.

-(Michigan 97 Michigan State 77)

*Michigan State has won as many as 8 straight in this series.

-(VCU 41 Richmond 26)

*Richmond has won 2 out of the last 13 in this series.

-(Florida 43 Florida State 22)

*Florida has won 5 straight in this series.

In the Battle of the Bluegrass rivalry the series stands at 32-15 with Kentucky leading and winning the last 7 out of 8. No team has ever won more than 5 in a row in this series.

Some of the best rivalries in college basketball have pretty big margins separating the two teams and as you can see above many times has been dominated by one team or the other. Has that hurt these bitter rivalries? Should we not consider UNC and Duke a rivalry anymore because Roy has lost 8 of the last 11 to Mike?

Once a Rivalry is started fans who have developed feelings of pride, solidarity, loyalty to a certain side aren’t ever going to change no matter how many times the other guys beat them. That’s what makes the rivalry great. We as human-beings need rivalry and it makes sports a lot more interesting. Sure Calipari and his Cats are putting it on us lately, but they have been pretty good overall don’t ya think. And our Cardinals haven’t done so bad either.

All of you folks freaking out over this recent loss to UK need to take a step back away from the ledge. Look at the big picture. Our little rivalry here in the state of Kentucky is just as competitive as any of the others in the country. It was here before any of us and it will be here after we are all gone. No matter how many games John Calipari wins with his super recruits.

The Beak Football Breakdown: The Belk Bowl

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We are headed into the heart of the college basketball season, but before we throw our full attention to the hardwood we will celebrate another successful football season at the Belk Bowl in Charlotte. This will be the 5th straight season that we have ended a football season in a bowl game and are 3-1 in recent Bowl games. For the second time in three seasons the Cardinals will face an SEC team in a bowl game. The Cardinals beat Florida in the 2012 Sugar Bowl and will now face Georgia for the very first time in the program’s history. Both teams come into this game at 9-3 with Georgia ranked 13th and Louisville ranked 20th. Two very good football teams, with former Georgia players and the former Georgia defensive coach now on the Louisville sideline this one will have it all.

Georgia entered this football season with high expectations and hopes of raising up another SEC title along with a shot at a national championship. A few tough losses to South Carolina and then to Florida coupled with the loss of Todd Gurley would dash those hopes. This is still a very good Georgia team on both sides of the ball and they won’t want to leave Charlotte losing their last game of the season to the Cardinals. The Bulldogs come into this game ranked 29th in total offense and with the nations 12th ranked rushing attack averaging 255 yards a game. They outscored their opponents 500-255 this season and racked up 455 total yards per game. They love the ground attack but have proved all season that they can win in multiple ways.

Leading the Bulldogs offense is veteran QB Hutson Mason. He has been efficient and consistent behind center all season. He has a passing attack that’s ranked 88th in the country and has thrown for over 2,000 yards. He has a completion rate of around 68% with 20 touchdowns and four interceptions. Mason’s top receivers are Chris Conley with (577 yards, 7 TDs), Michael Bennett (381 yards, 4 TDs) and Jeb Blazevich (256 yards, 2 TDs). While three others combined for around 700 yards.
But as I mentioned above on the ground is where this Bulldogs team made their mark this season with a true freshman Nick Chubb leading the way. He had 1,281 yards and 12 touchdowns most of that coming in just the seven games star Todd Gurley missed. This kid is a freshman phenom. He will be backed up by change of pace backs Sony Michel (377 yards, 4 TDs), and Brendan Douglas (225 yards, 2 TD’s).

If the Cardinals hope to win their 3rd straight bowl game they will have to slow down that rushing attack by Georgia. And there’s not a better group of guys to do it than this Louisville defense. They have been the heart and soul of this team all season and have stepped up in crucial situations in every game. Led by guys like Lorenzo Mauldin, Gerod Holliman, Charles Gaines, James Sample, and Sheldon Rankins this Louisville defense gave up only 294 yards on average and less than 21 points a game. They only gave up 95 yards on the ground per game on average. They rank #5 in the nation in total defense, and #2 in the nation in rushing defense. Grantham knows this Georgia offense and will know what’s coming and that along with a fully rested group of guys spells trouble for the Bulldogs. I think they can hold the run down and will force Georgia to go to the air attack often. And with the blitz attack that won’t work to well either. I have total confidence in our defense and think they will be the key. They got us here.

Coach Grantham’s replacement at Georgia defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt has a pretty solid unit also. He has a group of talented and speedy defenders that are ranked 17th in total defense. Leading the way for the Bulldogs defense is their linebacker corps of Ramik Wilson, Jordan Jenkins, and Leonard Floyd. Wilson had 102 tackles on the season including 19 against Georgia Tech in their final game of the regular season. Jenkins had 65 tackles while Floyd had 55 tackles. They also have a great cornerback in Damian Swann who is fourth on the team with 62 tackles along with two interceptions on the year. Don’t think these guys on the Georgia defense aren’t looking forward to the opportunity to stick it to their old coach. They’ll have all the motivation they need to play an inspired game.

The Cardinals offense wasn’t as explosive this season as we had all anticipated with the return of Bobby Petrino. But it was efficient averaging around 396 yards a game. The Cardinals passing attack ranks #51 nationally averaging 246 yards a game and the Louisville rushing attack ranks 84th nationally averaging 149 yards a game. Coach Petrino has said that both Reggie Bonnafan (850 yards, 5 TDs) and Kyle Bolin (416 yards, 3 TDs) will play in the game on Tuesday night. I think it will be great to play both guys to try to keep the Georgia defense on their toes but ultimately I think it will be Reggie who could give them the most problems. Georgia’s defense ranks 76th against the run and they’ve had trouble with mobile quarterbacks all season. They gave up 400 yards on the ground at around 6 yards a carry vs Georgia Tech in their last game of the season. Brandon Radcliff (648 yards, 11 TDs) has been the backbone on the Louisville rushing attack and that won’t change in this game. He should have a good night. Dom Brown (378 yards, 4 TDs), and L.J. Scott (199 yards, 2 TD’s) will also see expanded roles in the absence of Dyer.

The receiving game with DeVante Parker (735 yards, 5 TD’s), James Quick (509 yards, 3 TD’s), Eli Rogers (444 yards, 3 TDs), Gerald Christian (359 yards, 4 TD’s), and Kai De La Cruz (294 yards, 2 TD’s) has been a very important part of the Louisville offense this season and will also play a big role in this game. This will really be the case if the running game is effective early on. DeVante will want to make his last game as a Cardinal matter. And I don’t think there will be a man on the other side who can stop him.

When breaking down this game I really think that the Cardinals have the best chance at coming out victorious. Emotions are going to be running high on both sidelines but it is the Cardinals who have the positive momentum on their side. We have a remarkable group of seniors who have turned this Louisville football program into a winner. Their legacy and what they’ve done will never be forgotten. They haven’t come this far to lose in their final bowl game as college players. It’s just not in their DNA. They may get a great challenge from the guys in the Georgia uniforms but I just can’t see them losing this fight.

It’s been a great season and I have enjoyed this one about as much as any I’ve covered. These are great young men who will be representing our Cardinal Pride in the Belk Bowl on Tuesday night. I will be in Charlotte cheering my heart out and hope you will be doing the same. Enjoy this game… Go Cards!

The Beak Prediction:
Louisville 34 Georgia 27

Family Christmas, Cardinal Loss, and a Stomach Virus

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On Saturday I decided for the first time in a very long time not to attend the Louisville vs. Kentucky game in person. Instead I opted to watch it with family during our annual Christmas gathering. It was a house divided as most are in this state especially during this game. I had high expectations for our Cardinals and while they gave a valiant effort on the defensive end of the floor their poor passing and poor shooting ultimately led to their losing for the seventh time in eight games to the arch rival Cats in recent history. Not long after the game had ended I came down with one of the worst stomach viruses that I’ve ever had in my life. So to say it wasn’t a very good weekend for this Cardinal fan would be a major understatement.

As I was lying in bed as sick as I’ve ever been in my life I thought about the game and how sick Coach Pitino must be that he had just lost for a third straight time to Calipari and the Cats. And how sick he must be that his team had just lost after playing one of their best defensive games ever. But no matter how well a team plays on the defensive end of the floor they have to pass the ball and have to score points. Coming into this game the Cardinals ranked 149th overall in assist, and 151st overall in field goal percentage. A common theme in the Pitino post game press conferences this season had been about his team hunting points instead of the open man. They had one assist against Kentucky. Coach Pitino had also talked about his team making the extra pass to get the open look and the better shot. They were 15 of 58 for 25% from the filed against Kentucky. Coming into the game against the Cats the Cardinals numbers associated with assist and field goal percentage were dismal, and after this game they are disgusting. The Cardinals currently rank 207th in the nation averaging 12.3 assist a game this season, and they currently rank 217th in the nation in field goal percentage averaging 42% a game. While these numbers coupled with good defense will beat the FIU’s of the basketball world the Cardinals found out on Saturday they won’t beat the better teams in the nation.

Talk about sick.. there can’t be anyone who is as sick of losing to Kentucky as Wayne Blackshear. He lost his first game he played against the Cats in the 2011-12 Final Four by 8 points and lost his last game against them by 8 points. In total Wayne lost to Kentucky 5 times and averaged 6.4 points and 3.2 rebounds in the games he’s played against them. When he came down the lane and had that monster slam dunk in the Final Four game Cardinal Nation had high expectations of what was to come in this young mans career. It just hasn’t played out like that. I’ve been one of his biggest supporters, but time is running out for him to be that guy. All of his injuries and setbacks have really hurt his consistency and grit in big game situations.

Chris Jones had one of the better defensive performances of the college basketball season against Kentucky, but he may have also been one of their best defensive players. He did have the Cardinals only assist in the game but he also threw up 24 of their 73 total shots. Not great numbers for a point guard. He is one of the best on ball defenders in college basketball but until he learns to share and make better decisions with the ball that won’t mean much big picture. During his Juco days Chris averaged over 4 assist a game and was always making the big play for his team. Sure would like to see that version of him during the next two months.

Other than a great defensive effort for 36 minutes of the game there really wasn’t much to get excited about with the Cardinals performance on Saturday. Terry and Montrezl played hard and got their share of rebounds and points but even they could have played better from a team perspective. I was impressed with how Shaqquan Aaron looked coming off the bench. He wasn’t intimidated by the Kentucky size or talent and went right at them. He is going to be very good and will get more chances at the Cats.

The battle was lost on Saturday and I know every Cardinal fan felt the same way I did all weekend minus the stomach virus. While frustrated about being 1-7 recently to our rivals just remember Cardinal fans that we are headed into the exciting new challenge of the ACC, still have a great team and still have an excellent program. The battle has been lost for now, but the Cardinal fight lives on. It is still December and we have one of the best Coaches in college basketball. He knows what needs to be done and has told us from day one what this team lacks. He will get it fixed. And as I learned over the weekend.. Family and health are some of the most important things in this life and when it all comes down to it basketball is just a game.

The Beak Basketball Breakdown: The Wildcats

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We are just a few weeks removed from the Cats and Cards doing battle on the gridiron to end the regular season of college football. On Saturday they will take the battle to the basketball court.
This week we have flown our flags a little higher and wore our gear with that little extra boost of pride. This is the Cards and the Cats and it just doesn’t get any bigger in college basketball.

This will be the most anticipated Battle of the Bluegrass in years as it’s the first time ever these teams have played while both being undefeated. It has been the Cats who have won the last 9 out of eleven in this battle head-to-head, but when looking at their entire body of work these teams have had similar success in the last 30 years. A series that started in 1913 these old rivals will meet for the 48th time on Saturday afternoon. Kentucky holds the all-time lead in this series 32-15.

This game was named the #1 OOC game by Sports Illustrated. Here’s what they said:

“Two elite teams meet once again, eternal bragging rights (at least for another year), HoF coaches who can’t stand each other. It’s not always a pretty watch, but it’s compelling TV and the best soap opera in the sport at the moment.”

The Cardinals will be facing one of the best Kentucky teams they’ve ever played. They are only one of two teams in the history of college basketball to feature 9 McDonald’s All-Americans and could end up being one of the best defensive teams rivaling the 2011-2012 Cats. This UK squad has been stopping and blocking every team that’s been put before them this season. They are currently 1st in the country averaging 9 blocks per game and 2nd in the nation in points allowed at a 47.7 average per game.

Kentucky is led in scoring by Aaron Harrison (10.6PPG), Willie Cauley-Stein (10.5PPG, 6.7RPG), Devin Booker (10.0PPG), Dakari Johnson (8.8PPG, 5.8RPG), Karl-Anthony Towns (8.1PPG, 6.6RPG), Trey Lyles (7.9PPG, 5.5RPG), and Andrew Harrison (7.7PPG, 4.2APG). Tyler Ulis is shooting 53% from the three. As a team Kentucky is shooting 47% from the field, 31% from three, and 65% from the free throw line. They are averaging 17 assist, 11 turnovers and 9 steals per game. One chink in the armor is their defensive rebounding. Despite being the tallest team in college basketball they are only averaging 26.6 defensive boards a game that ranks 55th in the country. And only have a +8 rebounding margin.

Kentucky’s 2014-15 OVERALL RANKINGS

OFFENSE
-POINTS PER GAME
76.8
37th
OVERALL
-REBOUNDS PER GAME
41.6
12th
OVERALL
-ASSISTS PER GAME
17.3
15th
OVERALL
-FIELD GOAL PCT
.475
48th
OVERALL

DEFENSE
-POINTS ALLOWED
47.7
2nd
OVERALL
-REBOUNDS PER GAME
26.6
55th
OVERALL
-BLOCKS PER GAME
8.7
1st
OVERALL
-STEALS PER GAME
8.5
39th
OVERALL

2014-15 Kenpom Rankings
Overall- #1
Defense Adjustment Efficiency
-82.7 ranks 1st
Offense Adjustment Efficiency
-114.7 ranks 5th
-Per Kenpom game prediction he has Kentucky winning the game 64-62 based on his indexes.

If there’s one team left on the schedule that could solve the riddle to beating this UK team it’s the Cardinals. Our Cards are also on the verge of having one of the best defenses in their history. They currently rank in the top ten nationally in four key defensive categories POINTS ALLOWED 54.4 per game 8th overall, D REBOUNDS 28.9 per game 9th overall, BLOCKS 7.2 per game 6th overall, and STEALS 10.7 per game good for 4th overall. They are second in defensive efficiency behind Kentucky in Kenpom’s rankings. I think the Louisville defense will have to force this Kentucky team to beat them from deep and force them into taking quick jump shots. I know that this was the way that UNC tried to beat them and they failed miserably because Kentucky hit those shots, but it was the first time UNC had ever played zone. Our Cardinals will be much more effective using the zone to man switches along with better rotation. If the Cardinals can force Kentucky into some bad shots and rebound well defensively it will be half the battle won.

Our Cardinals big four Wayne, Montrezl, Terry, and Chris are going to need their best efforts of the season. And I think we’ll need a surprise game from Mango, Nanu or one of the other freshman off the bench. I have seen a player come out of nowhere to star in these games before and I hope that player is wearing a Cardinal uniform Saturday. Our Cardinals have been really good on the OFFENSIVE BOARDS 44.8 per game good for 3rd overall, and above average in POINTS scoring 77.3 per game good for 34th overall. Of course those things will be crucial Saturday but they will have to improve their efforts in ASSIST currently ranked 149th overall, and FIELD GOAL % currently 151st overall.

Most people think that the key to winning the game on Saturday is for the Cardinals to hit the three point shot and while they will have to hit a few to keep the UK defense honest it is not the be all end all. UK wants teams to jack up the three point shot so they can grab those long rebounds and get out on those fast breaks with their speed and length. For the Louisville offense to be most effective they must attack the UK defense forcing help side and kicking it out to the open man. Attack… Pass… We should be able to get our fair share of offensive rebounds and should get second or third opportunities.

This will be the biggest test of the year for both of these teams. Each has to play to their strengths and attack the others weakness, but as I mentioned above with the player always coming out of nowhere there will be a scenario play out that nobody expected. These rivalry games are packed with emotion and that along with the home crowd will also factor in. I’m looking forward to a great game and a opportunity to knock off a great team. To keep their hopes of a perfect season from happening would go a long way to make up for those heart breaking losses to them recently. And the Cardinals have the chance to keep the home court record in the recent series to 2-1 and on the plus side of things. You must win these games on your home court. I think our guys will be ready. Should be another great one in the series… Go Cards!

The Beak Prediction
Louisville 80
Kentucky 77

Twas the Week of the Dream Game

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Twas the week of the dream game,
And all through the state,
UofL vs UK was the topic of great debate.

Two of the top teams in the country,
Will battle for the bluegrass state,
And the fans of the Red and Blue;
Just can’t wait.
For whoever loses this game,
Will have more than enough crow;
To fill their plate.

I’m sure we’ll hear all week,
That the Cats can’t lose;
And they’ll go on..,
About those stupid platoons.

Every year we hear it,
Or since Calipari moved up the street;
This will be the UK team nobody can beat.
40 and 0 they’ll yell and scream,
But it will only turn out;
To be another pipe dream.

They recruit great players and athletes,
Sure they have some;
But they won’t know what hit them,
When they come to the Yum.

Ole Calipari will be yelling,
With all his might;
As the guys in blue,
Start to lose the fight.
With 23 thousand screaming down below:
It’s the Cards defense,
That will deal the final blow.

Get em Chris and Terry;
Coach P will scream with delight,
As he knows that this will be his team’s night.

Cards fans will throw,
Their L’s high in the sky;
As that victory horn sounds:
And it will be a rough New Year,
For those Big Blue clowns.

With the dream game victory,
Celebrated and passed,
That Bowl game will be here fast.
Another slap in the face,
For our rival in state;
As we’ve already ended their football slate.

Eat it up my friends,
And fellow Cards fans I say;
As victory will be ours:
On this glorious day.
That Big Red shadow will loom,
Over that blue spot up the road;
And the only Bowl game they’ll see:
Is in their commodes.

With this battle of the bluegrass,
Well out of sight;
We must continue to fight the good fight.
This Cardinal team has big things ahead,
And thoughts of another title;
Will be dancing in our heads.

I wish all my fellow Cards fans,
Great Holiday cheer;
And I hope all of your dreams,
Come true next year.
I’ll see you all in Charlotte,
As I write this with delight:
L1C4 and Go Cards Fight… Fight.

Montrezl is not “That Guy”

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My father once told me that a person can do a thousand things right, even ten thousand things right, but you do one thing wrong, just one, that’s all people will ever remember, and you don’t want to be that guy. Throughout my life I have watched this old cliché play out many times. I think it’s even more relevant now during the age of instant news and social media. People in the world today can’t wait to jump on their moral high horse and take someone to task. It is a hobby for some.

Saturday during a basketball game against Western Kentucky Montrezl Harrell was poked, prodded, pushed and at one point ganged up on by five of the Hilltopper players. When that happened Montrezl lost control of himself and came very close to throwing a punch during a scuffle at the end of the first half. Montrezl was ejected for a flagrant 2 foul. After watching the video for several minutes the referees in charge of the game determined that while Montrezl came very close he did not throw a punch. And it was also ruled that he did not fight. So this should be the end of this right?

While watching the game I was very critical of Montrezl’s behavior and even made my sentiment known via my twitter account. But after watching video and looking at several photos of the incident after the game was over it is clear that Montrezl was just defending himself from a mobbing by the Hilltoppers. And it was also very clear to me that the incident would have never happened if the referees had intervened effectively. It is their responsibility to make sure the players feel safe and protected while on the court. So why aren’t they being scrutinized?

Montrezl Harrell has been the epitome of class. He has always carried himself with dignity and set the right example academically, socially and spiritually. He has respect for the game of basketball and plays it with more passion, desire and enthusiasm than most of us have ever seen. When he was winning a gold medal for this country a few summers ago the announcers made comments during the game that they had never seen a player go harder. They called him “Enthusiasm Personified”. One could say that during his basketball career Montrezl Harrell has done a thousand things right.

After the game today Montrezl took ownership of his behavior during the incident. He didn’t blame anyone, he didn’t make excuses and he owned it. One of my readers shared a story of what Montrezl did after he left the locker room and it is what should be remembered.

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After the game on Saturday Montrezl spent 20 minutes signing autographs for kids and making a little time for each of them. As the reader wrote “He signed autographs until they made him get on the bus”

This made me remember the time last year when a 9 year old Louisville boy Cruz Colvin was fighting long odds for a bone marrow match. The Louisville third graders family and friends were recruiting the public to be potential donors. When Montrezl got word of this in the local news he took the time to visit Cruz and also took the time to join the National Bone Marrow Registry.

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It also made me think of that image last year of Montrezl taking the time to hug a special needs child at a women’s basketball game.

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I have seen a lot of negative things thrown out towards this young man today; he has been called a thug, and much worse. Some members of the national media are also jumping on this negative bandwagon. Montrezl has worked his butt off putting in the hours, making the right decisions, doing the right things. Are we so caught up in this punishment mentality as a society that we would take all that away for almost throwing a punch?

This young man is on pace to be an All-American this season, and if anyone deserves that title it’s Montrezl Harrell. This one time can we do the right thing by him? Can we not forget about those ten thousand things he’s done right? Hey national media can we not make Montrezl that guy? Let’s think about the guy after the game signing all those autographs with the kids, let’s remember the time he helped Cruz Colvin, let’s remember the time he took a moment to make a kids night, and write about that. Montrezl is a good guy, not THAT guy….