Cardinal fans poured into Papa Johns Cardinal stadium on this beautiful Saturday afternoon. But today it wasn’t to watch the Cardinals play football. Today Papa Johns stadium was transformed into a movie set to shoot a scene in the film about Patrick Henry Hughes titled “I Am Potential” and hundreds of Cardinal fans turned out to play extras in the movie. The scene that was recreated for the movie today was when Hughes and his father got to run onto the field for the first time with the UofL Marching Band. It was during a UofL vs UK game and there were a few Cats fans who showed up today to help make the shot authentic.

We are 50 days away from the start of another football season and you could tell by the conversation today that Cardinal fans are very excited and ready for it. Perhaps that’s why some showed up today and the Football field did look awesome. It was nice being back in the stadium on a Saturday afternoon, but it was also important for me to get a chance to play a small part in the making of this very inspirational story. Be sure to keep an eye out for the release of this film.

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At 5pm on Wednesday evening coaches flooded into gyms all over the country to evaluate talented high school players and also to watch some players that will play a part in the future of their programs.

Coach Pitino’s first stop of the July evaluation period was at the Adidas Invitational in Indianapolis. He got the chance to catch a glimpse of what his future back court will look like when 2014 commit Jaquan Lyle and Quentin Snider played together for the Louisville Magic. The two future Cards combined for 42 points to lead the Magic to an 86-60 win over Elite Nation. Scouts that were in attendance raved about Quentin Snider’s court presence and how he has physically improved his game and appears to be much stronger with the basketball in his hands. He had 24 points and 7 assists in the game tonight. Scouts also raved about Jaquan Lyle’s energy tonight and how he played so hard. Also saying that it is very apparent that his basketball playing abilities are at a very high level. He would have 18 points in the game. The word coming out of the game Wednesday was that Lyle and Snider played very well together and had some great chemistry.
Coach Pitino will be out on the recruiting trail until this first evaluation period ends on Sunday. He will watch other games in Indianapolis, then Myrtle Beach and at Peach Jam in Augusta. He will be keeping his eye out for a big man to fill out the 2014 class. I think you’ll be hearing the names Elbert Robinson, Goodluck Okonoboh and Angel Delgado as the most realistic options.

There were several great coaches in attendance at the Adidas Invitational on Wednesday night. Below is a picture of two greats sharing a hug Mike Krzyzewski and Coach Pitino.

Video of Lyle and Snider after their game Wednesday courtesy of Scout.com:

More video courtesy of City League HoopsTV:

I always appreciate anytime corporations use their resources to help raise money for a great cause. That’s why I’m happy to hear that Northwestern Mutual has purchased the 2012-13 Final Four court that was used in Atlanta and will donate it to the University of Louisville where pieces of the court will be sold to help raise money for pediatric cancer treatment.

This will not only be a great chance for Cardinal fans to own a piece of history but we will also be able to play a part in saving lives from this terrible disease. Coach Pitino held a news conference today to talk about the effort, along with officials from Northwestern Mutual and Kosair Children’s Hospital. We learned at the press conference that the original center court of the Final Four floor will hang in the lobby of the Yum Center and that Coach Pitino will sign 1000 pieces of that court that will be sold. The pieces will be sold for 500.00.

Here’s what the pieces for purchase will look like:

Like any press conference with coach Pitino involved there was some good info about how the team is progressing and other great nuggets.

NBA Guys:
Coach Pitino excited to watch Peyton and Kyle Kuric play against each other at 1pm today. Says that he expects to see Peyton make it onto the Detroit Piston roster.

Kevin Ware:
Coach Pitino says that you can see the bone healing in recent X-rays and that he expects the bone to be healed in a month and that’s when Kevin will start working out. Says that he expects Kevin to be playing basketball in October. “Awesome news!”

Current Roster Update:
Coach Pitino says that the BackCourt group is really strong and that they go all out in practice. “Go for blood” is the way coach put it. He also mentioned that Mango had made some good improvements. Coach Pitino seems very excited about the new guys. Coach mentioned how it was scary having Russ Smith as a leader, but that he was doing an awesome job. And briefly mentioned moped wreck. Says that “Russ was OK!”

Future Cards:
Coach Pitino will hit the recruiting trail tomorrow for the first day of the July evaluation period. Coach says that he is looking for two big guys to round out this class. He also mentioned how he was trying to keep the roster balanced so they would never have to completely rebuild. Stay tuned to The Beak Recruiting page for updates. I think a name you will here a lot is Elbert Robinson for a big man.

The ESPYs:
Coach Pitino did acknowledge his nomination and said that he would not be attending the ceremonies. He said that Russ Smith is going on his behalf and will accept award for him if he wins. Says Russ’s speech will be “I am accepting this award on coach Pitino’s behalf and if it wasn’t for me he wouldn’t have won it in the first place.”

Coach was in a very happy mood today and seems to really be in a good place. He talked about how he has took the time to enjoy the championship and how he and his family have celebrated all summer. Happy to see this rejuvenated coach Pitino.

Good press conference today. Be sure to keep watching for the pieces of the floor to go on sale and take advantage of your chance to get your piece of history and help kids with cancer.

The announcer of the game today used “Enthusiasm Personified” to describe Montrezl on a basketball court. Cardinal Nation really got their first glimpse of this and Montrezl Harrell’s greatness when he helped the Cardinals come back from a huge deficit to win a Big East Title in MSG this past season. He took over that game and made it look easy. Today Montrezl stepped up big for team USA and led them with 17 points and had 4 rebounds, 4 blocks and two assists capturing the U19 gold 82-68 over Serbia. And again made it look easy.

Harrell had a great tournament and started all nine tournament games for for the U19 squad. His tourney averages were 10.5 points a game, 3.6 rebounds a game, 0.8 assists per game, 1.2 blocks per game, and all while averaging only 18.2 minutes per game. Hows that for production? I have said it before and I will say it again this kid has a motor that doesn’t stop running. He loves to be on a basketball court and is always giving his best effort. He has that quality of stepping up in big game situations and that’s the kinds of things that will have NBA scouts salivating.

Most draft experts already have Montrezl predicted to be a lottery pick next season and I’m sure after his performance in these world games the past couple of weeks has solidified that thought. I’m looking forward to seeing what Montrezl has in store for the college basketball world this fall and am expecting great things out of him. His ceiling keeps getting higher and higher and there’s no end to what this kid could achieve. Any doubts about our front court strengths are evaporating daily. There won’t be many teams who have a player like Montrezl this season.

One of the things that was considered as Harrell’s weaknesses coming into his college career is that he would be in a little bit of position limbo but with Pitino’s style of play and his physical growth he will be a nightmare matchup for a small forward or a unique match for a bigger guy. He has shown in just the last couple of weeks that he is developing his game more in the post and also improving his ball skills. With his size coming out of high school he had to become a more skilled player and he is doing just that. The raw materials are there and when he plays he goes hard, real hard.

“Enthusiasm Personified”

For 24 long years the frustration and anger built up between the two major universities in the State of Kentucky. The University of Louisville’s basketball program had caught up with the University of Kentucky who at the time was the ultimate measuring stick. However, the Wildcats continued to deny the Cardinals the chance to prove just how powerful they had become. This rejection was about basketball but included race, demographics, country, city, tradition, and the nouveau.

Then by the fate of the 1983 NCAA Tournament the 24 years of frustration would come to a head when these teams would meet in the Regional Final. ESPN recently named this game as one of their top 75 moments of the Tournament but for the folks of the state of Kentucky it was dubbed the “Dream Game.” It was a defining moment that would ignite a feud that has become on of the greatest rivalries in all of college sports.

Now there has been a movie made documenting this great rivalry. “The Rivalry: Red V. Blue” is a movie made by the rivals for the rivalry and is something that we can all be a part of. The folks who have made this great documentary need the help of the fans for the completion of principal photography as well as the post-production and distribution expenses of Red V. Blue. They have set up a page on KickStarter where Louisville and Kentucky fans can make this happen. If you would like to be a part of this film just visit this link to donate. Every dollar will help.

If you have grown up in the state of Kentucky and you are a sports fan this rivalry has been a part of your life. I can’t say that for the last 27 years I have enjoyed all the constant back and forth between me and my friends that cheer for Kentucky. But rivalries are what define sports and every competition needs a great rivalry. We have one of the best rivalries in all of sports and it deserves the credit that this movie will give it. The Rivalry has given us many enjoyable moments and now it’s time to give a little back. Go donate to this film.

Here is the link again: The goal is $40,000 and the current total is $16,882.00

You can bet that where two or more Louisville fans gather for an outdoor sporting event it is going to rain. As was the case Saturday at the Cardinal Takeover event at the Kentucky Speedway. As we huddled in the hospitality tent watching the rain come down some of us talked about how the day reminded us of our tailgating experiences of the 2012 Football season. Even though the rains came and eventually postponed the actual race the day wasn’t a complete wash out for Cardinal fans.

Our Cardinal takeover started when one of the all-time greats “Dr. Dunkenstein” himself Darrell Griffith stopped by the hospitality tent. He greeted Cardinal fans and took pictures with them and there were even some stories told of some of those great championship moments from the 80’s. It was also a great moment when a champion of the past went to have his picture taken with the #55 Championship race car. Again Darrell was interviewed by the Aaron’s representatives about his thoughts of the car and the 2012-13 Cardinal basketball team. He would say that he thought it was great to have the National Championship represented on the race car and talked about the great accomplishments of the team. Fans lined up for their chance to meet the Cardinal legend and he was very gracious taking several photos.

The next visitor to the Cardinal hospitality tent could be heard making his weird call of the wild yell all over the Speedway grounds. Kentucky woodsman Ernie Brown, Jr., nicknamed “The Turtleman” and his friend, Neal James visited Cardinal fans, took photos and told a few stories of their wild adventures. I have never seen the show myself but fans seemed very excited at the opportunity to meet the interesting figure. And it was an interesting moment when “Dr. Dunkenstein” met the “Turtleman”. Turtleman to Griffith: “Man you could really dunk that ball.”

Our third visitors of the day were a couple of Forbes 400 members David Smith son of billionaire Speedway Motorsports owner Bruton Smith, and non other than Mr Papa John himself John Schnatter. These guys took time to visit Cardinal fans and seemed very excited to take a picture with the National Championship trophy. These guys were very friendly with the crowd and several folks took the chance to meet and take photos with them.

The Final visit of the day came from Ryan Newman driver of the No. 39 Stewart Haas Racing team. Ryan took a moment to talk with Paul Rodgers about his thoughts on the weather, the race track and his racing career. Newman made the quickest exit I’ve ever seen. Race Car drivers are not only good at getting away from their competitors in a race car but they can avoid fans with the same elusiveness. He was nice enough to bring several pre-signed cards to give to the fans.

The Voice of the Cardinals and local radio Icon Paul Rodgers did a great job at interviewing these folks at the Cardinal Takeover event. And he also made himself available to Cardinal fans. It was great talking some Cardinal sports with him and spending some time with someone I grew up listening to on the radio.

I would also like to thank Jennifer Heisey Executive Director of the University of Louisville Alumni Association and her staff for putting this event together and doing such an excellent job yesterday. They were all very friendly and welcoming to Cardinal Fans and made a rainy day a lot of fun.

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Luke Hancock: The Anatomy Of A Shooter

1. Courage/Confidence
The first way to increase your jump shot percentage is to make sure you have confidence in your shot and the courage to take it. When shooting a basketball you will get what you expect. You have to anticipate your shot going in every time you take it, and more times than not it is going to happen.
Having a positive mental attitude will not only help you hit a jump shot but it will also help you achieve your life goals and overcome other obstacles in life to be the person you are striving to be.
Luke Hancock wasn’t a highly touted recruit when he came out of Hidden Valley, where he made the All-Timesland second team and helped the Titans reach the Group AA semifinals. And he didn’t have the big boys beating down his doors after his postgraduate year at Hargrave Military Academy where he helped them become national prep school runners-up and earned a spot on the all-tournament team. He was viewed as a low to mid major prospect. Hancock received a rating of zero stars and received only two scholarship offers to play ball one from Toledo and one from George Mason. However, that didn’t get Luke down and he never stopped believing that he belonged. He wasn’t a small guy at 6’8″ yet he lacked superior strength and wasn’t a physically gifted athlete. The one thing he could do was shoot. At George Mason, he shot his way to the CAA all-rookie team as a freshman. He averaged 10.9 points and made All-CAA third team as sophomore, and he made the winning shot against Villanova in NCAAs.

2. Vision / Focus
The second way to improve your jump shot is vision and focus. When shooting the basketball you have to focus on the front of the rim, vision it going in, and Clear your mind of all other thoughts. Making the basket should be the only thing on your mind.
If you have a goal in life, you have to vision yourself completing that goal and you have to maintain the focus on attaining it.
Through two seasons at George Mason Luke Hancock kept his vision and focused on his goals and the basket. After that huge shot in the Tournament and after his very efficient two seasons where he helped make George Mason a consistent winner one person took notice. That person was Rick Pitino. Coach Pitino was looking for a great shooter and passer for his high-octane offense to compliment a great group of guys he figured on having in 2012-13. Finally Luke would get the affirmation that had been absent for his career up to this moment. Schools that turned him down for scholarships before were now competing for his attention. That affirmation and the opportunity were too much to pass up and Luke chose to transfer to Louisville where Kevin Keatts, Hancock’s coach from Hargrave, was now working.

3. Balance
The third way to enhance your jump shot is balance. Balance starts with foot placement, shoulder placement, hand placement and your overall center of gravity. When going through the motions of a jump shot those four things are essential. What feels like perfect balance to you may not look like perfect balance to someone else and that’s ok. If you have your feet set, shoulders pointing towards the basket and holding the ball, the proper way you are going to shoot a higher percentage. However, any one misplaced aspect can trigger friction and upset your balance.
Sometimes in our lives, we have great balance and everything seems to be going in the right direction when something comes along and disrupts that balance creating friction.
After battling through long odds and years of doubt, Luke Hancock’s basketball career was finally in good balance. With two strong years of college basketball behind him, Luke’s road should have been easy. Stay in shape, then work his way into the lineup once eligible to play for Louisville. What could go wrong? Having a history of injury problems Luke suffered quite a blow in a pick-up game before the 12-13 season, injuring his shoulder severely enough to require surgery. According to coach Pitino, the injury was so bad he was not sure Hancock would recover in time for the season and the doctor said it was the worst shoulder he ever operated on. It would take him over a half hour of warm-ups just to lift his arms up over his head but he did maintain his balance getting things pointed in the right direction again. He was in the lineup for the first game of the season not just as a member of the Cardinals, but as a junior co-captain.

4. Small Adjustments
Your jump shot will live or die by the adjustments you make along the way. Small adjustments are necessary and every great shooter has made adjustments to fine-tune their shot. Your jump shot is like an instrument and you’re the tuner. Keep tuning until you can really feel the internal harmony. Don’t be afraid to create little adjustments, but whatever adjustments you make they need to feel good.
When you are trying to reach your goals in life, they will live or die by the decisions you make along the way. Don’t be afraid to step outside of the box and be prepared to step up in tough situations. Don’t be afraid to lead.
When Luke Hancock did make his way onto the court in the early part of the 12-13 season it wasn’t pretty. Cardinal Nation was comparing Hancock’s hype to that of Mike Marra and calling for coach Pitino to keep him off the floor. The theme of those calling into the local radio shows after he went 4-for-29 on three-pointers through Louisville’s first four games was that of dismay. Luke did not let the dissatisfaction affect him. He chose to stay confident, remained positive, kept playing his game and eventually found his form, as he ended up leading the team with a .432 three-pointer percentage. And as for his role as the captain. The Louisville basketball team faced a very difficult moment during their Elite 8 game of the NCAA Tournament when one of their brothers Kevin Ware suffered a gruesome injury. When the other players, coaches, and trainers appeared to be in a moment of shock Luke Hancock remained calm, kneeled down, and grabbed the hand of his fallen comrade. Luke was able to calm Kevin with a prayer. And by doing so enabled Kevin to inspire his team to eventually beat Duke and go to the Final Four.

5. Rhythm & Harmony
Like a fantastic symphony orchestra, your jump shot is a work of art. Some works are beautiful, some abstract, and some are considered strange. Everyone needs to find their own special rhythm on the basketball court that works for them, but it has to be in harmony along with your teammates or you’ll not be producing beautiful music together. If you shoot in rhythm, you will make far more shots.
If you have confidence, maintain vision and focus, keep your balance and be willing to make adjustments your game and your life will have perfect rhythm and harmony. You will also find it much easier to achieve your goals and face the big trials of your life. Luke Hancock’s confidence, vision, focus, balance, and adjustments have led him to the perfect jump shot and he was able to lead his team in rhythm and harmony to a national championship. He was also named the most outstanding player along the way. Luke played in all 40 games this past season, knocked down a team-best 63 3-pointers, and totaled 40 steals. In the national championship victory over Michigan, Hancock totaled 22 points and two steals, going 5-of-5 from beyond the arc.
I haven’t mentioned in this story about how Luke Hancock’s father was battling cancer along his journey. I didn’t mention it because Luke never mentioned it. It wasn’t until after the Final 4 that most of us learned of his father’s illness. Luke’s father lost his battle recently but did get to see his son take the lessons he had taught him and apply them to a game. He got to see his son be great. And even with the end of his life near continued to push Luke towards his game and the pursuit of greatness. With his father, gravely ill Luke went to try out for the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team. Luke did what he has his whole basketball career and rose above his adversity to make the 12-man roster. Another great accomplishment for this young man from Roanoke, Virginia. What this kid has done this past year of his life is nothing short of amazing and I don’t think he is done yet. I can’t wait to see part two of this story and am looking forward to telling it. Keep shooting that amazing jump shot Luke!

***Editors Note: I used The Anatomy Of A Basketball Jump Shot
By coach Duane Waits to shape my story.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6414318

The ESPY nominations are out and I was right with my prediction on two of the nominees. The Louisville Women’s basketball team is nominated for Upset of the Year and Coach Pitino is nominated for Coach of the Year. Both the women and Coach Pitino are very deserving of these awards and you need to make sure to get over to the website and cast your votes for the ESPYs.

I still don’t understand how the men’s basketball team missed out on a Team of the Year nomination or a Game of the Year nod. Especially with Alabama getting mentioned for their football title. Was their championship team as inspirational as ours? And wasn’t that NCAA Final Four Title game one of the most watched ever? How does that get overlooked? Don’t get me wrong, I’m very proud to have Coach Pitino and the Women’s basketball team included but I do think ESPN gave us the once over by not giving our championship basketball team any recognition. They say you have to earn respect and I think our men’s basketball team did that and more last year.

As mentioned above we do have two categories to vote for so click on the link above and vote. This years ESPYs is decided by the fan vote. I’ll be watching on July 17th and will hopefully get to see our Women’s team and Coach P walk across that stage.

Vote For WBB Here:

Vote For Coach Pitino Here:

Tonight two Cardinals take the next step in their basketball careers and will hopefully be drafted into the 2013 NBA class. Gorgui Dieng and Peyton Siva were two of the best guys that have ever laced them up at the University of Louisville each with super attitudes and golden personalities. These guys made a huge impact on the Cardinal basketball program and left champions. These guys deserve all of the glory, prominence and fame that a NBA career can bring. Tonight the NBA draft will begin and both of these guys will be waiting to hear their names called.

Gorgui has been projected to be drafted anywhere from the late lottery to late in the first round in most mock drafts. That could mean anywhere from 10th to 24th. Most draft experts say that Gorgui’s age, and his tendency to be pushed around by stronger players are his biggest weaknesses going into the draft. They say his defensive awareness, passing ability, and athleticism are his biggest strengths. And they also say that his positives outweigh the negatives. Some of the teams mentioned that could possibly be interested in Gorgui are:

Mock drafts:
• HoopsWorld.com: 10, Blazers
• SI.com: 12, Thunder
• CBSSports.com: 12, Thunder
• DraftExpress.com: 20, Bulls
• NBA.com: 20, Bulls
• SBNation.com: 20, Bulls
• NBADraft.net: 24, Knicks
• ESPN.com (Insider): 22, Nets

Peyton is one of the most decorated of all the draft eligible players. And despite his two state titles, a national title at Louisville and back-to-back Big East tourney MVP trophies he is projected to be taken late in the second round. Most draft experts say the combination of being a 6-foot-1 point guard with a suspect jump-shot is his biggest weakness. They say his quickness, athleticism, ability to defend, excellent lateral quickness, and being a good distributor are his strengths. And most believe that the potential NBA ability is there. Some of the teams mentioned that could possibly interested on Peyton are:

Mock drafts:
• HoopsWorld.com: Late Second/UnDrafted
• SI.com: Late Second/UnDrafted
• CBSSports.com: 50, Hawks
• DraftExpress.com: 53, Pacers
• NBA.com: Late Second/UnDrafted
• SBNation.com: 53, Pacers
• NBADraft.net: 51, Magic
• ESPN.com (Insider): Late Second/UnDrafted

I think that both of these awesome young men deserve to be drafted tonight. I will be watching and cheering for their dreams to come true. The 2013 NBA Draft will start tonight at 7:30pm ET on ESPN.

The ESPY Awards is an award function for sports that showcases the year’s nominated athletes, memorable highlights, and individual/team achievements. It brings together all of sport, honoring the best performances, and those whose courage and conviction transcend sport. This has become the prime event for celebration for the years sports cycle. I really enjoy the inspirational stories, and motivational speeches by those who win the awards. The ESPYS is designed to showcase the year’s best sports moments in a sharp, fun and entertaining manner and it does just that.

The nominees for the ESPYs will be reveled later this week on June 27th and voting will also begin. I expect to see our Louisville Cardinals represented in several categories this year. And how awesome is it going to be to see our incredible year acknowledged on that grand stage and in front of the entire sports world. The nominations I expect to see:

-ESPY Award Best Upset 2013 Nominee
I fully expect our University of Louisville women’s basketball team to be nominated in this category for their upset of Baylor in the NCAA Tournament. That was perhaps the biggest upset ever in college sports and one of the biggest ever in any sport. No way our Cards don’t get a nod for this. One could also argue that the Louisville Football teams victory over Florida could also be in the mix here.

-ESPY Award Best Game 2013 Nominee
TV ratings for the 2013 Final Four were higher than the NBA Finals, BCS and World Series. There were a lot of television sets tuned in to see our Cards mens basketball team beat Michigan in that Championship game so I fully expect to see them to be represented in this category.

-ESPY Award Best Coach/Manager 2013 Nominee
Has there ever been a coach have the kind of year our Rick Pitino had? He led his team to a National Championship riding a 16 game win streak along the way and topped it off with a Hall of Fame bid. And he became the only coach to lead two different college basketball teams to a national title. I would be completely shocked to not see coach Pitino’s name in this category.

-ESPY Award Best Male College Athlete 2013 Nominee
Take your pick here Cards fans. I could see a nod being given to Teddy QB, Peyton Siva, Luke Hancock, but who knows. This is a broad range category so its hard to say where the nominees will come from. I know we have several Cardinal athletes that could easily be a part of this category so hopefully one will make the cut.

-ESPY Award Best Team of the Year 2013 Nominee
Our Louisville men’s basketball team had one of the most inspirational runs ever in the NCAA tournament. And the injury to Kevin Ware in that EliteEight game against Duke became a world wide story. I don’t think it’s a very bold prediction to say that our Cards will be front and center for this award and could add another trophy to the case. I really think we could bring this award back to Louisville.

I know I’m very excited to see the nominations come out later this week and hope to see them filled with Cardinal Red. It would just top off our incredible year to see Louisville represented on this special night for the sports world. This year, sports fans will determine the winners in all ESPYS categories, except the Arthur Ashe Courage Award and other special awards.Watch for voting to open for all nominee categories at espn.com/espys on June 27th, continuing up to and including awards night on July 17th. So get to the site this week and get ready to vote for our Louisville cardinals.
The 2013 ESPYS will air live on ESPN on July 17 at 9 p.m. ET from Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. This years host will be Mad Men’s Jon Hamm. Should be a awesome evening. One of my favorite actors and CardNation represented well. Can’t wait!