Another AAU Nationals event is in the books. Over 450 teams made their way to the basketball capital of the world for the five day event. The fairgrounds is a perfect setting for this event and I’d love to see more grassroots events held in the city of Louisville. The event featured 26 basketball courts and on each court there were kids from all over the country chasing their dreams. I enjoyed this event and below is my top 26 moments from the 2015 AAU Nationals.

#26 My 26th favorite moment at AAU Nationals was just getting the chance to watch some basketball: This July has been a hot one in Kentucky. And for avid sports fans it is a hot and dry time for action involving sporting events. However, for the last two years the AAU Nationals in Louisville has provided a thirst quenching event for my sports craving.

#25 My 25th favorite moment at AAU Nationals was seeing all of the different Uniform Combinations the good and bad: I can tell you that Nike had some of the best this past week and they provide some great uniforms for their teams. I can tell you that a team from Canada had the worst of the week. They ironed on the numbers the night before and they were falling off of the players during a game. Come on Canada…

#24 My 24th favorite moment at AAU Nationals was eating at the Pork Producers booth: The opening day of AAU Nationals was on July 22nd. This was my late father’s birthday. My father and I always went to the Farm Machinery shows every year and we would always eat one of those great pork chop sandwiches. On Wednesday I had the chance to eat a pork chop sandwich at the AAU event and thought about my dad the whole time. Thanks Pork Producers of Kentucky!

#23 My 23rd favorite moment at AAU Nationals was being able to drive to the event in less than an hour. It’s great to be able to get to one of the biggest grassroots events of the summer without having to drive so far especially with the summer time gas prices. Please AAU come back next year!

#22 My 22nd favorite moment at AAU Nationals was all of those basketball courts in one building: There’s just something great about going into a gym and hearing those sneakers squeaking on the court. But hearing all of those sneakers on all of those courts is really awesome. Music to my ears…

#21 My 21st favorite moment at AAU Nationals is seeing all the different coaches and scouts: I watch all those college teams on TV all season and read and follow all of the news from all of the scouting services all season. Getting to meet and see some of these folks in person at a grassroots event is pretty neat. There is always knowledge to be gained by talking with some of the best in the business.

#20 My 20th favorite moment at AAU Nationals is people watching: This event brings in folks from all over the country and all walks of life. It’s always great to meet and greet different people. This event offers that and more.

#19 My 19th favorite moment at AAU Nationals is the Merch: I always love the chance to add to the T-shirt collection and this week I got to buy a cool AAU shirt and a pair of shorts. I also have a great new pair of sunglasses thanks to Eastbay…

#18 My 18th favorite moment at AAU Nationals was the dunks: I got to see dunks off of the alleyoop, the give and go, and the pick and roll. A rim shaking, boom shaka laka spectacle. Kids nowadays have a lot of ups. Just go to MyVert.com and see some results from their booth this week. Unreal!

#17 My 17th favorite moment at AAU Nationals was seeing all the Beats and Sneak combinations: I’m a sucker for swag. It seems like every kid at a grassroots event has on a pair of Beats headphones and they also bust out some pretty sweet sneakers. I got to see a lot of cool combinations this week.

#16 My 16th favorite moment at AAU Nationals was getting the chance to share a day with my son: He’s only 3 years old but he already loves the game of basketball. I look forward to the day when I can start him in a grassroots organization.

#15 My 15th favorite moment at AAU Nationals was the chance to feed off the positive energy: There’s just something very reviving and refreshing to see young people having a great time. Having over 3000 basketball players inside one building you could cut the energy with a knife.

#14 My 14th favorite moment was seeing some great shooters: Some folks in the industry think that the jump shot is a lost art. After watching hours and hours of grassroots basketball this past week I can tell you it isn’t. I had the chance to see some very fundamentally sound shooters.

#13 My 13th favorite moment at AAU Nationals was watching ball in The Hall: I love the KFC Yum Center but there’s nothing like going back to that hallowed ground known as Freedom Hall. I cut my teeth on Louisville Basketball in that building and it was great getting a chance to see some basketball there again this past week. Freedom Hall always had that distinct smell about it also. Nothing like that aroma…

#12 My 12th favorite moment at AAU Nationals was watching the coaches interact with their players: There are many different coaching styles and at this grassroots event they were all on display. Watching the pride and love some of the coaches this past week showed to their teams was inspirational. Grassroots coaches sometimes get a bad rap, but there are guys who do genuinely care for those kids. I watched the Travelers coaches cry on Sunday as they told a group of their player’s good-bye. Good stuff!

#11 My 11th favorite moment at AAU Nationals finding that diamond in the ruff: Attending one of these events can be overwhelming. There are so many teams and so many players. It’s great when you pick a random court, sit down and see some unknown player lighting it up. That happened a few times this past week.

#10 My 10th favorite moment at AAU Nationals was getting to see some of our Louisville Basketball Players: It’s great seeing our Cardinals hanging out together and watching events in Louisville. And to respect where you are you have to respect where you’ve been. Several guys were at AAU National supporting the same teams they played for at the grassroots level.

#9 My 9th favorite moment at AAU Nationals was seeing and saying hi to a legendary coach: Coach Denny Crum made his way out to the AAU events this past week. It’s always great to see the Hall of Fame coach out and about. I guess he couldn’t pass up the chance to see a game of basketball on the old court either. Coach still looks good and I think he has a few games left in him.

#8 My 8th favorite moment at AAU Nationals was another year of experience covering grassroots basketball: I have had two occasions this summer to cover AAU basketball in person. I don’t think I’ll ever be an expert like Dave Telep or Evan Daniels but every year these events are close enough to make the trip the more I learn. Knowledge is power…

#7 My 7th favorite moment at AAU Nationals was seeing teams playing we basketball instead of me basketball: Sure AAU Basketball is filled with a lot of razzle dazzle and helter skelter type basketball and I enjoy seeing some of that great one-on-one action. But I really enjoyed seeing a few teams who focused on good shot selection and team defense. Passing, screening and cutting are not completely missing from grassroots basketball and I witnessed that with my own eyes this past week.

#6 My 6th favorite moment at AAU Nationals was getting to use my camera: I have no trouble taking great photos when I cover football games but basketball poses more of a challenge. This week I got to practice that skill. There is still room for a lot of improvement.

#5 My 5th favorite moment at AAU Nationals was getting the chance to watch a 2017 Louisville target: There was only one guy at AAU Nationals with a UofL offer and that was 2017 David Sloan. He could potentially be the best player in the state of Kentucky in his class. I only got to catch him in action briefly with his Louisville Magic squad but he seems like a very poised and confident player. It made me think in comparison to Quentin Snider.

#4 My 4th favorite moment at AAU Nationals was getting to see my favorite 2016 recruit finish his grassroots career in Freedom Hall: In my short time of covering high school recruiting I’ve had the pleasure to follow Carson Williams a guy who plays for my hometown Alma Mater. This is a young man who is a perfect example of why AAU works. It’s unfortunate but often times you got to play on the right team, play on the right court, and play in the right organization. Exposure is the key and for a young man like Carson who plays high school ball in a rural area the exposure he’s gained through AAU basketball has been critical. In this past week alone he got to play in front of several big names in college basketball. I have really enjoyed following the last two years of his grassroots career and am glad the AAU Nationals returned to Louisville so I could watch him finish it.

#3 My 3rd favorite moment at AAU Nationals was getting the chance to see some of my favorite Cardinals from the past: There were several former Louisville players participating in or walking around watching the action this past week. I got to say hi and shake hands with a few of these guys I grew up watching. That’s always cool…

#2 My 2nd favorite moment at AAU Nationals was getting credentials to cover the event: I’m not a professional member of the media and have been running my own website now for about three years. I put a lot of effort and hard work into this and it always makes me feel rewarded when I’m acknowledged for that. I’m very appreciative when I can get credentialed to cover an event. Thank you AAU for a great week…

#1 My top moment at AAU Nationals was getting to watch thousands of kids chase their dreams and play a sport that they love for five days: There are always mixed opinions when it comes to grassroots basketball and it like everything else in life has its good and bad aspects. I can tell you that I got to see nothing but good this past week at AAU Nationals. Watching all these young men gaining life experience and learning lessons that only playing team sports can provide I found myself thinking about what all of them would be doing if not playing in this event. Getting some of these kids off the streets and involved in a positive environment is huge. And the opportunity for all of these young men to get college scholarships is immeasurable. AAU basketball is important and there are still coaches, parents and folks involved in the organization who have nothing but great intentions. There is nothing more important than having a meaningful impact on a young person’s life. Many lives were impacted over the last five days. Kudos AAU… Kudos!

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College recruiting is a lot like a chess match between coaches. Each one makes their strategic moves throughout the process trying to one up the other. Today it looks like Coach Petrino and his staff made all the right moves and got the checkmate over two of the biggest programs in the SEC.

This is just an incredible victory for Coach Petrino and his staff and for the University of Louisville. Another great day to be a Louisville Cardinal.

We are hitting that summer grind for many sports fans and it is the time of year when we start looking ahead to basketball and football and at the returning players who will have a major impact for their respective teams during the fall and winter seasons.

Don’t get me wrong both the Cardinals Basketball and Football programs have some very good returning players who will make big contributions this season. Chinanu Onuaku, Mangok Mathiang, James Quick, Brandon Radcliff, Sheldon Rankins, Keith Kelsey, and James Burgess are going to be big for their teams but when the 2015-16 Basketball and Football seasons end it will be the transfers who will have had the biggest impact. It will be the year of the Cardinal Transfers…

Louisville fans prove yet again how they are among the best in the country in supporting their basketball programs. According to the official NCAA numbers just released The Louisville men’s Basketball program finished 3rd in the nation in college basketball attendance, averaging 21,386 fans per game. The Louisville women’s Basketball program finished third with 9,515. The two programs combined had a total average attendance of 30,901 and that puts Louisville at #1 in the country. Our attendance for women’s basketball was better than eight ACC men’s programs.

Kudos to the Cardinal Nation for showing up last season. Lets do it again this season. Go Cards!

We have heard the term unleash the beast but now it’s time to Uncage the Birds!!!

So the new “Uncaged” Adidas football uniforms for the Auburn game were released today to a flurry of mixed reviews. And while these new crazy uniform styles may not appeal to the adult crowd you have to keep in mind that they don’t design them with a middle aged man or woman in mind. In the end, the new uniform is all about creating a product that can be marketed and enticing to 17-18 yr olds. Not only to encourage them to buy the Adidas product, but also updating the look and feel of the uniforms to give the athletes that sizzle factor. For apparel companies to grab the attention of the younger audience nowadays the crazier and louder the better. Just look at some of the shoe designs of today.

Consumers no longer buy sports apparel just to show support for their team, as fashion and wearability have become the new standard for buyers’ purchasing decision. Often a team’s success on the field is irrelevant to the buyer. More often color scheme, and perhaps more often, the color scheme’s impression determine a uniform’s selling ability. The image that different colors portray is a huge factor. Gone are the days when uniform color was purely symbolic. Today, colors are both symbolic and psychological.

The psychological impact of logo and color usage has made an impact upon opposing teams giving an illusory impression of speed or tenacity. I wouldn’t want to be bringing the ball up the field facing Louisville’s nasty defense combined with those crazy and loud uniforms. Look at how the crazy infrared uniforms helped get our basketball team rolling a few years ago. And the uniforms were a factor. I remember being a junior in high school and our basketball team was given the new baggy style uniform that was inspired by the Fab Five of Michigan. When I put that uniform on it immediately gave me a feeling that I could run faster and jump higher. I went from just being able to touch the rim to being able to grab and hold on to it. There is no denying the psychological affect.

So no matter what you think about these new and crazy looking uniforms just try to keep an open mind about it and realize that a lot of research and development go into the design process. Adidas wants their product to be successful and they want the teams that wear their products to be successful. And if they can give a slight psychological or physical advantage to our Cardinals with some new material and a crazy color scheme then I’m all for it. I’ll paint my face with that crazy bird on it if it will help our guys beat Auburn. Go out and buy some of this gear and lets help Adidas UNCAGE THE BIRDS….! #L1C4

2015 signees Raymond Spalding, Donovan Mitchell, Deng Adel and Ryan McMahon will play in the annual Derby Basketball event this weekend. Night of the Future Stars will take place on Friday at New Albany High School at 7:00pm. These guys will compete in Slam Dunk and Three Point contest. Saturday night at Freedom Hall is the actual Derby Basketball Classic All-Star game at 7:00pm.

First held in 1973, the Classic is the oldest high school all-star game in the nation and is known for showcasing players who’ve moved on to stardom at the collegiate and professional levels. Former players include Jamal Mashburn, Moses Malone, Rex Chapman, Pervis Ellison, Isiah Thomas, Dominique Wilkins, Darrell Griffith, Derek Anderson, Anfernee Hardaway and Michael Beasley.

Grab a ticket and get out to this event to support the Cards. The Cardinal’s Beak will cover all of the action and will have videos and photos from the events this weekend.

Coach Pitino held his end of the season press conference today. He talked about the disappointment of losing in the Elite Eight and said that it ranked right up there with his loss against Duke. He also formally announced that both Montrezl Harrell and Terry Rozier will take the next step in their careers and enter the NBA Draft. It’s was also hinted at today that Anton Gill, Chinanu Onuaku and Shaqquan Aaron will be possible transfers.

COACH PITINO’S END OF SEASON PRESS CONFERENCE

With that happening it obviously leaves the roster with a few holes and Coach Pitino said that he would possibly add 1 to 3 guys to the 2015 class. Pitino will be looking for guys at the Juco level as well as looking at guys who will be 5th year transfers.

One name that has been popular as far as a Juco guy is concerned is Vincennes (IN) College SG Mychal Mulder.

He is a 6-4 guard and was the leading scorer for the No. 1 ranked junior college team in the nation. He’s averaged 14.4 points and 7.1 rebounds. He’s ranked the No. 12 player overall and fourth-best shooting guard in the JUCO ranks, Shoots 43% from long range and made almost 50% of his attempts this season. Coach Pitino and staff have watched him play, and he is on campus today for a visit.

As far as 5th year transfers are concerned there have been a few popular names buzzing around.

Trey Lewis a 6-2 Combo Guard got his release from Cleveland State today. He averaged 16.7 points, and 4.3 rebounds this season. He is a complete basketball player and you’ll see points, rebounds, assists and steals on the stat line when he steps onto the court.

Damion Lee a 6-foot-6, 200-pound wing has told several sources today that he is transferring from Drexel where he was on pace to become one of the school’s all-time leading scorers. This past season, Lee averaged 21.4 points and 6.1 rebounds while shooting 38.5 percent from 3-point range and 88.7 percent from the free throw line. He earned CAA Rookie of the Year honors, averaging 12.0 ppg and 4.4 rpg to help the Dragons make the 2012 CAA championship game.

John Brown a 6-7 Forward who played this past season at High Point where he averaged 18 points, and shot 54% from the field. Coach Pitino said today in his pressor that his emphasis would be on finding guys that can put the ball in the basket and this kid can do that. Louisville assistant Mike Balado worked for three seasons at High Point and recruited Brown so that connection is already in place.

Tyler Harvey a 6-4 guard who played this past season at Eastern Washington where he averaged 23.4 points per game and also sits atop the Division-I stats in total three-pointers made this season. 3rd in Total points scored. This is another guy that would heal some of Louisville’s shooting woes next season.

Those seem to be the popular names floating around and here is a list of other potential 5th year guys:

Shonn Miller a 6-7 guard who played for Cornell this past season where he averaged 16.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, shooting 43.4 percent on field goals and 83.4 percent from the charity stripe.

Tyler Harris a 6-8 guard who played at Providence this past season where he was the third-leading scorer for the Friars. In 34 games, Harris averaged 9.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. I have heard that he is contemplating the NBA draft.

Aaron Cosby a 6-3 forward who played for Illinois this past season averaging 7.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He started 13 of the 19 games he played in.

Andrew Andrews a 6-2 forward who played at Washington this past season where he averaged 14.7 points, and 4.3 rebounds.

Four McGlynn a 6-2 forward who played for Towson this past season where he led the team averaging 12 points per game, while knocking down 37.4 percent of his 3-pointers and a career-best 91.7 percent from the charity stripe.

Marcus Marshall a 6-3 forward who played at Missouri State this past season averaging 19.5 points per game this season for the Bears, and was the centerpiece of their offensive attack. He also lead the MVC in scoring.

As we close out another exciting Cardinal Basketball season we look towards an exciting 2015-16 year. Things are likely to look much different with a lot of new faces. I’m looking forward to seeing how some of the guys in the 2015 class look and who if any of the above guys end up wearing the Cardinal red next season.

We hear many stories around this time of year in college basketball, but none are as interesting as when we see a student athlete going above and beyond and using the NCAA Tournament as a platform for the greater good.

Montrezl Harrell is one of the standouts of March Madness. He is focused on getting his team to another Final Four and trying to play well enough so the many scouts in attendance will take notice. For Montrezl being on such a big stage is an opportunity not only to help him but to take this opportunity to help others.

In a recent interview with Howie Lindsey of CardinalSports.com Montrezl said that he was wearing Yellow Shoe Laces for a school project and as a way to bring awareness to and for his support of kids affected by pediatric cancer. The team will also be wearing the Yellow Laces. Montrezl said that he was inspired by a young Louisville boy named Gavin Howard.

Gavin has been selling T-shirts and hoodies for years to help raise money for Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Harrell said he befriended Gavin during his Louisville career and often wears his T-Shirts.

Montrezl has always been the type of guy to help out when he could and has done many things like this for the community while he’s been a Cardinal. He is another great guy in a long line of them who have worn the Cardinal uniform. Thanks for being awesome Montrezl..! L1C4…

We are hours away from watching our Louisville basketball team play in the ACC Basketball Tournament for the very first time. We have had a lot of these first. Louisville has played in three different conferences in the last three years and six different conferences total. I do hope this first will be our last. I’ve been waiting for years to put down roots in a traditional rich conference like the ACC.

I’ve heard stories of families going to ACC tournaments for decades. For some the conference tournament becomes an annual event. I want to have this with my son someday. I want to look forward to heading south every year, staying in the same spots, and eating at the same restaurants. I’m ready to start building decades of memories in the ACC.

Being a Louisville basketball fan has afforded me many great moments over the years but never the chance to embrace all of the nostalgia that a conference like the ACC can provide. I have been weaned on conferences like The Metro, and C-USA. I remember a time I traveled to Cincy to watch the Cardinals play in the C-USA Tournament at US Bank Arena. There weren’t any hard core fans, there weren’t folks tailgating beforehand and there were barely enough people in attendance to fill the lower bowl in that small venue.

The Big East was a great basketball conference that offered a different and intriguing backdrop. But even it wasn’t the type of conference where you could embrace it in a personal way like fans do the ACC. And it took a pretty healthy wallet to be able to afford the luxury of spending a week in New York City every year.

There has always been a large Louisville contingent at every stop along the way but isn’t it going to be nice to be in a city and an arena filled with fans just as passionate about their team as you are yours. Even the teams in the ACC who aren’t basketball giants have their fair share of fanatics.

In hours the Cardinals will start their first step in a journey that will hopefully be filled with years of great memories that can only be attained in a conference like the ACC. And I think it is very fitting to be able to kick things off by playing one of its founding members. As much as North Carolina represents the conferences past Louisville hopefully represents an exciting future.

I know I’m ready to embrace all that the ACC tournament has to offer, and ready to make many memories in cities like Greensboro, Charlotte and Atlanta. And even if they eventually move the tournament to new places I know that those hard core fans will bring that special tradition along. For the first time as a Louisville Basketball fan I feel like we are part of a bigger basketball family and that we finally have a home. And that’s awesome! Enjoy this weekend Cardinal Fans.

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…