Today Cardinal fans and the Louisville Basketball team put the exclamation point on the National Championship Run by hanging the 2013 Banner in the Yum Center rafters. The Cards also kept their run from last year going winning their 17th straight game beating the College of Charleston 70-48 in the season opener. With the win the Cardinals start the new season 1-0 and now hold a 4-0 record against the Cougars. Opening at home for the seventh time in the last eight seasons, the Cardinals have won 10 straight season-openers and 19 of the last 21 overall. Saturday’s game was Louisville’s earliest season-opener in school history surpassing the Nov. 11 openers in each of the last two seasons.
I was there when they won it and today I was there when they hung it. Last season was very special to me and the other Cardinal fans who had never got to experience a National Championship of their own. Most of us were kids when the Cards hung the last banner. But now we have our own moment and today we all shared that moment one last time in the KFC yum Center. The pageantry was great with the dedication videos and the speech by coach Pitino. It was all done very well and the University should be commended. Every time we go to a game or attend other events at the Yum Center we can look up and see that 2013 banner and remember how special that season was.
With the celebration behind them the 2013-14 group had business to take care of today against a very formidable foe in the College of Charleston. I think the excitement of the day a perhaps first game jitters got the better of the Cards in the first half and they played sloppy basketball allowing the Cougars to hang around. They hit only 4 of their first 17 shots. They were out-shot, out-hustled and out-rebounded in the first half and only led by two points 29-27. If those locker room walls could talk they probably wouldn’t be able to say in public what Pitino told his team at the half. They came out in the second half and were able to turn the momentum of the game around. The Cougars did hang around until about the 6:55 mark but that’s when we seen what we did many times last year. Duke’s coach Mike Krzyzewski called it the “BOOM”. Today College of Charleston felt that “BOOM” late in the second half when the Cards went on one of their flurries outscoring the cougars 21 to 3 in the closing minutes. It really did feel like last year and it looks like this team could end up having that same trademark.
Six Cardinals made their career debut in the Louisville uniform today Chris Jones, Mangok Mathiang, Terry Rozier, Anton Gill, Akoy Agau and David Levitch. Chris and Mango made the biggest impact out of this group. Jones is gonna be really big for the Cardinals this year and I really love his game. He had 12 points and 6 rebounds with 5 assist. The “Mango” looked really promising in his debut as well. This kid has exceptional speed for his size and his vertical leaping ability is also very good. We needed somebody to step up in the front-court and this guy just may be the one. He had 7 points and 10 rebounds. Russ 2.0 hasn’t missed a beat and got to the basket when he wanted and pretty much took over the game scoring 21 points with 5 assist. I’m so glad I get to watch this kid play another entire year. It will be fun seeing other coaches try to stop him. I was also very impressed with Montrezl, Wayne and Stephan. These guys combined for 27 points and 21 rebounds. I had been critical of Wayne and Stephan earlier in the scrimmages but today they put together a great game. Both of them played very aggressive and assertive. If we can get this from them every week that will be a game changer.
I thought the team looked pretty good today considering all the new pieces and considering that some of the most important pieces are still not on the floor. Chane will be back in a few weeks, Luke starts to practice on the 15th and Ware will be good to go in a few weeks. This is going to be a very good basketball team folks. Barring injury or any other suspensions we could all be gathering in the Yum Center next year to hang number four. We should get a good feel to where we are at in a couple of weeks when the Cards play UNC. It was another great day to be a Cardinal Fan. Go Cards!
Rick Pitino on the banner ceremony before the game:
U of L coach Rick Pitino on beating Charleston in opener:
My video turned out terrible but The University’s video is incredible so here it is:
