CrumsRevenge recently released two videos taking us back through the Cards’ epic tourney run.  This time, his highlights are accompanied with audio from UofL’s radio guys Paul Rogers and Bob Valvano.  They both are must watches if you haven’t checked them out already.

The guys bring on latest UofL football commitment Isaiah Ford to get his take on the rising Louisville football program and his relationship with the football coaches.

With Isaiah:

-What sold him on committing to UofL

-His relationship with the coaches

-What the staff told him while he was being recruited

-How the ACC played a factor

-How it was worked out that he would walk-on to the basketball team

*JaQuan Lyle will join us next week

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE

*iPod/iPad users, or if you have any trouble accessing the podcast, listen below:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:26:20 — 29.6MB)

National Champion point guard Peyton Siva talks about his first day at the NBA Combine.

*Here’s his NBA Draft Profile, complete with stats and videos

We are through three of four days in Ameila Island, Florida as UofL’s future league wraps up tomorrow.  With Jurich and Coach Strong in attendance, Louisville’s leadership is quickly getting acquainted with their new surroundings.

*ACC looking more in-depth at hosting their basketball tournament in New York at Madison Square Garden

“There is real momentum to play the tournament at Madison Square Garden,” a source said. “Why shouldn’t the premier basketball conference play in the world’s premier arena?”

Sources attending the meetings said the ACC should always look at ways to improve its product.

“No matter what business model you’re in, if you’re the best — and our league is the best — you should take it to New York,” a source said.

*ACC Coaches support staying with playing 8 league games

The ACC scaled back from a nine-game league slate to an eight-game league slate last October after Notre Dame entered into a football scheduling partnership with the schools as part of their membership in all other sports. Notre Dame essentially takes up one nonconference spot every three years. For those teams with long-standing rivalry games like Florida State, Clemson and Georgia Tech, playing nine league games, plus Notre Dame, plus a rivalry game is untenable.

*ACC Coaches want input in selection committee for the Playoff

“For the most part, we wanted to see conference representation and institutional representation rotated to some degree but the biggest item for us is the criteria of selecting those four teams. We want our coaches’ poll to matter,” Cutcliffe said. “In another sense, all the coaches have a vote on the committee, and we think that’s good for the game, for the coaches to be good stewards of who’s in that national championship picture.

*The new field at PJCS is almost complete

via @UofLFootball

photo – ctpost.com

The guys at Draft Express feature a Draft prospect each week and their latest installment previews Louisville’s own Gorgui Dieng.  Their write-up on UofL’s big man is very thorough, noting his wingspan, his defensive acumen, and his passing ability.

Dieng’s intrigue as an NBA prospect starts with his prototypical size and length for the center position. Standing 6’11 with a 7’4+ wingspan, he’s added nearly 50 pounds to his frame since arriving in the USA, and although he could still stand to pack on more muscle to both his upper and lower body, he certainly passes the look test at this point more easily than he did as recently as a year ago.
On top of his sheer size, Dieng is also a solid athlete for a near 7-footer, possessing good quickness and leaping ability to go along with a strong motor. His mobility is noticeable in his rebounding ability, but even more so on the defensive end, where he did a tremendous job last season protecting the rim behind Louisville’s aggressive perimeter players in Rick Pitino’s zone and when defending one-on-one en route to being named Big East Defensive Player of the Year.
The anchor of the #1 ranked defense in the country, Dieng averaged an impressive 3.2 blocks per-40 minutes pace adjusted as a junior. While he doesn’t rank as well nationally as he did as a sophomore when he blocked 3.8 shots per-40 pace adjusted, he’s a very capable weakside shot-blocker with excellent timing who has learned to patrol the paint without fouling or goaltending as much as he did in the past.

LSL comes at you on a Monday this week as the guys talk all things UofL at 6:00 on ESPN 680 and ESPNLouisville.com.  We will discuss the recent WR verbal commitments as well as the scuttlebutt about 4-star QB Alin Edouard possibly changing his commitment from Miami to Louisville.  We’re going to be joined on air by one of those new commitments, two-sport Jacksonville star Isiah Ford at 6:30 as well as 5-star hardwood phenom JaQuan Lyle at 6:45. We’re also trying to get Peyton Siva to join us sometime in the second hour, so stay tuned for that.

Other topics include:

-wanting the UofL – UK football series to continue if both leagues go to 9 conference games

-what the football team needs to improve upon during the offseason

- basketball recruiting

As always, we want you to be apart of the program, hit us up at 267-9680 and on twitter @LvilleSprtsLive.

photo – 24/7 Sports

Just wait a few hours, and UofL will pick up another piece to their 2014 recruiting class as Isaiah Ford became the latest verbal commitment just about 12 hours after George Rushing – a fellow Florida WR – gave his pledge.  Ford, a 6’2, 170-lb. wideout from Jacksonville Christian is the highest rated recruit in Louisville’s class, which 247sports.com’s ranks #9 nationally. His offer sheet is as impressive as they come, receiving offers from Arkansas, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Ohio State, Oregon, and South Carolina among others.  Additionally, Ford – who averaged 20 points per game in basketball – will be a preferred walk-on for Pitino’s Cardinals.  A major factor in Ford’s decision to become a Cardinal was the relationship he has with the coaching staff, most notably Ron Dugans.  Coach Dugans is currently rated as  the 18th best recruiter in the nation and 1st in the Big East by 247sports.com.

*Read more about Ford here.

Ford chose U of L over South Carolina primarily, Trinity Christian defensive coordinator/recruiting coordinator Gerard Ross said, citing a strong relationship with wide receivers coach Ron Dugans and head coach Charlie Strong. Florida, Florida State and Oregon were some of the many other major teams to have made offers, Ross said.

“The type of offense Louisville runs suits him, and they always recruit Florida players,” Ross said. “He felt comfortable with them. Coach Strong turned down the Tennessee job (last winter) and showed he’s going to be at Louisville for the next four years, and that was big also.”

Ford, who is high school teammates with U of L offensive line pledge Kavaris Harkless, made his decision a day after Fort Lauderdale wide receiver George Rushing committed to Louisville. The Cards also have a commitment at the position from Jacksonville Sandalwood’s DeSean Blair.

*View the entire 2014 class here.

The 2014 class commit is currently ranked a 5-star by Scout.com (26th overall); 4-star by 247sports.com (28th overall); and a 4-star by Rivals.com (29th overall).

Another week goes by and another prospect from Florida commits to Charlie Strong’s Cards.  This time is was Ft. Lauderdale WR George Rushing , 6’0 180 lb. 3-star WR who picked UofL over offers from Pittsburgh, Illinois, Northern Illinois, and Cincinnati.  The 2014 recruiting haul currently ranks 10th nationally according to 247sports.  Out of the 12 prospects that have committed to Louisville, 7 are from Florida.

Rushing, a 6-foot, 180-pound player for Cardinal Gibbons High School, wrote in a text message that he chose U of L over Pittsburgh, Northern Illinois and Cincinnati primarily, although he had about 30 total offers, his coach, Mike Morrill said.

“Louisville is a great opportunity, great school, (has) good coaches and is also a dream offer for me,” Rushing wrote in a text message. “I would love to contribute to what Louisville is doing.”

Rushing, who was recruited primarily by wide receivers coach Ron Dugans, is the seventh 2014 player from Florida to commit to U of L.

With its 12 commitments, U of L’s class is ranked No. 10 by 247Sports.com. That site ranks Rushing as the nation’s No. 97 junior wide receiver and Florida’s No. 99 overall prospect in 2014.

The guys talk UofL basketball recruiting with Scout.com’s Evan Daniels and the latest news with the ACC with CBSSports.com’s Jeremy Fowler.

With Evan:

-An update on UofL’s 2014 targets

-Who Coach Pitino and staff are paying a lot of attention to

-Timelines of decisions to be made

-How new coach Mike Bolado will fit in to recruiting plans

With Jeremy:

-How much more money the ACC will make since the GOR was signed

-Will the ACC create its own network?

-Will there be a scheduling alliance with the Big 12?

-What bowls the ACC is targeting

-What UofL needs to improve on heading into the 2013 season

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE

*iPod/iPad users, or if you have any trouble accessing it, listen below:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:34:49 — 32.6MB)