photo – UofL’s Logan Baumann

It’s okay if you stare at this for awhile….

*Gorgui says Louisville will be better next year

“It’s tough to believe but I think they’re going to have a better team. They have a lot of guards and the biggest guy on the team is 6-8. So they’re going to do the things that they are known (for), which is like press, press more, press more because they have a lot of guards. Last year we had a lot of bigs but this year we have more guards. We have four, five guys coming in.”

*The latest NBA mock drafts on Draft Express and NBADraft.net have Gorgui at #20 going to Chicago and Peyton going #53 to Indiana.

*Gorgs believes he can help the Knicks, or any NBA team that will draft him.

“I played for a coach that was very demanding,” he said of Pitino. “I came from a winning program. All I care is winning, nothing less, just winning, whatever it takes. I want to see a coach again that drives me the way that Coach ‘P’ drives me. Just be honest with you. Like I said I came from a winning program and it’s all about winning to me so I think wherever I go, I won’t have a problem fitting in.”

*UofL football’s schedule isn’t one the strongest out there

7. Louisville – Index: 1.63: No team in major college football has an easier overall schedule than the Cards. It’s doubtful they’ll face a top-40 team this season, much less one in the top 25. The non-conference slate is pretty tame as well. They open with an Ohio team that is coming off a 9-4 season and won at Penn State to start 2012. The Bobcats, though, are No. 98 in the country for most starters returning with just 11. After that, Louisville gets FCS Eastern Kentucky; then visits arch-rival Kentucky, which was 2-10 last season and then faces an FIU program that went 3-9, is in the midst of a coaching transition and returns only eight starters.

*Tom Jurich Spoke to David Glenn of ACCSports.com; listen to the podcast here

Jurich expressed some of his hesitations in taking over a program that need to address what he called a “culture of compliance”.

“What I asked the president at the time, I said ‘tell me where all the bodies are buried’. This job is open for a reason and I wanted to know what it was I had to deal with. I knew I had to change that culture of compliance because you had a bad reputation with the NCAA. I had never had a compliance issue in my career and I hope I never have one. We’ve had a zero tolerance policy across the board and it’s really worked out great for us,” Jurich said on the show.

*Louisville’s football class currently ranks 19th nationally according the 247sports

photo – @PintinoPizzaria

Pitino and Pitbull, together at last.

photo – blog.allcanes.com

The season is inching closer, and one sign of that is UofL updating the football roster.

Take a LOOK.

With the Cards missing out on Oklahoma State transfer Wes Lunt, the stable of UofL signal callers remains stocked.  Here’s what we have to work with in the future since we will likely be seeing Teddy for the last time as we transition into the ACC.

Kyle Bolin – 6’3 \ 195 Fr.

Lexington Catholic HS – 4-star prospect

Offer Sheet: Cincinnati, Illinois

Reggie Bonnafon – 6’2 \ 195 (Class of 2014)

Trinity HS – 3-star prospect

Offer Sheet: UK, Illinois

Will Gardner - 6’5 \ 230 R-Fr.

Coffee County HS (Douglas, Ga.) – 3-star prospect

Offer Sheet: Alabama, Mississippi State, among others

Brett Nelson – 6’4 \ 230 Jr.

Southwestern CC (Chula Vista Ca.) – 3-star prospect

Offer Sheet: Colorado State

photo – kentucky.com

Team Russia isn’t ready for “Trez, either is Croatia.

*UofL’s Nick Ratajczak will never forget his last at bat as a Louisville Cardinal

“To not play as much as I wanted to, it was killing me inside,” Ratajczak said. “I had to wear the fake smile.”

Ratajczak hit that fly ball with a separated right shoulder. He hit it even though he had not taken batting practice for more than a week. He hit it after taking the smelly black sling that protected his shoulder and tossing on the bench.

“A bunch of us were out in the bullpen,” said Joe Filomeno, a Louisville relief pitcher. “Jeff Gardner was down there and he said, ‘Rat’s on deck.’ I looked up and there was Rat, just swinging.

“Everything that Rat’s been through these last few weeks. Tears came to my eyes when I saw him take the batter’s box. Just hearing his name. It’s hard to hold back tears right now just because of what he’s been through and how much he’s done for this team.”

*Even the New York Times knows what’s up about UofL’s crazy success this season

Athletic Director Tom Jurich and the Cardinals are definitely on a roll. The university accepted an invitation to the Atlantic Coast Conference beginning in 2014. That move and the Cardinals’ recent performances challenge them to do even better.

“I’d be lying if I said I envisioned doing what we did this year,” Jurich said last week. “This is a magical time, and we’re going to enjoy it and not take it for granted.

“But we’re not going to gloat, because that’s not how this university and athletic department is built. We’re always going to be humble and hungry.”

*UofL is hosting a QB Academy with elite talent now on campus

The University of Louisville football team’s camp series continues today with the first day of the Louisville Quarterback Academy – a new camp for the Cardinals modeled after ones run  by offensive coordinator Shawn Watson when he was on the staff at Nebraska. It goes until Wednesday.

Three Class of 2015 quarterbacks – Jack Beneventi of Illinois (highlights below), Zach Gentry of New Mexico and Ross Trail of Olive Branch, Miss. – who already have offers from the Cardinals are among the players expected to participate.

*SB Nation’s Bowl Predictions are out

Orange: After picking last seemingly every year ever, the Orange gets to go next. Finally, the chance to have something besides ACC-Big East! Except ACC-former Big East might be the pick (the AAC champion is promised a BCS spot, for one more year). That’s especially if Teddy Bridgewater’s a Heisman finalist and in line to be the No. 1 NFL Draft pick. And since the ACC will soon hold even more sway over the Orange, it could push to feature two eventual ACC teams. Guaranteed win, sort of.

Shocker I know, UK isn’t mentioned….

*Montrezl makes the U19 Team USA squad.  Team Russia ain’t ready to handle ‘Trez in the paint….

*Russ was vibin’ last night

Well, I guess Louisville was due for a loss eventually. After strongly considering Louisville, former Oklahoma State QB Wes Lunt, who at one time was considered the 7th best pro-style QB prospect in the nation (per Rivals.com), decided instead to transfer to Illinois. The news was first reported by Zach Kerker, sports director of Channel1450.com in Springfield, Illinois. This should not come as a major shock, as Lunt is a native of Rochester, Illinois, grew up cheering for the Illini, and was reportedly homesick while at OK St. Still, the Cards were a major player in his recruitment, and after OK St. coach Mike Gundy basically disallowed him to transfer to a school of his choice, his final 2 were Illinois and Louisville. There were several out there who even considered Louisville the favorite, but after thinking things over and even speaking with former Illinois quarterback and famous NFL bust Jeff George, Lunt decided Illinois would be the best fit for him.

He would have been a great snag for Charlie Strong and staff, and he likely would have been the favorite to replace Teddy Bridgewater. However, for a kid who was slapped in the face by his former coach, it is good to see he was still able to land at a program where he can feel at home. Card Nation should wish him nothing but the best of luck and to have a fantastic career. Now, as it is obvious Louisville is looking to add another QB for the 2014 class to go along with Reggie Bonnafon, expect Strong and co. to turn up the heat on QBs DJ Gillins (who camped at Louisville this weekend) and Alin Edouard. Both are considered elite QB prospects and would be major gets for the Cards.

These badboys will be coming to your door soon, and the pizza in them will be tasting better than ever.   And just when you thought you had all the championship keepsakes….

Video is courtesy of bizjournals.com

Louisville commit Shaqquan Aaron has turned more than a few heads this week (photo courtesy of Inside The Ville)

Since its creation in 1994, the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp has been one of the hottest camps for the elite high school basketball prospects in the nation. Anyone who is considered an elite prospect is in attendance, and it gives these prospects a chance to distinguish their game from the competition. It is also an opportunity for lesser regarded prospects to separate themselves in the pack. One of those former prospects was Cards forward Chane Behanan, who took home the camp MVP honors in 2011. It is a great opportunity for coaches to figure out how the top prospects really stack up against one another as they all take the court at once. Louisville is represented by 5-star commits Quentin Snider and Shaquaan Aaron, both of whom have been getting rave reviews from scouts in attendance. There is a chance more names will be added next to them on the Cards commit list on the Cards commitment list soon, too, as several of the top prospects have expressed serious interest in Louisville.

As reported by Jody Demling, through Friday, Snider was averaging 4 points and 2.5 assists per game, while Aaron was averaging 6.5 points per game. While those do not appear to be eye-popping numbers, keep in mind the competition they are playing with and against, as they have certainly impressed. Snider looks to be much stronger than he was at this point as last year, as he was reported to be making several strong drives to the hoop against bigger defenders. Less surprising was his consistent jumper, especially from mid range, that impressed scouts. Aaron, the one of the two commits that Cards fans likely know much less about, wowed just about everyone in the gym. He is the equivalent of a 5-tool player in baseball, as he displayed he can do just about anything. He knocked down jump shots consistently, from both mid and long range. His ball handling was impressive and he appeared quick and athletic for his 6-8 frame. His passing was reportedly superb, as he was able to make difficult passes look easy. Oh, and he has the ability to throw down rim shaking dunks in transition. He looks like he very well could be a future NBA player. Right now, 247 Sports is the only scouting service who lists him as a 5-star player (14th overall). After the week he has had, expect him to shoot up the rankings in the others.

Already a great class with Snider and Aaron, Pitino and his staff appear primed to expand the class to the point where it could challenge for the top overall class in 2014. Starting with the backcourt, the Cards have caught the eye of multiple big-time prospects, most notably Brandone Francis, Isaiah Whitehead, Jaquan Lyle, and Kelly Loubre. Francis, like Aaron, is thought much more highly of by the 247Sports crew than the rest of the scouting world. While most have him ranked somewhere in the low 4-star/3-star area (for now), 247 has him ranked 15th overall. He is a good scorer with a smooth jumper and can take his man off the dribble. As Brent reported earlier in the week, the addition of Mike Balado to the Cards staff is helping with the Florida resident, and it appears Louisville and Florida are right at the top of his list. He has had an impressive week, and the other recruiting services should give him a major bump in their rankings.

Whitehead is another fast-rising 2-guard the Cards have serious interest in. Standing at 6-4, the New York City native is an aggressive scorer and not afraid to challenge any defender off the dribble. He has also reportedly improved his jump shot quite a bit, and as of yesterday, he was the leading scorer at the camp, averaging 13.7 points per game. Meyer reported that he is being recruited hardest by Louisville and Syracuse, and Jody Demling says the Cards are “VERY involved and it will stay that way.” Also of note, he attends the same high school, Abraham Lincoln, as former Cards no-show recruit Sebastian Telfair, who believe it or not, is still in the NBA.

Jaquan Lyle is probably the recruit Cards fans know the most about and appears to be the staffs #1 target at this time. He recently cut his list to 4 schools, and of Louisville, Indiana, Tennessee and Florida, Louisville seems to be his most likely destination (at least according to the 247 Crystal Ball). He is an outstanding combo guard with good handles, superior athleticism, can create his own shot and his ability to run the court is as good as anyone in the class. If there is one suspect area of his game, it is his outside shot. Lyle begged to differ on Thursday, as he reportedly ripped off 4 straight threes in a game, 1 from around 30 feet, according to Scout.com’s Evan Daniels.

Loubre is a new name to Cards fans, but as Charlie reported earlier this week, the 5-star SG/SF who has mainly been focused on Big 12 schools nearer to his native Texas is going to give the Cards a shot and plan a visit soon. He is showing off elite scoring ability this week, and according to Meyer, as of Friday he was averaging 10.3 points per game to go along with 3.7 assists. He is a long, left-handed, athletic swingman with a diverse game. He is incredibly quick off the dribble, can create his own shot, sees the court well, and has a smooth jumper with a nice release. It could be tough to pull him away from Big 12 country, but Wyking Jones, the main man in his recruitment, has quite a bit he can sell this young man on.

With the uncertainty surrounding the front court in the upcoming years, Louisville also has its eye on some elite big men, most notably Myles Turner and Elbert Robinson. Turner, while still raw, is just under 7-foot and has arguably been the top prospect at the camp. His ranking is scattered among the recruiting services, but is on track to become a top-10 player in future evaluations. He is more of a finesse center, in that he is not a great rebounder (averaging just 3.7 in his first 3 games), but will protect the rim better than just about anyone, has impressive footwork for a big man, and even appears to be able to hit threes with consistency. Meyer expects him to be a LaMarcus Aldridge type in the NBA one day. Robinson is a more typical big man, and has been looking dangerous in the post. He also has good vision from the paint and will dish it out to the perimeter just as efficiently as he will take it in for the score. He is planning his first visit to Louisville, per Mike Hughes, and is someone the Cards will continue to keep tabs on. He averaged 11 points and 7.3 rebounds per game at the camp.

Coming off of a national championship and entering the basketball Goliath that is the ACC come 2014, the Cards appear set to land one of the best recruiting classes of the Pitino era. Below you can watch a highlight video of each prospect discussed.

Quentin Snider

Shaqquan Aaron

Brandone Francis

Isaiah Whitehead  

Jaquan Lyle

Kelly Loubre  

Myles Turner (warning: someone loudly whistles every time he makes a play)

Elbert Robinson

Here’s a preview of each school, courtesy of baseballamerica.com.

Record: 51-12. Preseason ranking: 4. Ranking at end of regular season: 15.

Season In A Nutshell: The Cardinals started 18-2 in preconference play, then overcame a pair of Big East series losses to win the conference’s regular-season title, winning their final 16 regular-season games. After a surprising 0-2 showing in the Big East tournament, Louisville allowed just 14 runs in a 5-0 run through regionals and supers, taking down top-ranked Vanderbilt in two games in Nashville.

Record: 51-12

Conference: Big East

CWS Appearances: 2

*The Cards will face either Mississippi State or Oregon State after IU

Record: 48-14

Conference: Big Ten

CWS Appearances: 1

*Is 2-1 vs. Louisville this year

Record: 48-18

Conference: SEC

CWS Appearances: 9

Record: 50-11

Conference: Pac-12

CWS Appearances: 5 (won it in 2006 and 2007)

(Opposite Side of Bracket)

Record: 56-9

Conference: ACC

CWS Appearances: 9

Record: 49-14

Conference: ACC

CWS Appearances: 2

Record: 44-17

Conference: Pac-12

CWS Appearances: 5

Record: 55-9

Conference: SEC

CWS Appearances: 16 (won it in 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2009)

TD Ameritrade Park seats 24,000

photo – collegebaseball360.com

The guys discussed the wide range of success the Cards have been having and preview the upcoming College World Series.

-Big 12 missing out the Cards

-Phil Steele’s College Football Preview

-Who would you want UofL to play in a home-and-home series in football and basketball

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE

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