We don’t want to stop chatting about Thursday night, do we?
But before you are inundated by my shtick, there’s this in the realm of adhering to correctitude when a mea culpa is called for:
Eagle-eyed loyal reader and adherer to all matters Hippocratic, Flaky caught the mistake. So I will reiterate a correction to the GameCap lede. Which, since it wasn’t result sensitive, was penned in advance. Louisville played Memphis State end of season/ tourney back to back in ‘83, not ‘86. The Milt game was in ‘86 finale, but the schools had a game in between the season finale and their encounter in the Metro tournament. For the record, the final tally on that quartet of tilts: Cards 4, Tigers nil.
Which is why, I must suppose, the ‘86 title tee I adorned for the game worked. Even if my memory was off 1095 days. More or less.
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So, having actually gotten to slumber at a somewhat reasonable hour, the phone rang an hour and a half later, after midnight from Doc. Who, because of early rounds usually is in bed before me. A bit shocked I picked up but begged off conversation in hopes for no lost ZZZZZs.
When I checked back in the light of day, his purpose was to chastise me for failing to mention Pat Kelsey and staff’s strategic acumen which surely helped turn the game.
D pressure was intensified late. Important.
PK: “Some of our best defense of the entire year.”
Stanford star Maxime Reynaud committed his fourth foul at 13:34. Cards had commenced their comeback, but were still down 41-52 at that moment. The Cardinal pivot was subbed out.
He returned at 9:33 right after a J’Vonne Hadley slam cut the defecit to 53-57. During the ensuing Stanford timeout, PK and assistants increased the full court pressure. Forcing Reynaud to screen in the back court. I mean, these Cardinal coaches know what they’re doing.
Back on the court only seconds, MR should have been whistled for a moving pick. But wasn’t. But he did miss two charity tosses on that trip.
Louisville continued to come. After another Stanford need to talk with 3:05 left, U of L having secured a 70-65 margin, U of L amped up the full court pressure even more. Suckering the Frenchman into stupidity. Setting a moving pick against the pressure some 70 feet or so from the basket, by sideswiping a good guy. Which he did not get away with.
Sayonara Maxime.
More props to PK et. al..
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The 75-73 stunner was cinematic.
A Great Escape. Like if McQueen’s Hilts “The Cooler KIng” actually rode that cycle off into freedom for good.
Pop-A-Shot Chucky is a/k/a Cool Hand Chucky. His calm under fire was like, oh, if Newman’s Luke Jackson escaped that barn with hellhounds on his trail.
Yep, after a W like this one, the analogies, apropos or not, just keep on comin’.
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For the record, during a conversation with Doc at 5:02 PM, two hours before tip, I told him of the dream I had Wednesday night.
That the Cards would play Carolina for the ACC tourney crown.
Doc would confirm if asked.
Just gettin’ it out there prior to the semis.
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Reyne Smith is “day to day” still.
If there’s any doubt whatsoever, here’s praying he doesn’t dress.
Want to beat Clemson, of course, but big picture, better to have our sharpshooter at full speed next week.
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Love all the fan reaction videos Glorious Editor posted.
Nice to know I’m not the only an emphatic fanatic.
How we love our Cardinals. Any more of these, and we’ll be dancing on the ceiling. Literally.
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Heads up: Given the late hour of tonight’s semi-final, my GameCap will not be posted until Saturday.
— c d kaplan
