Talking Kentucky Wildcats vs Louisville Cardinals Basketball

Good morning BBN.  Have a nice Christmas and Holiday break?  Did you spread all that “”peace and Love” and “Good Will to your fellow-man”.?  Good.  Well, it is time to put all of that aside for about 48-72 hours as a war moves from message board and Twitter spats between rival fans to the real thing on the basketball court.  The pundits like to say that  UNC and Duke is the best basketball rivalry, but they are really just talking out of the sides of their mouths.  As John Calipari said, Kentucky is college basketball.  And THIS is the quintessential college basketball rivalry.

To begin the morning links, Tim Sullivan and Adam Himmelsbach of the Courier Journal held their own debate on Cats vs Cards.  

"Tim: Fatigue won’t be a factor for the Cats. Neither will fouls. If John Calipari’s platoon system hurts offensive continuity, it virtually eliminates some of the issues that often arise against Rick Pitino’s teams. Louisville’s best chance would seem to be predicated on creating turnovers and making 3-point shots. But if the Harrison twins prove susceptible to full-court pressure, Tyler Ulis gives Kentucky a gear that is nearly press-proof. Maybe Terry Rozier and Chris Jones get hot from the perimeter for U of L, but they’re not likely to get a lot of great looks. If you’re going to make a case for the Cards, you might need Clarence Darrow. Adam: Well, Tim, I was waiting for you to make a reference to someone that I’d have to Google. At least we got five paragraphs in this time. Rozier will be ready, but I think you make a great point about Jones. He had one of the best games of his U of L career against UK last December. But let’s face it, this season has mostly been a struggle for him. The Cards will need his aggressive on-ball defense as well as his scoring. Tim: What Louisville needs, maybe more than anything, is to score in transition before Kentucky has a chance to set up its half-court defense. The Wildcats lead the nation in blocked shots (8.7 per game) and field-goal percentage defense (.300) and their size and length could discourage Rozier and Jones from attacking the rim. If UK has a weakness — at least on a relative basis — it is defensive rebounding. That could create some opportunities for Montrezl Harrell, provided he can avoid early fouls (and fisticuffs) against Kentucky’s rotating giants."

Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The Kentucky vs Louisville game has become known as the “dream game” but since John Calipari arrived to coach the Kentucky Wildcats, it has been something of a nightmare for the Cards.  Kentucky has won six of seven and has ended the Louisville season two of the past three seasons in the NCAA.  Trust me, UL fans have not forgotten.  

"The University of Louisville has just completed the greatest three-year stretch in its men’s basketball history. Louisville is the only school in the nation to win 30-plus games each of the past three seasons. The Cardinals have advanced to two Final Fours. In 2013, they claimed the NCAA championship. Yet for many U of L backers, this period of unprecedented bounty is tinged with misery — because two of these three glorious Cardinals seasons have ended with NCAA Tournament defeats to Kentucky. More from Kentucky basketball Kentucky basketball: 4-star recruit visits campus, has unique connection Ending Soon: Claim $100 Bonus with BetMGM’s Kentucky Sign-Up Promo! Kentucky basketball: Top 5 point guards in John Calipari era BetMGM Offers $100 Bonus if You Pre-Register Today in Kentucky! DraftKings Kentucky Pre-Registration Promo Officially Live (Claim $200 GUARANTEED) “I think it’s crazy, but for a lot of U of L fans, those two losses (to UK) have almost ruined three great years,” said Drew Deener, the former Lexington media personality who now hosts a morning radio sports talk show on Louisville’s WHBE-680 AM. “It’s silly if you think about it, but that’s how strong the emotions are around this rivalry.” Says Steve Patterson, a Louisville fan who lives in Lexington, “I would trade every regular-season win Louisville has ever had against Kentucky for wins in the 2012 and 2014 NCAA tournaments.” Mark Blankenbaker, who runs the Cardinals-oriented website The Crunch Zone, said he tries not to over emphasize UK-U of L games. “It doesn’t matter who you lose to in the NCAA Tournament, it hurts, I mean it ends your season, and that always hurts,” he said. “But, yeah, the fact that in two out of three years it was Kentucky that ended Louisville’s season, even I have to say that hurts a little more.” Adding further torment to U of L souls, since John Calipari became UK coach before the 2009-10 season, the Wildcats and Cardinals have played seven times. Kentucky has won six of those games"