CARDS DEPART FOR COLUMBUS AT 4:30 P.M.
Parking is available in the Solae lot across from the YUM! Practice Faciity Center (2432 S. Floyd Street -- not the KFC YUM! CENTER downtown). What a Solae is, i have no idea, but you can park there beginning around 4 p.m. or so for viewing a 4:30 p.m. departure by the team. Ole' Solae!
Louisville will play the first game on Friday night against Mississippi State and the tip time should be a little after 7 p.m.
More on the parade. If anything, and, at the very least...it could be good practice for the Crescent Hill Easter Parade. Much more importantly, it is a chance to wish the team well as they go to participate in the third Final Four of the Jeff Walz era.
Coach did hold a press conference yesterday at the YUM! Practice Facility at 1 p.m. That was about the same time the news on Vince Tyra being named and accepting the athletic director job at Louisville was breaking. Coach reviewed the upcoming tournament (and a special "great job!" to the moron who asked about all four participants -- when we only knew two of them, at the time). Who's sending food editor's to these things, anyway?Coach also talked about the Lexington Regional, UConn, defense and the vastly over-blown incident of a microphone catching him saying a not-so-nice-word when talking to the team after the Oregon State win. Microphones...they're everywhere. Heat of the moment, emotion, pride and enthusiasm all being taken into account...it happens. Coach apologized (not that he really needed to) for the slippage of the "obscenity". Some people really need to realize that coaches aren't always going to express themselves "in the King's English" and that this was most definitely NOT the way Walz talks on a daily basis.
Haters. Everywhere. Give Coach a break.
Here's the link to yesterday's presser:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=11&v=1pEs-eKhbJ0
Walz will also participate in a head coaches Media Teleconference today provided by the NCAA. Walz's time to talk is noon. Vic Schaefer is at 10 a.m., Geno at 1 p.m. and Muffet at 2 p.m. You can access the transcripts for these at:
http://www.asapsports.com/recent.php
They should be available after they happen....but it's the NCAA, so who knows. I did ask Vic a question around 10:30. I'll try to do the same with Jeff during the noon teleconference.
I also talked to Coach about the South Carolina v UConn game after the presser. I indicated it might be a close contest. Coach didn't see that happening. He was right. I guess it once again demonstrates why I'm running a website and he's one of the most successful coaches in college basketball. (Thanks for reminding me after the game last night, Coach...LOL)
TYRA WILL STAY
The Boards convened yesterday morning in executive session and, around 1 p.m., reported that the had unanimously voted to make Vince Tyra the permanent Athletic Director at UofL.
First off...his name is pronounced " Tie-Ray", not "Tie-Ra". Like "tie Ray to the bar."
I've had the pleasure of knowing Vince since the mid-nineties. We have a friendly relationship. He comes from strong UofL stock, his Dad was a great basketball player at UofL and his mom one of the biggest fans for Cardinal Sports out there. Despite the fact that Vince went to Kentucky to play baseball (Louisville never offered), Vince has been a lifelong UofL fan and unwavering in his support of all Cardinal Athletics.
He makes the road trips. He'll be in Columbus. He talks with the coaches and they all seem to be pleased that he's the third athletic director in 37 years at UofL.
He replaces a true legend in Tom Jurich and he realizes that. He knows that this fan base needs to heal a bit and come back together...and that it will take time. Most importantly, he hasn't done anything wrong in his decisions as the interim A.D.
And rightly so.
He'll be adding a basketball coach for the men in a couple of days. Most think it'll be Chris Mack (Xavier) and that'll be a great addition to the coaching contingent at UofL.
To use a baseball term, Vince has knocked each decision he's been faced with out of the ballpark and touched all the bases.
He has guided Louisville Athletics through some very murky waters and is the right guy to continue to be at the wheel. Congratulations, Vince. I am 100% behind this decision and I hope all Cardinal fans will accept, embrace and cherish this decision. We don't have to forget about the past, but it is time to move forward. Vince fully realizes and embraces the things that Tom Jurich accomplished here in 20 years and makes a point of bringing that up and lauding Tom.
I look forward to the Tyra era at UofL. Congratulations, friend!
CARDINAL COUPLE WBB PICK 'EM
Ken S. leads the way with a record of 46-14. There is a six-way tie for second currently...with Paulie, K Starks, Real Joe Hill, Arthur, Jared and Mike D. all at 44-16.
Ken has UConn defeating the eliminated Baylor in the Championship game. If UConn loses to Notre Dame and Louisville wins the National Championship, we would see a shakeup in the standings.
Thanks to all who participated and a special "Thanks" to our Bracket Czar Jared Anderson for volunteering to track the games and report the stats!
CONGRATULATIONS!
To Michelle Clark-Heard, former UofL assistant and WKU head coach for getting the head coaching job for Cincinnati WBB ! Coach will do a fine job there and it couldn't have gone to a better person! Also congratulations to Greg Collins, another ex-Louisville assistant who was promoted to head coach at Western Kentucky, following Michelle's leaving.
That Walz "former UofL assistant coach and now head coach of a program" tree just keep growing branches!
Paulie
xxxxx
Vince the right guy for the job. UofL spent a lot of needless money conducting a search when the right guy was already on campus and acting as interim.
ReplyDeleteHelp the Cards heal, Mr. "TIE-RAY"
Great for Michelle! She was a great assistant here, helped rebuild WKU during her time there and will work hard to make Cincy a powwerful and relevant member of the AAC. She also was approached by Mississippi but in the words of a wise philosopher "You can be a part of a great conference but not share in that greatness or be a great program." Mississippi is a train wreck that won't be solved anytime soon in WBB.
ReplyDeleteOn Vince, it will take some time, but I do believe he can be a part of turning around the hurt that the Cardinal Athletic program and their fans -- primarily men's basketball has undergone.
Louisville needs to get back to talking about accomplishments instead of indictments and firings. Maybe Mack is the answer. Time will tell.
WBB is one of the shining lights that Cardinal fans can, and should, rejoice in. Coach Walz, along with coaches Lolla, McDonnell, Albiero and Sowry, are a few of examples of what is good at UofL and Cardinal fans need to embrace what they have done, are doing adn will continue to do.
Have the time of your life at the Final Four Cardinals and Cardinal fans.Coach Walz has a great track record of shutting down imposing post players (remember B.Griner?)
#playedlikeLouisville
-- The Real Joe Hill --
I wonder how many emails do the coaches of the men's team get about such petty issues? Yes, I'm sure they have their share of correspondence with fans thinking they know more than the coach, but it seems the fans that reach out to Jeff about the team are more concerned with decorum. And they're only concerned with decorum when it comes to women's athletics. We all know CJW is above the board on everything, and he had just won one of the biggest games in the history of the program and someone stuck a camera in his face in a moment where emotions overwhelmed him. Do you think he was proud of that? So what's the need for an email to remind a grown man he should curse on TV? Or that he should pat the women on their backsides? You have to be thinking in a devious way to even look at that gesture as something that it isn't. I respect Jeff for even responding and addressing such foolishness.
ReplyDelete*shouldn't curse on TV
Delete*shouldn't pat the women on their backsides
Sorry for the typos
Thank you, sister Goodnun. The man apologized. How long are people going to try and beat him up over this? The fans of the program (I'm assuming you ain't one of them) aren't overly concerned about it. Like a bad dog, just drop that bone and leave it alone.
DeleteCurtis "OMG Coach said a potty word! Off with his head" Franklin
What the lesson here is, if there is one to be learned at all, which is debatable, is that, even more than ever, people are videoing, recording, and filming things from their devices in mass numbers. How many celebrations gave you seen on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc about the floor celebration and aftermath when the Cards won the Regional in Lexington.
DeleteHere's the deal. Those post-game meetings with players and staff and coaches should be void of any professional or amateur covering or documenting. This is a private time, where Coach talks to the group and they review what just happened, how he feels and what is on his mind.
I know, I know...freedom to this and that...but I'd like to see that minute or so undocumented and between them.
Is that too much to ask for a group that basically lives together for seven months a year. Would you want someone Facebooking Live a tender moment between you and your spouse after sometihng very special just happened and your emotions are running amuck?
OK.
I will speak of the things no more.
Paulie