College basketball exhibitions are a new gadget and exactly how to deal with them is in its nascent stage.
For players.
For coaching staffs.
Most certainly for fan bases, who still seem to be having great difficulty grasping the reality that games such as Louisville vs. Kansas in The Phog on October 21 is Milwaukee Brewers vs Tampa Bay Devil Rays . . .
. . . in Phoenix, Arizona on March 4.
Which is not to deny I didn’t get a bit nervous during the day.
Or that I didn’t take notes during the game, if not nearly as detailed as a game that counts.
Or that my heart rate didn’t quicken at crunch time.
Some random takeaways.
* * * * *
Obinna Ekezie Jr.
At the practice media were allowed to attend last week, he drained triple after triple after triple.
We now have a sense that wasn’t an aberration.
He is long long long and for somebody who should still be playing in HS understands for the most part how to use that on D. It’s a revelation.
He just about single handedly secured U of L’s command of the contest after the Cards took the lead with a boffo start to the 2d.
Obi blocked Jayhawk shots on consecutive possessions. Then drained a triad of treys in a couple minute span.
Still rounding into full fettle from his injuries, he netted four threeballs. blocked a team leading five shots, and grabbed a team leading 8 rebounds.
Red & Black Nation, meet Obi Ekezie Jr.
* * * * *
The first half numbers of U of L’s heralded first TP gets were bracing.
C Flory Bidunga had nary a rebound in the first half.
PG Jackson Shelstad had nary an assist in the first half.
FB’s propensity to foul — on display last year — came with him from Lawrence. He didn’t get a board until ten minutes were left to play and he snared a short armed jumper and got a put back. He only grabbed three total, but one secured the game on a missed Seth Trimble FT at 1:29.
His D was solid, but his total game was off.
Shelstad finished with a team high 23 points. and a lone assist.
My guess is Trimble will evolve as the main PGish guy.
* * * * *
De’Shayne Montgomery, of whom we have spoken little, was and shall continue to be Solid.
Adrian Wooley shall be a factor. His consecutive threes on the second and third possessions after halftime kickstarted the Cardinals.
Louisville’s backcourt as presently constituted is a force.
* * * * *
Alvaro Folgueiras is a key piece to this puzzle.
My guess is he’ll be getting the ball up top like Aly Khalifa. He is a very good and astute passer.
He tied for the team lead with four assists. When his mates get to know his tendencies better that number shall rise.
His was a steady if not highlight reel presence throughout.
* * * * *
Bench points: Louisville 35, Kansas 13. Nice.
Fast break points: Louisville 8, Kansas 26. Not nice.
Paint points: Louisville 20, Kansas 40. Naughty and and not nice.
* * * * *
Louisville’s ball movement was, how to say it, just about non existent.
To be fair, it was obvious PK wanted to provide as little scout tape fodder as possible. Lots of dribbling. Too much dribbling.
The Cardinals played pretty solid D. Especially in the second half. But their rotations were off and slow too many times.
* * * * *
Finally, of little consequence other than Cardinal fans can rest their heads on their pillows with a smile:
Home 83. Visitors 89.
— c d kaplan