Category Archives: ACC Basketball
Recent Highlights From Three Of UofL’s Four 2019 Commits
Samuell Williamson
Photo Courtesy of Samuell Williamson’s Twitter Account (@S_Williamson35)
Two weekends ago, Chris Mack picked up a huge commitment from 2019 4 Star SF Samuell Williamson. The 6’6 Texas native is 45th ranked player in the 2019 class per 247sports composite rankings.
2019 4 Star Trinity G David Johnson Re-commits To UofL Basketball
Photo Courtesy of David Johnson’s Twitter Account (@_daveordavid_)
Trinity High School’s David Johnson committed to Rick Pitino and his hometown UofL Cardinals back in September 2017, but ended up decommitting when the FBI scandal broke. Now, just a year later, Johnson, a 6’5 170 lbs G, has recommitted to Coach Chris Mack and the Cards.
🔴⚫️⚪️🐔 #L1C4 pic.twitter.com/dzaT2ezdGI
— David johnson ひ (@_daveordavid_) September 22, 2018
Johnson is a 4 Star G and the 72nd ranked player in 2019 per 247sports composite rankings. He chose UofL over Tom Crean and the Georgia Bulldogs.
Chris Mack Looks To Cement His 2019 Recruiting Class Next Weekend
Chris Mack has come in like a whirlwind, an irresistible force, and began rebuilding the brand of UofL Basketball; a brand that is as rich in tradition as any school.
Photo Courtesy of Chris Mack’s Twitter Account (@CoachChrisMack)
He started by welcoming all players from all eras to come home. Then, he set about transforming the current roster both in physical appearance and in their style of play. Now, he’s out on the recruiting trail showing the college basketball world that UofL’s brand is not dead; that, in fact, it was merely dormant and it is ready to rise up and enjoy a new birth of relevancy on the national stage.
Louisville Women Release 2018-19 Conference Schedule
It’s almost hoops season!!
Today, the Louisville Cardinals released the 2018-19 ACC schedule.
Last season, the Cardinals went 15-1 in conference, claiming the regular season title, as well as the ACC Tournament title.
The ACC proved to be the premier women’s basketball conference with eight teams notching 20-wins and eight teams in the NCAA Tournament. Two of the Final Four teams were of the ACC – including Louisville – and National Champions Notre Dame.
2019 4 Star SF Samuell Williamson Commits To The Cards
Photo Courtesy of Samuell Williamson’s Twitter Account (@S_Williamson35)
Chris Mack has the Cardinal Caravan rolling as UofL picks up their third commitment for the 2019 class in 4 Star F Samuell Williamson.
C O M M I T T E D ‼️🔴⚪️⚫️#GoCards pic.twitter.com/u8J77xyI3Y
— Samuell Williamson (@S_Williamson35) September 17, 2018
Williamson, a 6’6 180 lbs SF from Rockwall High School in Rockwall, TX, is ranked 44th overall in the 2019 class per 247sports composite rankings. He chose UofL over Kansas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Florida, and a host of other schools. Luke Murray was his primary recruiter.
I have watched highlights of Williamson, but we at @CardSportZone also got to see him in person at the open gym the UofL Basketball team held on Saturday. This guy is a cool customer on the court with a high basketball IQ and we came away highly impressed.
Williamson is in constant motion without the ball on offense; always forcing his defender to move and working his way to get open. He loves to get open in the corners for 3s. What stood out on his highlights and in the practice was that his movement isn’t a token gesture. He always moves with purpose; either to create spacing for teammates to work or to get open. He loves to go back door on over eager defenders for alley oops or layups.
However, Williamson can also handle the ball in the open court and in the half court. His ball handling is as smooth as his personality seems to be. He handles like a 6’2 PG and can actually run some point. It is entirely possible to run an offense through him if need be.
Photo Courtesy of Samuell Williamson’s Twitter Account (@S_Williamson35)
Williamson matches his ball handling with excellent court vision, awareness, and passing. In one of his highlights, he grabs a rebound, brings the ball up the court, and makes a nice pass between two unaware defenders to his teammate for an easy layup. At the open practice, he did an excellent job of feeding the post when a big had a favorable one on one matchup; he used very simple, crisp passes.
Top 2019 UofL Target Jaelyn Withers Visiting UofL This Weekend
Photo Courtesy of Phenom Hoop Report Twitter Account (@Phenom_Hoops)
Jaelyn Withers, one of UofL’s top 2019 targets, is set to officially visit campus this weekend.
UofL’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge Game Now Has A Time And Channel
We already knew UofL Basketball and Coach Chris Mack would be facing Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans on November 27th at the KFC Yum Center. What we didn’t know was the time of the game and the channel that would carry it…until now.
UofL Basketball Announces “Louisville Live” Event
Photo Courtesy of gocards.com
UofL Basketball announced this morning a special event for fans called “Louisville Live.”The event will be held at the unique venue of 4th Street Live from 7-9 pm on September 28th with admission beginning at 6 pm.
It’s a chance to wow recruits, let the players have some fun, and infuse the fan base with some much-needed excitement.
There will be plenty of activities for fans and, best of all, it’s free! Head on out to see new Coach Chris Mack and his 2018-2019 UofL squad. Click on the tweet above for the full details of the event.
CBS Sports Poll Of College Basketball Coaches Names The Best 2018 Coaching Hires
Photo courtesy of 247Sports
CBS Sports polled over 100 NCAA D1 coaches anonymously and asked them who the best coaching hire of 2018 was. By 1 percent of the vote, UofL’s hiring of Chris Mack was dubbed the best hire followed by UCONN’s hire of Dan Hurley. Mack garnered 32 percent of the votes to Hurley’s 31 percent.
CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander provides quotes from the anonymous coaches about the coaches in this poll, gives some background on those coaches, and also list previous winners of the poll. Last year’s winner was Archie Miller, by the way.
Cardinal Forever Trey Lewis Signs With Utah Jazz
Photo Courtesy of Trey Lewis’ Twitter Account (@Treylew3)
The Utah Jazz are making a bid to become every UofL fan’s favorite NBA team. Tonight, the Jazz announced the signing of Trey Lewis to a contract. Details of the deal were not disclosed.
Lewis became beloved by UofL fans after his single season here as a graduate transfer. He was known for his smile and positive attitude along with fellow graduate transfer and teammate Damion Lee.
UofL Will Face Tennessee In NIT Season Tip-Off
UofL officially announced they will be playing Tennessee in the first game of the NIT Tip-Off tournament in Brooklyn, NY at the Barclays Center.
Check out all the details below in the official press release.
UofL Basketball Releases Non-Conference Schedule
Photo Courtesy of Louisville Men’s Basketball’s Twitter Account (@LouisvilleMBB)
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT:
Cardinals’ 2018-19 Men’s Basketball Non-Conference Slate Provides Daunting Challenge
LOUISVILLE, Ky. University of Louisville men’s basketball coach Chris Mack and his team will face a challenging schedule in his initial season with the Cardinals, which is evident with the non-conference slate of opponents announced for the 2018-19 season.
My former boss and mentor, the late Skip Prosser, once remarked ‘You can’t sharpen your teeth just by eating oatmeal. You have to eat some raw meat now and then’, said Mack. Well, our choppers better be sharp with the challenge that awaits us. It’s what Louisville Basketball is all about. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
UofL Names Mens Basketball Captains
UofL Basketball announced that the captains for the upcoming season will be junior G/F V.J. King and grad transfer Christen Cunningham.
Big things are expected from King as he has completely transformed his body and appears primed for a big junior year under the tutelage of his new coach Chris Mack.
Cunningham, a grad transfer from Samford, is a prototypical PG. He’s a quick, pass-first, facilitator. Cunningham will likely be relied upon heavily by Coach Mack due to his experience and leadership abilities.
Both captains were chosen by vote of their teammates. You can read the full press release below which includes more information about the captains.
Men’s Basketball Buffs Up
Sooooo, it looks like Coach Mack made the right choice in his strength and conditioning coach…
Quentin Snider To Play Professionally In Portugal
Quentin Snider will continue his basketball playing career overseas in Portugal. He signed a pro contract with SL Benfica of the Portuguese league per his father Scott Snider. You can read the details from Scott Snider’s Facebook post below.
This is excellent news for Q as he gets to continue playing the game he loves, get paid to do so, and do it at a high level.
We at Cardinal Sports Zone wish Q all the luck in the world and hope our hometown player makes waves in Portugal.
Louisville Womens Basketball Eyeing Top 10 2019 Recruit
Photo Courtesy of Rickea Jackson’s Twitter Account (@iamthathooper)
Here Ye! Here Ye! Look whos coming down the pipe this time. Jeff Walz and your UofL womens basketball staff are at it again. This time, they are knocking on the door of 5 star 63 wing Ms Rickea Jackson. Could this be a good time now to mention shes the number 9 rated player in her class?
Rickea Jackson is the number 9 ranked player in her class for now. She can easily move into a top five spot by the end of her senior year at Detroit Edison Public Academy – shes that good folks. Jackson also has a very impressive list of schools, as she is wanted by just about every Division 1 program.
The do-it-all Jackson is spectacular in the open floor, in fact shes spectacular in just about every phase of the game (passing, dribbling, shooting, rebounding, and defense).
Louisville isnt looking to rebuild anymore: they are in reload mode. There is no better weapon to reload with other than Rickea Jackson!
Jacksons athleticism is second to none. With her 63 frame she can do a lot of damage in the post and from the mid range. Rickea also has a nice array of post moves that she can use to counter defenders if they try to smoother her in the mid-range area. The Detroit Edison star is almost an instant mismatch every time she steps on the court. She uses her impressive wingspan to be a force on the defensive end and also on the offensive and defensive boards. Jackson is a quick leaper and has a very quick first step for anyone, despite being 63.
Russ Smith Writes Yet Another Interesting Blog Post
(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Many UofL fans have enjoyed the blogs of one Russ Smith. He has talked about many subjects on his personal blog and allowed fans to get a perspective on him as a person. Well, Russ is back with a brand new blog post.
In this post, he addresses the ups and downs of his professional basketball career, his endeavors to get a documentary film going, his burgeoning music career, the NCAA and his former team mates suing of them, and a host of other topics.
Check out Russ’ blog and get some new insight on one of our favorite Cardinals. It’s definitely worth a read.
UofL Women’s Basketball Is Battling UConn For Super Talented 2019 4 Star Wing
Photo Courtesy of Dan Ricci
Its no doubt that Louisvilles Womens basketball program has experienced a meteoric explosion in its rise to national prominence. Accidentally? No. Intentionally? Hell yeah! Louisville has experienced this explosive rise because:
1. They were deliberate in hiring not a good coach; but a great one.
2. The recruitment of quality players with great basketball skills and character.
3. Getting those players with high skill sets drafted into the WNBA.
4. The consistent ability of the coaches and players to secure significant program changing wins against some of the nations elite teams.
2019 UofL Commit Josh Nickelberry Shows Out In Inaugural Battle For Georgia AAU Tournament
Photo Courtesy of Adidas
2019 UofL Basketball commit Josh Nickelberry led his team, Game Elite Gold, to victory in the inaugural Battle for Georgia AAU tournament. His team competed in the 17U division, which was compiled of 8 teams. The tournament was filled with AAU teams that were Georgia based.
Nickelberry showed exactly why UofL fans will love him, as the 6’4 175 lbs G exhibited his shooting prowess all weekend. He rained down threes on every opponent Game Elite Gold faced. He also displayed some of his abilities as a passer and facilitator.
The Barbour Shop: Donovan Mitchell Continues Showing He Is A Man Of The People
Photo Courtesy of the Utah Jazz
Donovan Mitchell is endearing himself to the people of Salt Lake City and to fans of all persuasions in the NBA. He flashes his charming grin and welcomes strangers almost as if they were family. I think it’s the only time in the history of man many people want to have a Spida as a houseguest.
Mitchell won over UofL fans in his two years here by playing hard on the court and being a man of the people off of it. Whenever he wasn’t busy with classes and practice, you might see him at a UofL baseball game or football game; sometimes alone, sometimes with a teammate or mates. And when he was there, he did not try to hide away beneath a disguise consisting of a lowered ball cap and sun glasses. He was visible and he was welcoming to any fan, young or old, that wished to shake his hand or take a photo with him.
Photo Courtesy of Andy Lyons/Getty Images North America
