| Game Preview: Premier All-Stars | Date: Nov. 2, 1999 |
| Site: Freedom Hall | Records: U of L: 0-0, Premier All-Stars: 0-0 |
|
| The Louisville Cardinals open up their 1999-2000 season with an exhibition at home vs. the Premier All-Stars. UofLHoops.com freely admits that it doesn't know much about the Premier All-Stars, but in truth, how much do we really know about this year's Cardinals? This exhibition comes way before other openers in seasons past, so expect to see a very raw edition of this year's squad. A win is expected, but without knowing a lick about their opponent anything is possible. |
| Still, although questions abound about who will be on the team, etc., the Cards have some talented players and are for the most part being overlooked by the national media. The time will come for the Cardinals to prove themselves. The feature for tonight is the first game look at the Cards' newest players. Reece Gaines, Rashad Brooks, Hajj Turner and Caleb Gervin should all get their first playing time on the Freedom Hall court. Wonderful things are expected from everybody, but it will be especially sweet to see Hajj Turner take the floor. Hats off to him for all the struggles he's been through; everyone wants to see him do well. |
Tonight's game allows the Cards to get a new memory in their heads, shaking loose the ugly reminder of Creighton, and at least getting us thinking forward to the regular season opener, at Virginia Commonwealth Nov. 19. Things have shaken up a bit inside Freedom Hall beyond just the team. Freedom Hall's voice will no be of Sean Moth, who came most recently from Denver and is a close friend with U of L AD Tom Jurich. With open arms we welcome Sean, who has already been the public address announcer for football games, though it is with sad hearts that we miss John Tong. Tong retired at the end of last season, then suddenly passed away early in the summer. It will be a tough adjustment for Cards fans to make, as it seems his call and voice wil always be in our ears whenever at Freedom Hall. |
| Game Summary: Premier All-Stars | Score: Louisville 97, Premier All-Stars 85 |
| Leading Scorers: U of L: N. Johnson (21) Premier All-Stars: K. McClure (17) |
|
| Nate Johnson led four Cardinal players with 21 points as the Cards debuted their 1999-2000 edition vs. the Premier All-Stars. The senior forward also compiled six rebounds and four assists, while senior forward Tony Williams was also a triple threat, adding 17 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. |
| The Cards actually trailed at the half 38-35, a half that included eight ties and 17 lead changes. But the Cards took control in the second half, gaining the lead for good with 12:39 to play. Other highlights for the Cards were the 16 points on 7-10 shooting off the bench from Tobiah Hopper. Dion Edward started at center, collecting four points and 10 rebounds. Marques Maybin also threw in 16 points, but led the Cards in turnovers with four. |
| The newcomer of the game was freshman Reece Gaines, who started, played 27 minutes and scored six points along with four assists, three rebounds and only one turnover. |
| Game Preview: Virginia Commonwealth | Date: Nov. 19, 1999 |
| Site: ALLTEL Pavilion, Richmond, VA | Records: U of L: 0-0, VCU: 0-0 |
| The Cardinals open up their 1999-2000 season after a twelve-point victory in its first exhibition game. The Cards have won each of their last five opening games, and take on former Metro Conference opponent Virginia Commonwealth. VCU will be celebrating the opening of its brand new ALLTEL Pavilion, as the Cards face the Rams in what is a payback game due to VCU not being invited to join C-USA. |
| Reece Gaines will become only the 12th player to start as a freshman for Coach Denny Crum. The Cards won the last meeting between the two teams, and it appears that it may be awhile before they ever meet again. A victory would be key for the Cards, as they are certain to face stiff competition next week in the Great Alaska Shootout. |
| Game Summary: Virginia Commonwealth | Score: VCU 79, Louisville 74 |
| Leading Scorers: U of L: T. Williams (23) VCU: B. Jones (19) |
|
| What a terrible way for U of L to open its season. Not only do the Cards open up with a loss for the first time in six seasons, but the devastation of a repeat performance from last year's NCAA Tournament loss to Creighton is just maddening. With a 54-35 lead with just over eighteen minutes to play, the Cards lost all their composure and concentration before losing the game 79-74. VCU guard Bo Jones scored all of his 19 points in the second half, as the Cards were able to muster only nine field goals in the second half. |
| There were some bright spots for the Cardinals, however. Tony Williams scored a game-high 23 points, including a career-high seven three pointers and 11 rebounds. And although he only shot 5-19 from the field, Nate Johnson did dish out seven assists and pull down nine rebounds. Another statistical bright spot for U of L was the 12 points and 14 rebounds from center Dion Edward. |
| But the fact remains the Cardinals squandered a huge lead and an excellent opportunity to collect a win. A combination of poor guard play and a total breakdown on the offensive end let the Rams outscore the Cards by 23 in the second period. What is so shocking is how the memories of the loss to Creighton didn't seem to sink in; yet again, the Cards lacked the mental toughness to play a full 40-minute game, and simply were not able to get the job done. The Cards are no doubt a talented team, though their backcourt play needs to improve. Reece Gaines and Rashad Brooks are getting their first taste of action on the Division I level, so you expect that it will take some time before they get fully acclimated to the college environment. In the meantime, players like Marques Maybin and even Nate Johnson need to step up and not just shoulder the load from the scoring end, but also need to provide the on-court leadership when the Cards face adversity. |
| A 25-10 run by VCU cut the lead to 64-61 with 7:45 left; the Rams finally tied the game 1:29 later. Nate Johnson scored to give the Cards a 72-70 lead with 4:49 left, but the Cards got only one more field goal the rest of the way. VCU took the lead at the 2:50 mark, the Cards pulled even, then the Rams took the lead for good with a three-pointer by Bo Jones with only 57 seconds left. |
|
| Game Preview: Athletes in Action | Date: Nov. 21, 1999 |
| Site: Freedom Hall | Records: U of L: 0-1, Athletes in Action: 7-7 |
|
| What a tough weekend for U of L fans, and what a burden the team carries today. The incredibly tough to swallow loss at VCU was compounded by a true heartbreaker when the football team lost on a fake punt in their C-USA title game. A rough weekend indeed for Cardinal fans, and to boot a win on Sunday vs. AIA won't even go on the record. |
| But a loss is truly unacceptable. It seems logical that the Cards will come to play, take a nice first half lead and look impressive. Trouble is, will they be able to hold it? Coming into their matchup with U of L, AIA had defeated Georgia and Georgia Tech, both of whom will be in the Great Alaska Shootout. And like the Premier All-Stars roster, AIA will also boast U of L alumi, in this case two players. Both Troy Jackson and Eric Johnson are on this year's version of AIA. At any rate, the Cards are expected to hold court on Sunday, then take off for Anchorage, Alaska for the Shootout. They will travel all that way just to meet Xavier, who usually are only about two hours away from Louisville. Oh well. Why not? |
| Game Summary: Athletes in Action | Score: Louisville 89, Athletes in Action 66 |
| Leading Scorers: U of L: Marques Maybin (20) AIA: Johnson (14), Hall (14) |
|
| With a 22-4 run midway through the first half the Cards rolled to an easy 43-19 halftime lead. For the game, Marques Maybin pitched in 20 points, while Tony Williams hit another double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds. |
| An impressive stat for the Cards was their low number of eleven turnovers. Other players with fun numbers are Nate Johnson with 16 points and eight rebounds, and Reece Gaines with 12 points and five assists. Another highlight of the event, like in the Premier All-Stars game, was the presence of former U of L players. Troy Jackson played 6 minutes, and Eric Johnson co-led AIA with 14 points on 3-4 outside shooting. |
|
| Game Summary: Xavier | Score: Xavier 81, Louisville 79 |
| Leading Scorers: U of L: Marques Maybin (18), Nate Johnson (18) Xavier: Darnell Williams (22) |
|
| The frustration continues to build for the Louisville Cardinals. Although in this game the Cards did not give up a large lead like they had against Creighton and VCU, they still wilted down the stretch and were not able to produce a win in a tight game. A three-pointer by Darnell Williams gave Xavier a lead with 12:26 left, but Nate Johnson gave the Cards the lead back with only 2:40 with a three-pointer of his own. Xavier then scored five straight points to claim the lead for good. |
| The game was not without its share of controversy, however. An experimental rule allowed Xavier to continually inbounds the ball rather than shoot foul shots in the closing seconds, with the Cards trailing by one. 10 fouls were committed in 23 seconds of action. So much for quickening up the game. Still, the Muskateers gave the Cards a chance: Xavier finally did inbounds the ball, making only one of two free throws. A last-second desperation three by Reece Gaines bounced off the rim. |
|
| Game Summary: Georgia | Score: Louisville 85, Georgia 62 |
| Leading Scorers: U of L: Tony Williams (28) Georgia: Anthony Evans (16) |
|
| Tony Williams scored a career-high 28 points, hitting on a school-record six of his three-point attempts. Louisville's other double-digit scorers were Nate Johnson with 13 points and Marques Maybin with 11. U of L made its move with 7:37 left in the first half, outscoring Georgia 16-3 after a 20-20 tie. |
| U of L wound up leading by 14 at the half, then went on another impressive run, 16-0, to seal the game away. Louisville tastes the sweetness of victory for the first time this season, finally breaking loose and taking control of a game. U of L had 22 assists to go with only eight turnovers, while they forced 26 turnovers out of Georgia. |
|
