Tag: Louisville

Former Wisconsin transfer quiet in Louisville’s blowout loss to No. 12 Tennessee

Former Wisconsin transfer quiet in Louisville’s blowout loss to No. 12 Tennessee

Former Wisconsin star Chucky Hepburn was mostly quiet during Louisville’s 77-55 loss to No. 12 Tennessee on Saturday.

The longtime Badger finished the contest with eight points on 2-of-7 shooting, in addition to four assists, four rebounds, six steals and four turnovers. Those numbers led a starting lineup that somehow finished the game with a combined 16 points on 5-of-23 shooting.

Related: Where Wisconsin basketball stands in latest odds to win 2024-25 Big Ten regular season title

Hepburn was candid after the blowout loss, saying: “That’s not who I am. … This is my last game turning the ball over that much.”

For contest, those four turnovers are his most in a game since Wisconsin’s loss to North Texas in the NIT semifinal to close the 2022-23 season.

The former Badger has 16 combined points on 3-of-10 shooting, plus five rebounds, eight assists, six steals and five turnovers through his first two games with Louisville. The Cardinals are 1-1, highlighted by Saturday’s sizable loss to Tennessee.

Louisville Cardinals guard Chucky Hepburn (24) pressures the dribble of Tennessee Volunteers guard Jordan Gainey (11) during the second half at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky, on Nov. 9. Tennessee defeated Louisville 77-55. Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Hepburn transferred to Louisville this offseason after three decorated years as Wisconsin’s starting point guard. He played in 103 games in his time with the Badgers, and averaged 32.1 minutes, 9.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.6 steals on 42% shooting and 36% from 3.

While Wisconsin never achieved much postseason success during Hepburn’s tenure, he was arguably the face of the program during that time. His career was highlighted by guiding the 2021-22 team to a Big Ten regular season title as a freshman.

The performances of both Hepburn and AJ Storr (Kansas) are worth watching as the 2024-25 college basketball season unfolds. Wisconsin transfer addition John Tonje has made a strong first impression through two games. His continued emergence could lessen the impact of the Badgers losing those two stars after last season.

Hepburn and the Cardinals are back on the court on Nov. 19 against Bellarmine.

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No. 12 Tennessee wins by 22 points at Louisville

Zakai Zeigler and Chaz Lanier score 19 points each in Tennessee’s win at Louisville.

No. 12 Tennessee (2-0) defeated Louisville (1-1), 77-55, Saturday at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Rankings reflect the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.

The Vols scored the first 10 points of the contest and led, 40-26, at halftime. Tennessee led by as many as 26 points and never trailed against the Cardinals.

Zakai Zeigler and Chaz Lanier scored 19 points each for Tennessee. Zeigler also recorded seven assists, three steals and one block. He also committed 11 turnovers. Lanier scored 11 points during the first-half.

Felix Okpara totaled 10 points, six rebounds and one block, while Jordan Gainey recorded nine points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Tennessee held the Cardinals to a .267 field goal percentage.

Reyne Smith led Louisville with 18 points. He also recorded five rebounds and one assist.

Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Tennessee’s all time basketball results against Louisville

A look at the Tennessee-Louisville basketball series through the years.

No. 12 Tennessee (1-0) will play Louisville (1-0) on Saturday at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

Tipoff between the Vols and Cardinals is slated for noon EST and will be televised by ACC Network.

Saturday will mark the 21st meeting between Tennessee and Louisville. The Cardinals lead the all time series, dating to 1913, 12-8.

The Vols won the last meeting between the two teams, 92-81, during the 2018-19 season at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Tennessee and the Cardinals have played three times in the postseason, including two games in the NCAA Tournament.

In 2008, Louisville defeated the Vols, 79-60, in the NCAA Tournament.  In 1983, the Cardinals defeated the Vols, 70-57, in the NCAA Tournament.

In 1985, the two teams played in a third-place game of the NIT at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. The Vols won, 100-84.

Tennessee’s all time basketball results against Louisville

1912-13: Tennessee 24, Louisville 16

1913-14: Tennessee 32, Louisville 16

1914-15: Tennessee 20, Louisville 16

1915-16: Tennessee 25, Louisville 20

1921-22: Tennessee 28, Louisville 22

1926-27: Louisville 28, Tennessee 27

1949-50: Louisville 74, Tennessee 63

1950-51: Louisville 73, Tennessee 61

1978-79: Louisville 82, Tennessee 61

1979-80: Louisville 77, Tennessee 75

1982-83: Louisville 70, Tennessee 57 (NCAA Tournament)

1984-85: Tennessee 100, Louisville 84 (NIT third-place game)

2001-02: Louisville 73, Tennessee 72

2002-03: Louisville 72, Tennessee 69

2003-04: Louisville 65, Tennessee 62

2004-05: Louisville 85, Tennessee 62

2007-08: Louisville 79, Tennessee 60 (NCAA Tournament)

2018-19: Tennessee 92, Louisville 81

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

How Badger transfers A.J. Storr and Chucky Hepburn performed in debuts with new programs

How Badger transfers A.J. Storr and Chucky Hepburn performed in debuts with new programs

Wisconsin basketball began its 2024-25 campaign with an 85-61 win over Holy Cross on Monday.

The primary story from the Badgers’ opener: Transfer wing John Tonje had a program-best debut with 23 points and five rebounds, including going 3 of 6 from 3-point range and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line.

Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s opening win over Holy Cross

Tonje’s Wisconsin debut is significant news for Greg Gard and his staff as they work to replace the production of stars A.J. Storr and Chucky Hepburn, who transferred to Kansas and Louisville, respectively, this offseason. That opening performance establishes a comparison point for Tonje that is sure to persist throughout the season — more so with Storr, who plays the same position.

Here is Tonje’s full stat line, and how it compares to how Storr and Hepburn began their respective careers at new programs:

  • Tonje (85-61 win over Holy Cross): 27 minutes, 23 points, five rebounds, one assist, one steal, 6 of 11 from the floor, 3 of 6 from three, 8 of 8 from the line
  • Storr (87-57 win over Howard): 15 minutes off the bench, five points, two rebounds, two assists, 2 of 5 from the floor, 1 of 1 from 3
  • Hepburn (93-45 win over Morehead State): 21 minutes, eight points, one rebound, four assists, 1 of 3 from the floor, 1 of 2 from 3, 5 of 5 from the line

Tonje boasted the best debut of the three on Monday night, although each played in a blowout nonconference win.

He also fared better than Wisconsin’s other transfer additions. Forward Xavier Amos (Northern Illinois) tallied two points, four rebounds and one assist in 11 minutes off the bench. Guard Camren Hunter (Central Arkansas) missed the game with an injury.

Gard and the Badgers had a tough task attempting to replace the top-end production of Hepburn, Storr and forward Tyler Wahl (graduation). Tonje already appears to be a viable replacement, enough that his production may best that of Storr on No. 1 Kansas.

Tonje, Amos and possibly Hunter will return to the court on Thursday when the Badgers host Montana State. Storr and No. 1 Kansas will battle No. 9 North Carolina on Friday. Hepburn and Louisville will host No. 12 Tennessee on Saturday.

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Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles introduced before exhibition game

Welcome back, Liv!

[autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag] scored a game-high 13 points in a 76-53 Notre Dame win over Georgia Tech on Feb. 23, 2023. At the time, it was a typical game for her other than the fact that it was the Irish’s final home game of the regular-season.

What we didn’t know was that 615 days would pass before Miles graced the Purcell Pavilion floor during a game again. She injured her knee at Louisville a few days later and wound up missing both the postseason and all of the following season.

Finally, after a lengthy period of setbacks, false hope and transfer rumors, Miles is playing for the Irish again. The moment of truth came when she started her team’s lone exhibition game this season against Davenport.

Irish fans packed Purcell Pavilion, and they were given an opportunity to show how much they loved and missed Miles. Needless to say, those fans did not disappoint when she was announced.

Here’s to a healthy and productive season for the former All-American.

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Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard makes Top 25 for Golden Arm Award

Obviously, he’s doing something right.

While some Notre Dame fans want [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] replaced as the Irish’s starting quarterback, he clearly hasn’t been that bad. Otherwise, this post wouldn’t exist.

Leonard has been listed among the Top 25 for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which is given to college football’s best upperclassman quarterback. He, of course, was named to the preseason watch list for the award along with 62 other quarterbacks. A win would mark the third for an Irish quarterback after [autotag]Brady Quinn[/autotag] in 2006 and [autotag]Tony Rice[/autotag] in 1989.

Another quarterback who made the cut, Louisville’s Tyler Shough, faced the Irish in their last game and lost. The Irish will be facing one other quarterback later on who made the cut, and that’s Georgia Tech’s Haynes King.

As long as Leonard continues to run the football with regularity, fans will continue to call for someone who mostly throws it. But Leonard has merited award consideration, so exactly how a rough a spot are the Irish in with him?

Here’s to Leonard continuing to prove his doubters wrong.

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Jon Rothstein: ACC needs Notre Dame to be good for March Madness spots

Can the Irish play their part this season?

Few if any people in the country love college basketball as much as CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein. If you follow him on social media, you know he puts absolutely nothing in sports above college basketball. If a college football fan tweets something at him, he’ll play dumb and frame his response in college basketball terms.

Rothstein has released his ACC preview, and Notre Dame gets only one mention, which isn’t unexpected given that it has a lot to prove. However, it’s how Rothstein references the Irish that makes this interesting.

The ACC has been going through a bit of a dry spell as far as the number of berths it gets in the NCAA Tournament. The Irish last made the tournament in 2022, but some conferences teams have even longer droughts. Rothstein particularly signals out Louisville, Syracuse and Florida State.

Rothstein’s point is that all of these high-profile programs need to get their act together in order to restore the ACC’s reputation as the best in college basketball and have more than the five March Madness berths it’s gotten in each of the past three years.

We’ll see how the season plays out, and hopefully, the Irish can help make the ACC truly intimidating again.

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Notre Dame will face TCU, Utah during Cayman Islands Classic

The Irish have some business to do Thanksgiving weekend.

The only part of Notre Dame’s schedule that wasn’t know before Tuesday was its opponents for the Cayman Island Classic. We knew this tournament meant the Irish would spend Thanksgiving weekend together, but we didn’t know which other teams lined up would face them. Wonder no longer.

The Irish will face TCU on Nov. 29, then have a meeting with Utah on Nov. 30. Both teams previously have played the Irish three times in the history and lost every single time. The Horned Frogs last lost to the Irish in 2016, while the Utes were knocked out of the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

Among the notable storylines here is that the Irish will face Frogs transfer Hailey Van Lith, a two-time First Team All-ACC selection during her days at Louisville, where she went 5-2 against the Irish. She played last season with defending champion LSU, which fell to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Elite Eight.

Let’s hope the Irish will be ready for some fun in the sun over the holiday. More importantly, let’s hope that fun includes a couple of wins.

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Notre Dame cornerback Jaden Mickey officially enters transfer portal

Good luck, Jaden.

One of the more notable events for Notre Dame so far this season has been about cornerback Jaden Mickey. In the days leading up to the Irish’s win over Louisville, Mickey announced he was redshirting and then entering the transfer portal. Still, he was there to support the Irish during their game.

It would be a surprise to see Mickey at any other games though. He has taken to social media to announce that he officially is in the transfer portal. As such, his time with the Irish has reached its conclusion. If you need more evidence of that, his name no longer is listed on the team’s roster on the Notre Dame athletic website.

While this obviously is a disappointment to the Irish and their fans, it serves as a reminder that players aren’t as tied to their initial college choices as they once were. That will continue to be the case unless more restrictions are placed on the transfer portal:

We wish Mickey the best in whatever comes next for him.

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Crystal ball prediction for Notre Dame 2026 offensive lineman recruit

Gotta love how this is going.

Notre Dame is ready to shore up its offensive line for its 2026 recruiting class. With quarterback [autotag]Noah Grubbs[/autotag] and receiver [autotag]Dylan Faison[/autotag] already having committed, the Irish are ready for someone in that recruiting class to protect those guys.

Enter Sullivan Garvin, a three-star offensive lineman recruit from Allegan, Michigan. The Irish presented him an offer during his visit to campus, which took place on the day of the win over Louisville.

Despite Garvin also having offers from Indiana, Minnesota and several Mid-American Conference programs, [autotag]Joe Rudolph[/autotag] clearly presented a convincing case to him because Tom Loy and Allen Trieu of 247Sports both have made crystal ball predictions for the Irish.

If you need further evidence of the Irish trending in the right direction here, Gavin’s mother posted a video of her son walking out of Notre Dame Stadium indicating that the offer was his. You don’t see these types of videos often, and it’s cool to see:

 

We’ll see how the rest of Garvin’s college visits work out, but this looks very promising.

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