Notes From Behind Enemy Lines: Thanks for having us, Freedom Hall
Louisville hosted the event of the summer in Freedom Hall on Monday night, drawing over 13,000 fans to watch the quarterfinals of The Basketball Tournament, more than the average attendance to watch the 2023-24 Louisville Cardinals in the KFC Yum! Center. Pregame excitement was higher than it had been around Louisville in many years, partly because The Ville was on the verge of matching Louisville’s win total in the 2024 calendar year. The 2023-24 Cards won a grand total of three games after losing to Kentucky on December 21. The Ville hosted La Familia in Monday’s quarterfinal, seeking a fourth win of the summer.
“C-A-R-D-S! CARDS! CARDS! CARDS!” rang out throughout Freedom Hall before tip-off as Card Nation expressed their false hope in a group of guys already accustomed to losing to Kentucky. A replica 2013 National Championship banner on the jumbotron fueled the home crowd’s pregame enthusiasm. Hard liquor also played a role in their excitement because, you know, Louisville.
The Basketball Tournament at Freedom Hall by Daniel Hager | Kentucky Sports Radio
As crazy as it may sound, Freedom Hall truly felt like a big-game atmosphere, resembling the energy of an NCAA Tournament game. The Kentucky-Louisville rivalry was back on, if only for a night. Would this game be the one to finally get Louisville back in the win column against Kentucky?
No. Of course not. Louisville lost and acted like clowns, per tradition.
My takeaways from a night behind enemy lines in Freedom Hell.
They really don’t like Ls down
Photo of Nate Sestina by Daniel Hager | Kentucky Sports Radio
Louisville’s emotionally fragile fan base cannot stand when Kentucky fans mock their hand gesture. They HATE it. One in particular chose violence after the game by hitting me in the chest when I wasn’t looking, a cowardly move but one you’d expect from that bunch over there. Still, I, an assault victim, took the higher road by watching him backpedal in his getaway loafers without retaliation as I made my way to the court to witness La Familia’s celebration.
On the court, things escalated even further with more Ls down. Chinanu Onuaku, who wouldn’t shake hands before the start of the game, nearly started a postgame brawl over the Ls down. Onuaku tried to fight Nate Sestina but could only hawk a loogie in Sestina’s direction. Again, cowardly behavior.
You know who Onuaku didn’t want to fight? Daniel Orton. Onuaku appeared to find God when Orton looked to end what Onuaku started.
Back to the Ls down, though. If they weren’t so soft about it, Kentucky fans wouldn’t do it nearly as much. But it’s clearly a soft spot, so Ls down will continue. Those are the rules.
Spitting on someone is one of the lowest of lows
Onuaku will forever be known as a spitter. He earned that tag for the rest of his life when his postgame hawk tuah got caught in 4K. He tried to play the victim card, which nobody fell for, and then finally surrendered today with an apology.
Tyler Ulis wasn’t having it when Onuhawktuah tried to point the blame at Nate Sestina. Ulis replied, “How many did you call him throughout the game? You knew what you was doing, picked the guy who causes no problems. It’s just basketball, tough guys don’t spit on people and then play victim.”
Nate Sestina is the new Mayor of Louisville
Before the start of TBT, Sestina told KSR that he was on a mission with La Familia after his one season in Lexington ended without a shot at the SEC or NCAA Tournaments. Against The Ville, Sestina scored a game-high 22 points with six made 3-pointers, including five in the third quarter.
Even better, Sestina etched his place on the Mt. Rushmore of Louisville haters. A BBN legend was born in TBT.
Willie Cauley-Stein still has NBA game
Willie Cauley-Stein co-starred in La Familia’s 70-62 victory, scoring 20 points on 8-for-9 shooting from the field. The big fella hit three 3-pointers after feeling hot in pregame. He told Coach Ulis to get him some open looks, and he hit them all against his college rival.
Here is KSR’s other favorite Willie Cauley-Stein highlight from the night:
Updating my list of all-time favorite Kentucky basketball players
A quick shuffling of my former player power rankings after Monday night’s events in Louisville:
1. Nate Sestina
Also 1. Willie Cauley-Stein
1b. Tyler Ulis
1c. The Harrison Twins
1d. Eric Bledsoe
1e. Daniel Orton
2. DeMarcus Cousins
3. Doron Lamb
Speaking of Cousins, here’s what the postgame scrum would’ve looked like if he had been there beside Orton.
Finish the job
The Ville is gone from The Basketball Tournament, and soon, the Cards will be irrelevant again. Up next, the former Wildcats face another familiar foe in TBT’s semifinal round: Carmen’s Crew, featuring Jared Sullinger of Ohio State (and Josh Harrellson spike-ball) fame. La Familia is the betting favorite, laying 2.5 points to the former Buckeyes. That game will be played Friday night in Philadelphia, so Kentucky fans in the northeast need to pack Daskalakis Athletic Center in support.
But for now, thank you, Louisville, for hosting the Big Blue Nation. It’s always fun for us when the Cards are around.
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