Louisville athletics has a week to remember
From current players to alumni, Louisville athletics just had an all-time weekend.
It all started on Dec. 23 when former Louisville Cardinal Terry Rozier lit up the NBA world for a career high 42-point outing making NBA history in the process. But the holiday festivities were far from over for Rozier or Louisville Athletics as a whole.
One of the biggest rivalries in college athletics came the day after Christmas on the afternoon of Dec. 26. Louisville basketball faced off against Kentucky in an ugly but thrilling contest in which the Cardinals defeated the Cats 62-59.
That win gives the Cards and their fans bragging rights for at least another full calendar year and is a big weight off of the program who has not won the hyped up rivalry since 2016.
As coaches, players, and fans alike all cheered for their beloved Cardinals, the football program stepped in for another taste of good news when they landed Virginia Tech offensive line transfer Bryan Hudson. Hudson was a huge addition with starting experience that will have three years of eligibility remaining when he steps on Louisville’s campus.
You thought Terry Rozier and the other Cardinals were done? Think again.
https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1343369274799267842?s=20
Rozier stole the show for the second time in a week on Sunday night when he put Kevin Durant, one of the NBA’s best players, on a poster.
That kind of jam could put Rozier in serious dunk of the year consideration not even a full week in to the 2020-21 season.
THAT has got to be it… right?
Wrong again.
Later Sunday night, former Cardinal Damion Lee elected to forego the potential of overtime in favor of a long three with less than two seconds remaining. You can probably guess what happened next.
https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1343399829913829377?s=20
Golden State went on to win the game in regulation off of that shot.
Lee only played at Louisville for one season as a graduate transfer from Drexel, but he sure left his mark on the program in 2015 when he averaged 15.9 points per game for the Cardinals. Lee is now the husband to Sydel Curry, the sister of Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry. Interestingly enough, Steph and Lee now play together for the Warriors and Lee has carved out a role with the Western Conference team.
Finally, on Monday night, Donovan Mitchell did what Donovan Mitchell does. He scored a huge bucket in crunch time to elevate the Utah Jazz to victory.
https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1343757309365821441?s=20
Mitchell was 7-for-22 before that bucket. On what was a very tough shooting night, he hit the biggest shot of the game when it mattered. Mitchell has been doing that for the past four seasons since he was drafted in 2017.
He is one of Louisville’s biggest and brightest stars that have moved on to the next level.
One more for a most recent Louisville graduate in wide receiver Dez Fitzpatrick who received a highly coveted Senior Bowl invite that gives him a chance to prove himself to NFL Scouts in a practice/game-like setting.
https://twitter.com/seniorbowl/status/1343714351476330497?s=20
Fitzpatrick will have the opportunity to catch passes and compete against some of the nation’s top seniors in this event that takes place the week leading up to Jan 30, 2021. On Jan. 30, Fitzpatrick and the other seniors will get the opportunity to complete a week of practices with a full length game.
Louisville athletics have been on a tear over the past week after a rocky end to November and beginning of December.
Who will be the next batch of Louisville stars young and old to shine?