Russ Smith is the kind of player who can lead Louisville into another deep tournament run this season. By Owen Main

The last two NCAA men’s basketball National Champions have come from the state of Kentucky. Louisville and Lexington are 77 miles apart and this state is clearly the center of today’s college basketball universe.

Attend one game in downtown Louisville and you’ll quickly learn. The defending national champion Louisville Cardinals are not just a championship team — they are a championship program.

Pregame

The KFC Yum! Center, Louisville’s home for the past five years, is a first-class facility, sitting on the water in downtown Louisville. On game nights, there is a palpable buzz, with thousands of fans magnetically streaming toward the arena — all adorned in red and white. The Yum! Center is only a few miles from the University — a relatively straight-shot for students who come to games. For alumni and fans from the community, the Yum! Center sits in a prime downtown location. Restaurants abound for pre and post-game festivities and everything downtown seems within walking distance. Louisville is the largest city in Kentucky, but it’s a manageable city to be sure.

In-game atmosphere

The Yum! Center seem like an NBA-caliber arena and the team that plays in it has lots of players who are soon to be pro’s. It holds over 22,000 fans (fifth largest college basketball arena in the country) and is only three years old. It feels brand new.

After visiting the Yum! Center, I’m beginning to think that probably every mid-western college basketball fan base must be really good. The sea of red and white throughout the arena undulated with every big Louisville play. When Hofstra made a run to cut the lead to seven points early in the second half of Tuesday night’s game, the fans came even more alive — willing their team to defensive stops and giving energy with every bucket.

In about five minutes, Louisville’s lead that had been whittled to seven points quickly ballooned to 15, 20, and 25 points. The crowd of 20,112 at the Yum! Center was rocking and things were back in balance.

The Team

The Louisville Cardinals are the national champions, and they play like it. They ooze confidence on offense and are held to an insanely high standard defensively by their coach, Rick Pitino.

Guards Russ Smith and Chris Jones both put in very good all-around performances — defending about as well as they were able to score. Particularly impressive to me was the inside play of forward Montrezl Harrell. Harrell plays bigger than his height (he is listed at only 6′ 8″) and has a pretty polished game for a 19 year-old. He will be a force. One thing I always appreciate about Rick Pitino teams is the mental and physical pressure they put on an opponent. Hofstra’s guards looked like they were used to being in complete control. Up against Smith and Jones, though, they were frazzled at times. Pitino’s teams are always deep and they never let-up the pressure.

Recommendation

If you’re going to a game at the Yum! Center, make a night out of it. Dress warm and get downtown early for dinner. Rumor is that you might pay a little more on game day (night), but it’s probably worth it. Strike up a conversation with someone wearing red. Fans of all ages fill the streets before and after a game. Whoever you talk with you’re likely to get someone’s opinion on the state of college basketball. Culturally, it seems nobody is immune — and everyone has picked a side in this state. Red or Blue.

Two seasons ago, the University of Kentucky won the national title. Last season, it was Louisville’s turn.

As you drive in Kentucky anywhere near Lexington and Louisville, you are bound to see cars, houses, t-shirts, and flags adorned with Louisville red or Kentucky blue. Truly, this has to be the hub around which the world of college basketball spins.

Photos by Owen Main

[See image gallery at www.fansmanship.com]