Chane Behanan

Apparently Behanan wasn’t distracted in the least by Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari meandering on the periphery of the end zone Saturday. Nor was he enamored of being offered a UK scholarship on the day of an earlier visit to U of L recently.

“I’m going to the University of Louisville,” he told his teachers and classmates Tuesday at Bowling Green, Ky.

The 6-foot-8, 250-pound Behanan is considered the No. 1 player in the state and among the top 40 players in the nation, according to the Rivals and Scout recruiting services.

Calipari prowling the sidelines Saturday.

Of Behanan, an ESPN analyst says:

“Behanan has that thick frame that can take contact and finish in traffic. Despite his size he is deceptively bouncy and has good feet. He is quite good at facing up his defender and blowing by him to get to the rim. He can use a spin move as well to separate from the defense while getting to the basket. He is a terrific passer and demonstrates a nice feel for the game. His jump shot is solid out to 15-feet and he has generally a soft touch.”

One would hope that Quincy Miller and Deuce Bello were equally impressed and focused, ignoring Calipari’s frequent tweets during the football game.

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Several days ago, we brought you the story of a change in flags in my neighborhood. It is with great sadness that I report that the University of Louisville flag has been replaced and the Kentucky flag has returned to the flagpole in front of the targeted house. That is only part of the story…

The first swap was made a couple of days before the  football game. I drove by the house to admire our work Friday morning and found the UK flag flying. Due to commitments Friday night, it was late before I drove by again. Much to my surprise, the Louisville flag was up again.

A Saturday morning discussion with neighbor Clarence revealed that it was he who did the replacement. He found the Cardinal flag in the neighbor’s trash can, retrieved it and returned it to the pole, having to cut two new holes in it to secure it. We had previously super glued the flag to the hooks on the rope. Clarence kept the UK flag this time.

When we returned from the U of L football game Saturday night, Cardinal Red still flew proudly. I slept in Sunday… but awoke to a report from my wife that there was a new UK flag flying. Later that afternoon, Clarence and I decided to end our replacement attempts. We did not look for the Cardinal colors, chalking them up to casualities of war.

Lo and behold, on Monday morning … BOTH U of L and UK flags were fluttering on the pole. The Cardinal flag was a new one and neither Clarence or I placed it there. They shared the pole until late Monday evening when the neighbors returned, promptly removing the  U of L flag.

We may have lost the skirmish but haven’t conceded the war. Our neighbors are fairly early retirees. Louie the Cardinal Bird will fly again, maybe as early as Friday night. We’ve also got access to a Western Kentucky flag, which most certainly should make an inaugural appearance because Kentucky plays WKU Saturday.

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There is whining and then there is fact. And the fact is that the foul odor of the past three years continued to linger a little in the first half of Saturday’s game. It wasn’t until the second half that the Charlie Strong Era truly began. That halftime speech had to have been a dandy.

Someone closely resembling a former Louisville football coach advances toward Papa John's Cardinal Stadium Saturday.

But one more parting shot is appropriate now, just to set the record straight, hopefully the last time.

Let it be said that Steve Kragthorpe had his nerve bawling about the shape in which he accused Bobby Petrino of leaving the University of Louisville football  program.

In fact, Petrino left it with some studs, some of whom are playing on Sundays, (Brohm, Cantwell, Wood, Douglas, etc.) In just three years, which only seemed like ten, he totally decimated the championship environment that Petrino had established.

The former coach also was able to rid the program of other studs such as Matt Simms and Anthony Allen, both currently in starting lineups for major football powers, Tennessee and Georgia Tech respectively.

Neither liked the Book Club foolishness or the passive-aggressive coaching mentality. Several players were kicked off the team who may yet star at BCS schools. But that’s what happens when a coach has not a clue as to how to handle big time athletes.

And don’t go feeling sorry for someone who walked away with over $2 million in cash.

Given just a little more time, Charlie Strong will load the team with “Petrino-like” studs. But facts are facts – when a pathetic team that is the doormat of the Southeastern Conference can beat you by a measly touchdown, there’s no doubt you still have your work cut out for you.

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The faces, the food, the atmosphere, an expanded stadium, a new coaching regime, a new football season. A win would have made it a perfect day, but they will come and so will the faces. Game day at the University of Louisville. Thanks to Menefee Seay for the photos, all of which are Copyright (c) 2010, CSWorks.

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Quincy Miller, who is ranked second among high school seniors in the 2011 college basketball recruiting class, flashes the “L” sign during his visit to Louisville and Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium on Saturday. The 6-foot-9 Miller, from North Carolina, has been described as an explosive big man who can score from just about anywhere on the court.

He attended the game with good friend Deuce Bello (right photo), who is also ranked among the nation’s top 40 recruits. Bello is with Tim Fuller, University of Louisville assistant coach. Bowling Green forward Chane Behanan was also on hand.

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