It has been proven for generations here in Kentucky. Basketball rules, and it doesn’t matter if it’s in season or not. On a Monday night in the middle of summer, Freedom Hall in Louisville was loud and boisterous, and the love for the roundball sport was once again on full display.
A glorified alumni game between two of college basketball’s most intense rivals drew 13,509 raucous fans to the venerable, tradition-rich arena. The Basketball Tournament was featuring a quarterfinal round doubleheader, and with the promise of (sort of) a Louisville-Kentucky battle following the first game, a relatively easy win for Carmen’s Crew, a team comprised of several Ohio State alums and others, the TBT record crowd was more than ready .
La Familia, a team with mostly former University of Kentucky players, took the court against The Ville, primarily former University of Louisville Cardinals. The game more than lived up to the hype, with both teams going at it like it was an NCAA Final Four battle. The game was physical from the outset, with neither team backing down an inch. The former Wildcats built a 12-point lead in the first quarter, but the ex-Cards fought back with a 15-6 run to slice the halftime lead to just three (30-27).
Following the break, it was Nate Sestina time. The 6-foot-9, 27-year-old Sestina, who played one season at UK as a graduate transfer from Bucknell, was draining rainbow threes with relative ease. He hit five of his six bombs in the third quarter as La Familia built a 20-point lead. Sestina was also far from shy with his celebratory “L’s down” celebrations, which fired up both the red and blue-clad fans in attendance.
The Ville responded and cut the deficit to six in the final quarter, setting up the Elam Ending, which involves shutting off the game clock after the first dead ball with less than four minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Then, a target score is determined by adding eight points to the leading team’s score. At that juncture, La Familia was in front 62-53, making the target score 70 points.
There was no shortage of drama from that point, as La Familia repeatedly squandered opportunities to reach the 70-point mark. With the score 67-61, Andrew Harrison ended the game by swishing a wide open three from the right wing, sending La Familia to the TBT semifinals vs. Carmen’s Crew on Friday at 9 p.m. in Philadelphia. That game between a pair of excellent defensive teams should be a competitive and physical affair as well, but it will not match the intensity of what took place on Monday. The title tilt for the $1 million that will be
awarded to the championship team is set for Sunday at 2 p.m. and will be televised on Fox.
Other La Familia players with impressive performances, in addition to Sestina’s 22-point, eight-rebound evening, included Willie Cauley-Stein (20 points, 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, nine rebounds four steals), Harrison, who had 11 points to go with seven assists, and Eric Bledsoe, who added nine points, six assists and five boards. Statistical leaders for The Ville included Russ Smith with 22 points, Chinanu Onuaku’s 14-point, 22-rebound effort, and Montrezl Harrell, who finished with 11 points.
That briefly recaps what happened during the game, but what most folks were discussing Tuesday was what occurred following the contest.
A large scuffle ensued in the north end zone when Sestina and Onuaka exchanged words, with the former UofL center clearly unhappy with the L’s down gesture thrown up by Sestina on several occasions. When the situation appeared to deescalate, Onuaka spat in the direction of Sestina, according to video of the altercation captured by Kinsey Lee of WLEX-TV.
My take?
Sestina was exuberant and celebrating his threes with the “L’s down”, but he also deliberately taunted the Louisville fans with the gesture, and Onuaka understandably took exception. However, spitting on someone is not only gross, but it is inexcusable, totally uncalled for, and shows a tremendous lack of class. It is one thing to be passionate and competitive, but it’s quite another when one resorts to that kind of abhorrent behavior. *****
TRADE DEADLINE LOOMING – Unfortunate timing again rears its ugly head in the Wednesday column.
With the Major League Baseball trade deadline expiring at 6 p.m. on a Tuesday, there’s no way for yours truly to comment on any last-minute deals, since this blather is being banged out on the keyboard hours prior to the deadline.
However, the Cincinnati Reds made an unsurprising move following their 7-1 win over the Chicago Cubs on Monday night. The team’s opening day starter, Frankie Montas, who has struggled mightily in recent outings, was sent to Milwaukee for former University of Cincinnati outfielder Joey Wiemer and relief pitcher Jakob Junis. The only surprise surrounding the trade was that it involved a division foe, and the odds-on favorite to win the NL Central.
The return could prove to be beneficial for both the Reds and the Brewers, but as is the case with any trade, only time will tell. On paper, it appears the Reds may
have acquired a steal by adding the 25-year-old Wiemer, a highly-regarded prospect for several years. Like so many of his new teammates, Wiemer needs to cut down significantly on his strikeouts, but he is considered an elite defender with above average speed.
Junis should improve the bullpen depth in Cincinnati, which is likely going to move another reliever or more – Buck Farmer, Lucas Sims, Justin Wilson and Nick Martinez are candidates — before the deadline. (Just before emailing this for publication, the Reds sent Sims to the Boston Red Sox for 19-year-old Low-A pitcher Ovis Portes.)
The Brewers are hoping they get the effective Montas, a starter who can eat up some innings for a staff that has been hit with injuries all season, using 16 starting pitchers in 2024. The 31-year-old is known to be a positive presence in the locker room, but his record has tailed off to 4-8, with a 5.01 ERA.
Earlier on Monday, the Reds acquired first baseman Ty France and cash from Seattle for minor-league catcher Andruw Salcedo. The club is hoping a more hitter-friendly ball park will help France regain his stroke. After being named to the AL All-Star team in 2022, he has had difficulty making contact. The 30-year-old France was designated for assignment by the Mariners last week after batting .223 with eight homers and 31 RBI in 88 games this season.
(By the time this is printed, the Reds may have made some more moves, but probably nothing earth-shattering.)
*****
REDS NEED EXTENDED HOT STREAK – As we said last week, the likelihood of the Reds playing in the postseason this year is slim to none. The only way it could occur is if the team could finish the season with a flurry, and they have given little indication they are capable of doing that.
As of this writing, the Reds are 51-55, 10 games behind division-leading Milwaukee, and needing to make up five games to claim a Wild Card. The race for the three NL Wild Card spots promises to be changing daily the rest of the season, and the Reds have four teams to pass to earn the third spot.
A .500 record the rest of the way will leave them short, so the only possible way for them to get there is to win, win, and win some more. With 56 games left, the Reds likely need to win at least 34 or 35 games, and it’s hard to see this team going 34-22 over the next couple of months.
*****
“Emotions ran high,” said La Familia (and former Kentucky forward) Nate Sestina, after confirming that The Ville’s Chinanu Onuaku spat in his face following the TBT
game on Monday. “That’s what this game does to people. It had been great chatter the whole game, nothing crazy, nothing personal. And then it got personal, obviously. L’s down vs. L’s up. That’s what this game is.”
*****
“I want to apologize for my actions following last night’s game. I let my emotions and pride for my university overcome me in the moment. I love UofL and I love this town. L’s up” – Chinanu Onuaku’s apology on Tuesday
(Still inexcusable, in this guy’s opinion)
*****
“It is strange the way the ignorant and inexperienced so often and so undeservedly succeed when the informed and experienced fail.” — Mark Twain
Local News
Comments / 0