By Andrew Krumme

Wow, was this basketball season a wild ride. University of Louisville basketball went from a program that had no business playing in March to nearly knocking off Texas A&M University for a trip to the Sweet Sixteen. Head coach Rick Pitino, who was being questioned by many people early this year, turned it all around. And, of course, there is Derrick Caracter, who seemed to get his act together at just the right time to help propel the Cards on this late season run. With the season at an end, I found it interesting how both games the Cards played over the weekend represented both this past season and what we might see in the future.

The all-around play of Edgar Sosa against Stanford University and Texas AM has the future looking bright for this team. The never-ending emotion and reckless New York style abandonment he displays on the court is a sight to see. His knack for getting into the paint, drawing contact and converting is something we, as fans, can look forward to in the years to come. Along with Sosa, Caracter, Earl Clark and Jerry Smith all scored in double digits in the first round blowout of Stanford. Just the thought of these four in the lineup for the next couple years is something to smile at.

The frenetic pace throughout Thursday’s win seemed to jar memories of Pitino’s old teams back at Kentucky, something I have never seen on such a consistent basis in my four years at Louisville. The full court pressure causing turnovers and fast breaks that kept everyone in the stands on edge is what I always expected from a Rick Pitino coached team, and Thursday’s win may have been the sign that he finally has the core group to do it.

While the future is bright, this season’s inconsistencies and inexperience crept back into Saturday’s game for Louisville. Numerous defensive lapses made Acie Law IV and Dominique Kirk look like Jordan and Pippen. Terrence Williams, despite scoring 17 points, shot under 40 percent from the field and just 50 percent from the line with four turnovers (Is it just me or does anyone else think he should not be starting?). There was Caracter picking up fouls like a bum picks up loose change on the street. And who can forget Sosa? While he turned in the performance of his life, playing like an upperclassman for much of the game, when it came down to it, the old freshman mistakes seemed to take over. Missing two key free throws and threw up an unneeded three-pointer to ultimately lose the game, that was a game he will never forget, for both the good and bad.

But really, what more could we ask for as Cardinal fans? Did you think back in December after the loss to the University of Kentucky we would be here right now? We got to see one of the great transformations of college basketball team from the beginning of a season to the end. This could have truly been Pitino’s best job as a head coach. And considering we are losing just one major contributor in Brandon Jenkins, and with these four freshman hopefully coming back (don’t get any ideas Caracter), Cards faithful can legitimately say what every fan says when their team goes out in the Big Dance. “Wait until next year!”