LOUISVILLEBASKETBALL Louisville Tradition LOUISVILLE CARDINALS LOUISVILLEBASKETBALL Louisville Basketball Tradition asketball is special to Kentuckians. The sport Bpermeates everyday life from offices to farm- lands, from coal mines to neighborhood drug stores. It is more than just a sport played in the cold winter months. It is a source of pride filled year-round with anticipation, hope and celebration. Kentuckians love their basketball, and the tradition-rich University of Louisville program has supplied its fans with one of the nation’s finest products for decades. Legendary coach Bernard “Peck” Hickman, a Basketball Hall of Fame nominee, arrived on the U of L campus in 1944 to begin a remarkable string of 46 consecutive winning seasons. For 23 seasons, Hickman laid an impressive foundation for the Cardinals. John Dromo, an assistant coach under Hickman for 19 years, continued the Louisville program in outstanding fashion following Hickman’s retirement. For 30 years, Denny Crum followed the same path of success that Hickman and Dromo both walked, guiding the Cardinals to even higher acclaim. Now, Coach Rick Pitino has energized a re-emergence in building upon the rich U of L tradition in his nine years, returning the Cards to the NCAA Final Four in 2005 and the NCAA Elite Eight two of the past three seasons.Among the Cardinals’ past successes include national championships in the NCAA (1980 and 1986), NIT (1956) and the NAIB (1948). U of Taquan Dean kisses the Freedom Hall floor Tremendous pride is taken in the tradition L is the only school in the nation to have claimed after his final game as a Cardinal. established at the University of Louisville. Student- the championship in all three major tournaments. athletes who attend U of L follow in the footsteps The Cardinals have appeared in the NCAA tour- Louisville was arguably the most dominant of some of college basketball’s all-time greats. These nament on 36 occasions, which places U of L fifth team in college basketball during the decade of the athletes must be willing to give of themselves, just in all-time NCAA Tournament appearances behind 1980s. Evidence of that claim is simple; during the as former U of L stars did, to maintain U of L as one Kentucky (50), North Carolina (41), UCLA (41), decade of the 80s, the Cardinals won two national of the nations’ top programs. It is more than the and Kansas (39). championships (equalled only by Indiana); sent an Wes Unseld’s, Darrell Griffith’s and Pervis Ellison’s Louisville has played in the Final Four eight unmatched four teams to the Final Four; appeared of the U of L world. It’s the teamwork of those with times, including four times in the 1980s. Only six among the final 16 teams seven times (bettered the Terry Howard’s, Roger Burkman’s and Derwin schools — North Carolina (18), UCLA (17), Duke only by North Carolina’s nine times); and posted Webb’s on the Cardinal rosters that blend into one (15), Kentucky (13), Kansas (13) and Ohio State the highest NCAA Tournament winning percentage team, one unit, to achieve a common goal. It is a (10) have reached the Final Four more often. of any other team (.793, 23-6). commitment that has been worthwhile for decades. U of L ' s Post-Season Tournament Success All Time NCAA Kentucky 13 U of L in Tournament Appearances Ohio State 10 Post-Season Play School Yrs. W-L Louisville 8 Kentucky* 50 101-45 Indiana 8 NCAA Tournaments 36 North Carolina 41 103-39 Michigan State 8 (15 of last 19 years; 27 of last 34) UCLA* 41 94-33 Three tied at 6 NCAA Championships (2) -1980, 1986 Kansas 39 85-38 NCAA Final Fours (8) - 1959, 1972, Louisville 36 60-38 All-Time NCAA 1975,1980, 1982, 1983, 1986, 2005 Indiana 35 60-30 Tournament Wins Duke 34 94-30 North Carolina 103 National Invitation Tournaments 14 Syracuse 33 53-33 Kentucky* 101 NIT Championships (1) - 1956 *does not include vacated years. Duke 94 NAIB Championship (1) - 1948 UCLA* 94 All-Time Final Fours Kansas 85 Note: U of L has reached the NCAA North Carolina 18 Louisville 60 Tournament or NIT in 41 of the last 45 years. UCLA 17 Indiana 60 Duke 15 Syracuse 52 Kansas 13 Georgetown 45 122 LOUISVILLE CARDINALS LOUISVILLEBASKETBALL Retired Numbers 42 Pervis Ellison 35 Darrell Griffith Top NBA Draft Pick of ‘89 Louisville’s Living Legend The only player in U of L history to total both In 1980 Darrell Griffith received the 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, Pervis Ellison prestigious John Wooden Award from the Los ended his playing career with the Cardinals as Angeles Athletic Club as college basketball’s the No. 2 all-time scorer and he became only Player of the Year. He was also selected by the second player at U of L to score 2,000 The Sporting News for the same honor. A con- points in his career. A consensus All-American sensus All-American in 1980, he led Louisville in 1989, “Never Nervous Pervis” was named to a 33-3 record and the school’s first NCAA MVP of the 1989 Metro Conference Tourna- national championship. He left U of L as the ment, an award he also won as a freshman. The school’s career scoring leader (2,333 points); all-time shot blocker at U of L and in the Metro the first player in U of L history to surpass the Conference with 374 career rejections, Ellison 2,000 point mark; the school single season blocked at least one shot in 130 of his 136 scoring leader with 825 points; and the only career games. He finished his career third among NCAA career leaders in blocked player at Louisville to score more than 700 points in one season. He finished his shots. In 1986, he led the Cardinals to their second NCAA Championship title and collegiate career having scored in double figures in 41 straight games and 111 of was the first freshman since 1944 to be named the Most Outstanding Player of his 126 games with the Cardinals. In his four seasons with Louisville, he helped the Final Four. The Cardinals won two regular season Metro titles and three Metro teams to a combined record of 101-25; two regular season Metro Conference tournament championships during Ellison’s career. Following his playing career at titles; two Metro tournament championships; four straight NCAA tournament ap- U of L, Ellison became one of the select few collegiate players and the first for the pearances; and the 1980 NCAA Championship. His jersey number — 35 — was Cardinals when he was chosen as the No. 1 pick in the 1989 NBA Draft. His jersey retired at ceremonies following the 1980 basketball season and his road uniform number - 42 - was retired at ceremonies following the 1989 season. is on permanent display at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Ellison’s Career Statistics Griffith’s Career Statistics Year G FG-FGA Pct FT-FTA Pct Reb-Avg Ast-Avg PF-D TP Avg Year G FG-FGA Pct FT-FTA Pct Reb-Avg Ast-Avg PF-D TP Avg 1985-86 39 210-379 .554 90-132 .681 318-8.2 78-2.0 117-3 510 13.1 1976-77 28 150-299 .501 59- 93 .634 109-3.8 50-1.8 71- 3 359 12.8 1986-87 31 185-347 .533 100-139 .719 270-8.7 56-1.8 96-6 470 15.2 1977-78 30 240-460 .522 78-110 .709 162-5.4 105-3.5 78- 3 558 18.6 1987-88 35 235-391 .601 146-211 .692 291-8.3 108-3.1 103-2 617 17.6 1978-79 32 232-487 .497 107-151 .709 140-4.4 90-2.8 87- 3 591 18.5 1988-89 31 227-369 .615 92-141 .652 270-8.7 78-2.5 98-5 546 17.6 1979-80 36 349-631 .553 127-178 .713 174-4.8 138-3.8 99- 2 825 22.9 Totals 136 857-1486 .577 428-623 .687 1149-8.4 320-2.4 414-16 2143 15.8 Totals 126 981-1877 .523 371-532 .697 585-4.6 383-3.0 335-11 2333 8.5 31 Wes Unseld 8 Charlie Tyra Top Single Game Scorer Top All-Time Rebounder When Wes Unseld ended his career with A consensus All-American during the the University of Louisville following the 1967- 1956 and 1957 seasons, Charlie Tyra led the 68 season, he left as the Cardinals’ all-time University of Louisville to its first NIT title in leading scorer for a three-year player. Today, 1956 and was named the tournament’s MVP Unseld ranks 10th on the all-time scoring list, for his performance. Tyra was named Helms but his career point total of 1,686 is still tops for Athletic Foundation All-American in his junior a three-year player. A concensus All-American and senior years. One of only five Cardinals to during his junior and senior years, Unseld is record over 1,000 rebounds in his career, Tyra one of only five other Cardinal players to pull ranks as the all-time rebounder in U of L history down over 1,000 rebounds in his career. His with 1,617. During the 1955-56 season, Tyra 1,551 career rebounds ranks second behind pulled down 645 rebounds, a mark that has Charlie Tyra’s 1,617.