That was Louisville-Tennessee in the second game of the East Regional semifinals last night at Charlotte Bobcats Arena. It was well beyond frantic. It was manic hoops.

Leads were kind of irrelevant because flow never lasted as long as the shot clock, which was also irrelevant. The teams had 25 turnovers by halftime. It seemed like 50.

When the accounting was done in the all-important points category 18 minutes after midnight, it was Louisville 79 and Tennessee 60. The Cardinals gets to play North Carolina tomorrow for the right to go to the Final Four in San Antonio.

No. 3 seed Louisville led, 24-8, early. No. 2 seed Tennessee was somewhere between confused and shellshocked. Vols coach Bruce Pearl kept calling timeouts until his team got its bearings. Finally, it did and stormed right back at the Cardinals, closing to 37-36 early in the second half. Louisville then ran it right back out to 49-39 in what seemed like two possessions. But it had to be more.

The running and jumping and pressing and stealing and blocking and dunking never really stopped. There was no slowing down or backing down. This was street ball on wood with players that played a little too much defense to get starring roles in a future And 1 mixtape.

Louisville coach Rick Pitino was as intense as the game, on one knee, then racing down the sideline, coaching as hard as his players were playing. Pearl was no less into it, even if he was coaching from behind all game. His team might go down, but Pearl was not going to let it happen without some sweat forming on that orange tie.

The Vols' Chris Lofton, who made more threes (431) than all but two players in Division I history, had a nightmare shooting experience (3-for-15, 2-for-11 from the arc) in his final game. He wasn't alone. The Vols (31-5) shot only 19-for-56 (33.9 percent).

"One of the keys to our defense has been the changing of it," Pitino said. "Whenever you give a team the same look, it is easier for them."

The Cardinals shot 52 percent and have outscored their three NCAA opponents by a Carolina-like 67 points. The regional final has classic potential.

Louisville (27-8) got something from everybody Pitino used, but sophomore forward Earl Clark (17 points, 12 rebounds) was a man among men in a game that absolutely was for men only.

"He's always had great skills," Pitino said. "Now he's acquired a great work ethic. He's working hard for the first time in his life."

You play for Pitino; you will work hard. And you will win. *