Sunday Cardinal Couple -- Slaughter and the Cards return to YUM

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Wrong night for Wright State in 59 point loss

( OUR BASKETBALL COLUMNIST JENNY O'BRYAN REPORTS ON THE RETURN ON NITA AND THE CARDS IMPRESSIVE WIN OVER WRIGHT STATE 99-40 SATURDAY NIGHT )


With the fall of volleyball in the first round of the NCAA tournament, only two women’s sports are currently in action.   Saturday night saw the return of basketball in the KFC YUM Center.   The Cardinals routed the Raiders of Wright State 99-40.

It was our first look at Nita Slaughter since her health incident on Tuesday night, and our first look at the team with Slaughter in sweats on the sideline. 

Slaughter walked out of the tunnel alongside Sherrone Vails, trailing the team, to a standing ovation.   She looked fine, smiling, and giving a wave to the crowd as she followed the team down court to warm up.  Were it not for witnessing the event myself on Tuesday evening I would have never known she, just days before, suffered a potential life threatening event.  It was good to see Nita, if only on the sidelines.  I’ve been unable to get that young woman off my mind.  Her brilliant smile was enough to let me rest easy that she is going to be ok. 

If there were any doubts to how the team would respond, with Nita on the sidelines, the answer was loud and clear.  The Cardinals came out strong, and Wright State never had a chance in this game. 

As expected Tia Gibbs replaced Slaughter in the starting rotation.  Gibbs saw eight minutes of action the whole evening.  I expected her minutes would be limited, as the Cardinals will need her more throughout the season, in Slaughter's absence. 

I’m curious what kind of directive may have been Shoni for this game.   She came out of the locker room on a tear.  She had the hot hand early and dropped two early three pointers on the Raiders.  She appeared to ramp up her defense and rebounding, snagging four early boards. Most impressive though was her speed up and down the court. 

Overall it was a good, strong effort from the Cardinals.  There were too many standouts to mention them all, but I do want to make special note of a few things caught my eye.

Asia Taylor was on a roll.  She was active early.  She had a HUGE block , was rebounding strong, and moving gracefully in the paint. 

Cortnee Walton had a huge night on the boards pulling down 12.  The Cardinals will look to her to continue to provide that kind of work in the paint.   Walton was one point shy of a double-double.  She looked very good and strong around the basket on both ends of the court. 

Shawnta Dyer looks better each time out on the court.  Saturday night was no exception.  With each outing she is moving stronger and faster.  You can see the rust coming off of her shots, and she is beginning to look like the Dyer we all know.  She had a beautiful hook shot late in the game that rimmed out.  She had a great outing and Cardinal fans can look forward to continued growth in her game each night out. 

It is no surprise that the things that caught my eye were the post players.  In the post-game interview Matt Andrews indicated that 60 of the Cardinal points were in the paint.  Also mentioned was working on the high-low game.  That, too, was evidenced by some very nice feeds/assists. 

Overall it was a fun game and the Cardinals looked good.  They next hit the hardwood one week from tonight, Saturday, December 14 against Austin Peay at 7:00 p.m.  The drink specials continue on Saturdays, with $2 beer and sodas. 

If you have not done so yet, get out and see your Cards on the court.  The next ranked opponent for the team is just two weeks away against Colorado.  It will be a tough game.  We look forward to seeing you at the YUM on Saturday, Dec. 14.  

FINAL STATS

PLAYERS AND COACH WALZ QUOTES


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THE LATEST EDITION OF CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR IS NOW POSTED ON THE SOUNDCLOUD. JENNY AND PAULIE TALK A LOT OF WOMEN'S BASKETBALL, WE HEAR WALZ'S ANNOUNCEMENT ON NITA, KENNY CALLS IN TO THE SHOW, JENNY TAKES THE QUIZ AND DON PAULIE DOES HIS VERSION OF ONE OF HIS FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONGS.

RADIO THAT OUGHT TO BE BANNED....FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW.

PEARL HARBOR HAS NOTHING ON US...WE BOMB EVERY WEEK!! CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO 12-07-13


jenny obryan

Saturday Cardinal Couple -- Nita Slaughter out for season

SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Nita Slaughter out for season

- Cards face Wright State tonight

- Volleyball falls in straight sets to Marquette

- Radio today

- Tickets? Tickets?

WALZ CLIP BELOW ON NITA:

http://www.courier-journal.com/videonetwork/2901340814001/Coach-Walz-says-Antonita-Slaughter-is-out-for-the-season


Louisville senior Antonita Slaughter will miss the rest of the season after being diagnosed with a blood clot in her lung. The collapse of the talented wing Tuesday night against Missouri State was also diagnosed as a cardiac event and not a seizure as first suggested.

Doctors at Jewish Hospital broke the news to Slaughter's family, teammates and friends Thursday morning after several days of testing to figure out what caused the scary event.

Slaughter will go on blood thinners to treat the clot and will be unable to play.

A tough loss of a great player for the rest of the season...but news that will help treat and clear Slaughter of a very dangerous problem.

As Walz mentioned...college basketball is a game. Designed for the entertainment of a fan base. Life is much more serious and when an event like this strikes a well-respected and loved player like Nita, it gives us cause to reflect on just how precious life is and to be thankful for each moment we have here on earth below.

We hope and pray that Ms. Slaughter eventually overcomes this illness and can return to the court. More importantly, though, we hope she can return to life where she can acheive goals, make a difference and enjoy the beauty and wonder of all things around her.

We have been asked....who will replace Nita on the court? Our guesses indicate Tia Gibbs and Megan Deines as candidates. Ultimately, the decision belongs to the coaching staff at UofL and they will access the situation and make the neccessary and correct moves.

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Louisville returns to action tonight against Wright State in the KFC YUM! Center at 7 p.m.

Wright State comes to Louisville (hopefully...given the weather conditions) at 7-2. They come off a 79-77 win over James Madison in the third place game of the Gulf Coast Showcase Sunday. K.C. Elkins hit a three as time expired to give the Raiders the victory. Kim Demmings had 28 points and 11 boards in the victory. Taylor Mingo added 26 points...going 16-17 from the charity stripe.

Louisville tries to regroup after the news about Slaughter. The probable replacement in the starting lineup will be sixth-year senior Tia Gibbs.

The game also features a $2 Budweiser and soft drink promotion.

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Louisville Volleyball bowed out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament yesterday...losing to Marquette 25-23, 25-22, 25-19 in Champaign, IL.

Louisville lost a close first set to the Golden Eagles after being tied 23-23. A service error by the Cards and a Marquette kill ended the set.

The Cards led 22-20 in game two...but Marquette went on a 5-0 game ending run. A Louisville service error, Golden Eagle service ace, Cardinal attack error, Marquette kill and final UofL attack error ended the game badly for Anne Kordes crew.

In the final set, the Cards and Golden Eagles were tied 9-9 when Marquette went on a 6-0 run to take the lead for good against Louisville and win by six.

Tough way to end the season but a AAC Championship where they went 18-0 and plenty of talented underclassmen will accompany the Cards to the ACC for the 2014 season.

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We'll be sledding in to the studio Saturday morning for the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour...conditions here in Louisville are snowy, cold and ice on the roads.

 a We'll be one host down...Jeff McAdams is in Champaign with the VolleyCards. Jenny and I will try and carry on in his absence...plenty to discuss with Cards Women's Basketball and Volleyball. We'll test Jenny on a quiz and provide chestnuts roasting on an open fire for all those who fill the studio audience each.

Join us, won't you?

CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO ON CRESCENT HILL RADIO

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We are offering a ticket exchange forum for those who cannot use your WBB seats. It is a free service and if you can't go, please consider providing your ticket availability to someone who can and may not be able to afford seats.

You can access the site over on the Right Side of the Site by clicking the pic.

It's the holiday season. Be a good Cardinal fan.



paulie

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Friday Cardinal Couple -- Cards begin NCAA Volleyball quest today

FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

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Click the link below to hear Coach Walz's announcment:

COACH WALZ DISCUSSES NITA



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THE SEASON IS ALSO OVER FOR LOUISVILLE VOLLEYBALL...LOSING IN STRAIGHT SETS TO MARQUETTE THIS EVENING 25-23, 25-22, 25-18
IN FIRST ROUND NCAA TOURNAMENT ACTION
                         IN CHAMPAIGN, IL.



           *************BREAKING NEWS*************

NITA SLAUGHTER'S SEASON IS OVER. A BLOOD CLOT DISCOVERED IN HER LUNG. A CARDIAC EVENT CAUSED COLLAPSE IN MSU GAME. TEAMMATES ARE STUNNED AND SHOCKED ACCORDING TO SOURCES.

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-Louisville Volleyball faces Marquette today

-Volleyball gets several AAC honors

-Teddy Ballgame -- Cards headed to Mouseville


The VolleyCards participate in first round NCAA Volleyball action today...drawing the Marquette Golden Eagles in Champaign, IL.  The match is schedule for 5:30 p.m. and the winner will face the winner of the Morehead St. vs. Illinois contest.

M.U. and Louisville have a knowledge of each other, familiarity and history. The squads did battle three times in the 2012 season...Louisville winning all three matches, including the BIG EAST Tournament finals. Marquette is ranked this year, coming into today's action 24th. in the nation.

It is a tough first round match-up for Louisville. Marquette took the BIG EAST volleyball tournament with a 3-1win over Creighton. A weakened conference with Louisville, Notre Dame, Syracuse and Pitt gone..but still an impressive season for the Golden Eagles.

OMAHA, Neb. - The No. 24 Marquette women's volleyball team won the 2013 BIG EAST Championship by defeating Creighton, 3-1, on Saturday, Nov. 30, at D.J. Sokol Arena.
It was the first BIG EAST volleyball crown for Marquette, which entered the championship and as the league's regular-season champion and top seed.
The Golden Eagles (25-5) claimed the league's automatic NCAA Championship bid and will compete in the tournament for the third straight year.

The AAC does not sponsor a conference tournament.

If Louisville can get by Marquette and (most likely) Illinois, they would move to regional action. Regional sites are in Lexington, Champaign, Lincoln, NE and Los Angeles.

No TV or radio for this one that we know of. Our staff columnist Jeff McAdams is in Champaign to witness the wide net action...but failed to respond to texts about coverage here at CARDINAL COUPLE or the radio show Saturday.

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Nice honors for the team from the AAC. Caitlin Welch received Libero of the Year honors, Maya McClendon Freshman of the Year and Anne Kordes Coach of the Year.

Five Cards made the AAC first team...Katie George, Emily Juhl, Brooke Mattingly, Maya McClendon and Caitlin Welch.
Randi Ewing received second team honors.

Amazingly, a South Florida player...Erin Fairs...was named conference player of the year. A slap in the Cards face, no doubt related to the fact that Louisville is only in the AAC for this year. Any of Louisville's first team players were deserving of the award and Louisville did go 18-0 in conference play.

What else would you expect, though, from a conference that didn't hold a tournament and chooses Memphis and Temple as travel partners?

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FINALLY, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE LOUISVILLE FOOTBALL TEAM FOR FINISHING 11-1 IN THE REGULAR SEASON AND GETTING AN INVITE TO THE RUSSELL ATHLETIC BOWL IN ORLANDO, FL. ON DEC. 28TH.

THE CARDS WON AN EXCITING BATTLE IN CINCINNATI LAST NIGHT 31-24 IN OVERTIME. IF TEDDY BRIDGEWATER ISN'T THE PLAYER OF THE YEAR IN THE AAC THEN THE WHOLE BUNCH OF 'EM AT CONFERENCE HEADQUARTERS ARE MORE STUPID THAN BEETLE BAILEY.

BRIDGEWATER WAS AMAZING LAST NIGHT, PUTTING THE CARDS ON HIS BACK AND CARRYING THEM IN THE FOURTH QUARTER TO REGAIN THE LEAD TWICE AND THEN TO THE WINNING TD IN OVERTIME.

WE DON'T USUALLY COVER FOOTBALL HERE AT CC, BUT WHEN WE DO...WE PREFER DOS EQUIS  SEEING TEDDY TOUCHDOWN TRIUMPH. 

ENJOY MOUSEVILLE, FOOTBALL FANS!

paulie

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Thursday Cardinal Couple

THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Brains, beauty and a baller -- Jude Schimmel gets it done on and off the court

-Nita Slaughter -- we wait and hope

-Walz Radio Show -- An hour well spent

University of Louisville junior guard Jude Schimmel has been nominated for the Allstate Good Works Team. It doesn't mean she has to go out and do insurance claims or appear in those mind-numbing TV commercials...it is an award that honors college athletes who have made a difference in their communities with civic service, volunteering and public commitment.

That would be Jude. Travelling the country with her family visiting tribal reservations, she and her kin have become the most recognizable native American symbols for what hard work, dedication and teamwork can achieve.

In addition to being the feisty, playmaking leader on the court, she has spent the last three years making speaking appearances at reservations, conferences and gathering across the USA. Wherever the University of Louisville women's basketball team has travelled to for competition, 100's of fans want to access her and her sister, scores of Native Americans attend the contests to shake her hand, take her picture and hear her encouraging message.

A positive impact on and off the court? Oh yeah, you betcha.
Below...Jude reflects on the mission:

"When Native Americans come to our games, they are like, 'Our kids look up to you. You are the biggest inspiration.' It means a lot to us. We're just trying to do better and be better not only for us but because we want other Native Americans to know that they can do it, too."

On the court, Jude is a crafty ball-handling and defensive star who can also drain a three and go coast-to-coast for a layup. In the classroom, she carries a 3.777 GPA and is scheduled to receive her bachelor's degree this summer.

Yes...one of the "attack Yorkies" under Walz's tutelage has come quite far. We wish her and the rest of the team the best of luck this season and a trip to Nashville this spring.

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At the time of the writing and publishing of today's CARDINAL COUPLE, Nita Slaughter was still undergoing tests and observations in Jewish Hospital for her collapse Tuesday night at the start of the Missouri State game.

We've received dozens of e-mails here at the CARDINAL COUPLE from fans of other college women's basketball programs expressing sympathy and support for the senior guard/wing and inquiries on what exactly happened. Here's the chain of events.

Slaughter started the game and was replaced by substitution at the 17:44 mark. She scored the first UofL basket of the game at the 19:41 mark. Seated on the bench next to Tia Gibbs, Nita mentioned to Tia that she was feeling dizzy and light-headed. Seconds later, her head slumped, her body went stiff and she actually collapsed and slid behind assistant coach Sam Williams on the bench, who was watching action at the other end of the court...where the Cards were advancing the ball after forcing Missouri State into a turnover.

Gibbs caught Nita's head and the bench reacted to the slumping Slaughter. Walz, who was also watching the on-court action was notified by several players and coaches that something was wrong with Nita, turned to the bench and assisted with the then incoherent player. She was laid carefully on the court, a towel under her head, and staff and EMS medical attendants gathered around her. After a brief time on the floor, she was lifted onto a stretcher and taken off the court. The determination was made to immediately transfer her to Jewish Hospital.

I was on press row, across the court from the UofL bench and watching the game and did not see the incident. I first became aware of it when the ball advanced over the half court line and I saw the UofL bench standing around an undetermined player on the floor. At first, we didn't know who it was. A rapid player count of those standing led me to believe it was either Nita or Monny Niamke...I couldn't fully see if she was standing as she was behind a taller player.

We hope that the diagnosis is good for the affable three-point specialist and she is cleared to play after it is determined that she can do so without the scary event ever happening again.

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Jeff Walz is back on the air with a weekly, one-hour radio show Wednesday nights on ESPN 680 AM in Louisville. He and Matt Andrews discussed a variety of Cardinal Women's basketball topics and took phone calls as well.

My favorite calls were..

1) the whiner who was wimping about his seat selection and why the University didn't penalize fans who didn't attend games who had seats better than his. I thought Walz handled it well, mentioning that through scanning devices when you enter a game...they could compile a list of those season-ticket holders who were infrequent attenders and talk to them about possibly providing their tickets to others if they were unable to show up.

2) the caller (Robert, I think) who point blank asked Walz how do you beat UConn? Coach and Matt discussed this over the next five minutes and Walz offered a blue-print for eventual success over the Huskies that entailed recruiting, coaching, training techniques and talent. He didn't predict any victories over the Geno-led Storrs dwellers...but never underestimate the man who designed the Baylor beating last season.

All-in-all, an hour well spent. It worked out great for me, since I was in snarled traffic for 3/4th of the show and could listen while I was fuming at a backed up Interstate system.

Like Sammy Hagar, I can't drive 55. Yesterday, I couldn't even drive 5 for what seemed forever. Coach Walz and Matt Andrews kept me company and I'll be back to listen next Wednesday night.

Hopefully at home and not in snarled gridlock.


paulie

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Wednesday Cardinal Couple -- Cards win one for Nita...91-49 over Missouri State

WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

*******NITA SLAUGHTER UPDATE********

This from the UofL SID staff on #4:

Antonita Slaughter is still in the hospital undergoing tests today and tomorrow
to determine what caused last night's episode.  She is alert, in good spirits
and surrounded by her family. We hope to have testing completed by early
Thursday.  Once we have results and a diagnosis, we will be holding a press
conference to update everyone on Nita's condition.  At this time we ask that you
respect the family's privacy.

We'll discuss more on our favorite wing in the Thursday edition of CARDINAL COUPLE...which we may start calling "Slaughter COUPLE" until our pal is back on the court and draining treys.

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-Nita Slaughter rushed to hospital during game

It's the kind of thing one hopes to never see at an athletic contest. A player on the floor, surrounded by medial staff and EMS techs. Loaded onto a cart and hastened off the court...motionless and eyes closed. Players standing around in shocked disbelief and worry.

Shortly after coming out of the game Tuesday night at the 17:44 mark, Nita Slaughter grabbed a seat on the Cardinal bench and then went into seizure mode. Quick thinking medical and arena staff personnel went into action, laid her on the floor of Denny Crum Court and had her on the way to the hospital via ambulance.

The reports finally came in. Slaughter was responsive and answering doctor's questions at the hospital.

She is OK.

UofL sent this e-mail out at 8:15 about her to members of the media:

She was taken to Jewish Hospital and is awake and answering questions from the doctors. We will not know the official cause of her episode until all the tests are run. Head Coach Jeff Walz will be available following the game     It was, of course...the topic of discussion at halftime and on press row during the rest of the game. No one knew of any prior events events that Slaughter had had with similar issues. It was offered  maybe she was dehydrated and her electolyte level had dropped significantly. Trying to ease the tension...a jib about turkey poisoning from Thanksgiving leftovers made the rounds. I even heard one tale that she couldn't believe Shawnta Dyer converted a free throw and passed out in disbelief.   We can be a sick bunch on media row at times.

Hospital physicians and staff are evaluating and diagnosing why the senior forward suddenly started convulsing and seizing up and she'll spend the night in the hospital under observation

She had been pulled from the game early on by Coach Walz...along with Asia Taylor and Sara Hammond so he could question them on a designed play that backfired...with the Cards holding a 6-2 lead. Slaughter had scored the first goal of the game just 19 seconds into the contest.

Coach Walz gathered the players after the incident by the free throw line and discussed the matter. He told them that she was in good hands and that if Nita was there...she'd want them to play hard and well.

And, they did for Nita.

Louisville raced out to a 15-4 lead when Shoni drained her second three-pointer in a row with 14:22 on the clock. Her third three of the game made it 22-8 Cards and a Emmonnie Henderson jumper pushed the Cards to a 16-point advantage with 12:35 remaining in the first half. 

Two free throws from Tia Gibbs made it 30-11 Louisville...part of a 13-2 run over a four minute span that put Louisville comfortably ahead 37-13 with 7:36 to go. 

The shots kept falling for the Cards, who shot a blistering 61.1% in the first twenty minutes. A Shawnta Dyer jumper in the paint gave Louisville their largest lead of the half...47-19...at the 3:47 mark. the Cards would go on to lead 55-30 when the half ended. Shoni led all scorers with 11 first half points and Bria Smith contributed 10 on 5 for 6 shooting. 

The final half was a bit slower offensively but the Cards defense tighten up markedly over the final 20.  Missouri State would not score in the first 4:38 of action...and when Kenzie Williams hit a layup for the Bears...it made the score 61-31 Cards.

Louisville steadily increased the lead. Shoni's final three dictated a 67-41 margin at the 12:17 clock reading and Cortnee Walton scored a layup to increase the margin to 75-44 with 8:26 remaining. It was part of a 12-3 Louisville run over the next five minutes that culminated when Monny Niamke bounced home a layup to set the score at 87-47 and 3:12 to play.

Megan Deines jumper made the final 91-49 and the Cards had done what they set out to do...play hard and win one for their teammate.

The post-game presser with the players and Coach Walz was centered around the Slaughter incident and Walz was headed to the hospital to meet with the doctors and Nita's family after his media appearance. Shoni and Bria indicated they wanted to go also when asked in the presser.

A nice win under scary circumstances early on. Louisville solved the turnover bug with only 12 against the MVC foe. Louisville turned up the defensive effort in the second half...going to a zone and extending the defense in the Bears passing lanes. The Cards shot an acceptable 56.5% for the contest and created 24 MSU turnovers. Louisville also had 24 assists on 35 made baskets...a stat that Walz praised. Free throw shooting still can't quite get to the 70% mark,..the Cards going 14-23 for 60.9%. Shawnta Dyer's 2-6 and Cortnee Walton's 0-2 stats from the charity stripe lessened and otherwise decent effort for the Cards at the foul line.


THE FINAL WORD

Thoughts turned to Nita as we watched first half action...we relied on asst. women's basketball SID Kim Pemberton's updates and all breathed a sigh of relief when it was announced during halftime to us that Nita was alert and responsive.

As Shoni mentioned in her post-game remarks...this team is family and they were just as worried as Slaughter's family about the prognosis and event. We, as media, also have had great post-game interviews with the perpetually smiling wing and our concern was genuine and heartfelt.

As Jody Demlng mentioned to me as second half action began...it may have been one of the best early game substitutions in Walz's coaching history...even if it was purely coincidental. Imagine Nita running down the court, leaping in the air or battling for a rebound and the event occurring. She was sitting when the seizure struck and that may have been a blessing because her chances of hurting herself were greatly reduced.

We wish her a positive diagnosis and speedy return to the court.

LINKS:

FINAL STATS


POST-GAME WALZ WITH MEDIA



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In other news, Jeff Walz debuts his call-in radio show tonight at 6 p.m. on ESPN Radio 680 AM in the Louisville area. Matt Andrews will co-host with the Coach.

Let's hope they review the seven words you can't say on the radio with Coach prior to broadcast.

Here's the Louisvillle SID release:

LOUISVILLE, KY. -HEAD COACH JEFF WALZ WILL BEGIN HIS WEEKLY RADIO SHOW ON ESPhereN 680 THIS WEEK. THE FIRST HOUR LONG SHOW WILL AIR ON WEDNESDAY, DEC 4 AT 6:00 P.M. THE CARDS PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER, MATT ANDREWS WILL HOST THE SHOW.

THE SHOW WILL RECAP THE PREVIOUS WEEK AND PREVIEW THE UPCOMING SLATE.  FANS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL AND ASK THE COACH QUESTIONS AT (502) 267-9680.

THE JEFF WALZ SHOW CAN BE HEARD LOCALLY ON ESPN 680 AM, STREAMING ON-LINE AT ESPNLOUISVILLE.COM OR VIA THE TUNE IN APP FOUND IN THE APP STORE OR GOOGLE PLAY STORE.

THE DECEMBER EDITIONS OF THE JEFF WALZ SHOW WILL BE THE 4TH, 11TH, 18TH, AND 30TH ALL FROM 6:00-7:00 P.M.

So there you have it, Walz defenders and detractors. Your chance to call in and ask him the questions you bomb our e-mail box with.  Maybe I'll use my Russian accent and call in to ask him if he would like Memorial Coliseum marked for razing. Or have the Cardinal Dames from our radio show give him a ring and invite him out for pastries, shots of bourbon and one-on-one hoops out on the driveway of their mansion in Goshen.

Let's hope he doesn't get a call from Don Paulie...

paulie

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Cardinal Couple Tuesday - Let's Talk Volleyball

TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

(JEFF MCADAMS WITH THE TUESDAY EDITION OF CARDINAL COUPLE AND IN A SHOCKER...HE DISCUSSES VOLLEYBALL. HE'S BAD, BAD, BAD, BAD, BAD...HE'S NATIONWIDE.)

Volleyball brackets

Illinois Sub-Regional

The NCAA Volleyball Selection show was Sunday night and, as we covered in yesterday's Cardinal Couple, UofL Volleyball will be traveling to Champaign, IL for a first round match with Marquette.  The winner will meet the winner of the 13th seeded, and thus hosting, Illinois vs Morehead State match.

As Illinois is the seeded host, their match is the second match with an 8pm ET, 7pm local, start time.  First serve for Louisville and Marquette will be at 5:30pm ET, 4:30pm local.

Marquette is a familiar foe, given the number of years that we spent in the Big East Conference matching up with Marquette frequently.  Somehow, and looking at their schedule I'm not exactly sure how, their RPI ended up being 8th in the nation.  Yes, their win-loss record is good, but I'm not seeing any real signature wins over top class opponents, and losses to the opponents you would expect on their schedule...BYU, USC, Penn State, Florida.  In the end, though, RPI doesn't matter, seedings don't matter; you go out and play the games and find out who wins.  Historically, Louisville has overwhelmingly won this matchup, with a 28-4 record against the Golden Eagles.

In the other half of the sub-regional, we'll be cheering for Morehead State to upset Illinois.  OK, sure, this one is a long-shot.  Morehead State sports a 95th place RPI and is in the tournament by virtue of beating SIUE...yes, I had to look it up too, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville...for the OVC championship and automatic qualifier.

Illinois proves the point that RPI isn't everything for NCAA selection.  With a 20th place RPI, and remember that Marquette is in 8th, Illinois is the seeded team in the sub-regional and thus gets to play on their home floor.  They also are playing hosts to one of the regionals, so if we can advance from the sub-regional, we return to the Urbana-Champaign area to compete in the 3rd and 4th rounds.  Historically, Louisville is 4-8 against Illinois.

Elsewhere in the brackets

The other three regionals are also hosted by teams getting a double-dose of hosting goodness.  Our
friends down I-64 in Lexington are seeded 15th, USC...Southern California, not South Carolina...got the 6th seed, and Nebraska have the number 8 next to their name.  All are hosting regionals as well.

The NCAA did a generally good job of keeping teams playing near home, though as is typical, there are a number of, "Sucks to be them" reactions to be had.  Miami (FL) and Oregon playing in Nebraska isn't ideal.  North Carolina and Cal playing in Wisconsin isn't the best either.  Then there are the doozies like: Utah playing at Penn State, Alabama at Stanford (which makes Oklahoma's trek to Stanford seem not-so-bad), Alabama State at Washington, and possibly the worst is New Hampshire at Southern Cal.  Hawaii is a host this year, which means everyone placed there has a long plane ride, with the lucky winners being Idaho State, Arizona State, and BYU.

The only undefeated team is 4th seed Missouri, with Colorado State only carrying one loss.  I'm hard pressed to identify many match-ups that I would tab for potential first-round upsets, though Wichita State over #14 Kansas:  is one that I would keep an eye on.

I would expect the Final Four to be some of the usual suspect.  #1 Texas and #2 Penn State are likely to be playing on the final weekend again.  #4 Missouri certainly looks like they have a shot, but their conference-mate #5 Florida is in the same region and may give them a challenge in their third meeting of the year.  #3 Washington also has a closely seeded conference-mate in #6 USC that could likewise give them a challenge in their third go-round.  Both Florida and USC lost both regular season matches with their higher-seeded conference-mates, but, as always, it can be hard to knock off the same opponent 3 times in a single year.

Same Song Seventh Verse

I think we have this one down pat at this point.  The American Conference announced weekly honors, with Maya McClendon digging up her seventh Freshman of the Week.  An error-free 16 kills vs Rutgers, in a double-double with 15 digs surely contributed to the last of these deserved honors for the year.  And with that we bid a fair adieu to The American Conference volleyball awards.


The Bears, the bears....

The Missouri State Bears lumber into the KFC YUM! Center tonight to play UofL in exciting women's college basketball action. Here's the word on them (thanks to Louisville SID for the preview)

Missouri State is 1-4 on the season with a home victory over Sun Belt

Conference favorite UALR and losses to Arkansas State, IUPUI, Arkansas and
Quinnipiac. Last Tuesday, Missouri State led Quinnipiac for the bulk of the
game’s first 31 minutes before Quinnipiac took over for a 75-65 victory at JQH
Arena. Kenzie Williams led the Lady Bears with 15 points and Hannah Wilkerson
added 12 on a perfect 4-for-4 from the beyond the arc.

Sophomore guard Kenzie Williams leads the scoring at 17.6 points to go with

4.6 rebounds. Tyonna Snow averages 9.6 points, 4.0 boards and team-bests of 10
assists and eight steals, while sister Bry Snow averages 8.8 points and is the
team’s leading rebounder at 6.0 per contest. As a team, the Lady Bears average
61.4 points and allow 75.2 while shooting 37.87 percent overall, 31.2 percent on 3-
pointers and 62.5 percent from the foul line.

Head coach Kellie Harper is in her first season with the Lady Bears. She

owns a career record of  168-133
so...using the old we beat them by this much and they beat them by this much hypothesis...louisville beat Quinnapiac by 18 and the bears lost to them by ten, so louisville wins the game tonight by 28. toss in ten points for home court advantage and it's a 38 point win. unless there is a post-UK slug and general malfeasance.




jeffmcadams

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Monday Cardinal Couple -- Cats 69 - Cards 64

MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-  Stalled

-  Volleyball starts against Marquette


DeNesha Stallworth's 15 second half points, CARDS cold shooting lead to loss in Lexington.

After trailing by nine points at halftime, UK used a 24-9 run over the first 10 minutes of the second half to open up a six point lead over the University of Louisville's women's basketball team and held on to defeat UofL 69-64 Sunday afternoon in Memorial Coliseum.

The Cards looked in control after 20 minutes...leading 36-27 and outrebounding UK 23-13 in the first half. Asia Taylor had 10 points for Jeff Walz's squad and the Cards were shooting 50% against a tight UK defensive effort.

Enter Stallworth and Jennifer O'Neill for the Wildcats. A combined 1 point between the two in the first half ended up with the duo totaling 27 in the final stanza and UK took advantage of 14 whistles against Louisville to take the lead for good when Bernisha Pinkett nailed a three with 10:45 remaining to grab the advantage at 46-45. Pinkett would sink another trey and UK had turned the tables...up 51-45 with 9:32 left in the contest.

Cold shooting plagued UofL in the final twenty....going 10-36 (27.8%) while UK took control of the boards and forced the Cards into 24 turnovers...the second straight game Louisville has committed "give-up's" of two dozen or more.

Yet, the Cards fought back and after Nita Slaughter and Sara Hammond scored to narrow the Cats advantage to 64-62 with 2:08 left...it looked to be a fight to the finish.

A questionable foul on Sara Hammond sent her to the bench with five infractions just 13 seconds later. From that point on, the Cats went on a 5-0 run to seal the win. Shoni got a putback with five seconds left to make the final 69-64.

Shoni had 17 to lead Louisville in scoring...15 in the second half. Sara Hammond ended with 12 in 23 minutes and Asia Taylor completed the Cards in double figures with 10...all in the first half. 24 fouls and 24 turnovers. 22 made field goals.

A disappointing loss. Fuel for the fire for those who claim the Cards have no legit "big" inside. Louisville had no answer for Stallworth inside in the second half.

It's not the end of the world. Louisville takes to the Denny Crum Court Tuesday to face Missouri State for a 7 p.m. tip.

Hopefully without referees Michael Price, Mark Zentz and Maj Forsberg in attendance.

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THE FINAL WORD

Jeff Walz described it best in the post-game presser when he said the Cards gave this one away. Actually, he used a different term, but he asked the media to use discretion...so I am.

UofL was up 14 in the first half. Up nine at half. UK wanted it more today and they got it. It's one game, one loss but losing to your in-state rival always stings.

Hopefully it was a loss that will lead to a finish like the Cards had last year. I'll take wins over Baylor and the Vols over a loss to UK anyday.

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The NCAA had their Volleyball tournament selection show Sunday evening an Louisville will travel to Champaign, IL and face Marquette in opening action. Jeff McAdams will have more on this, in comment and article form, later this week. Below is the UofL SID release:

The NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Committee announced today the 64-team field for the 2013 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship and the University of Louisville will face Marquette in the first round of the tournament Friday at 5:30 ET in Champaign, Ill. The winner will advance to play the winner of the No. 13 seed Illinois versus Morehead State match.

“This puts us in a familiar spot,” said U of L head coach Anne Kordes. “We played Marquette three times last year and we have a lot of respect for the team and their coaching staff. It is a tough first round matchup but it helps that we have played in Champaign so it is a familiar area. The whole point of playing a tough schedule and winning the conference is to get a good matchup in the tournament. We are fired up and ready to go.”

Thirty-two conferences were awarded automatic qualification, and the remaining 32 slots were filled with at-large selections to complete the bracket. Louisville earned the automatic qualifier after sweeping The American Athletic Conference.

The match with Marquette will be a rematch of the 2012 BIG EAST Conference Tournament Championship with the Cards prevailing 25-19, 25-23, 26-24. U of L also beat the Golden Eagles 3-0 at home and 3-1 in Milwaukee during the regular season. This year, Marquette is currently ranked No. 24. U of L has a 24-8 series edge on the Golden Eagles.

The top 16 teams were seeded nationally and placed within four regions. The teams tabbed as the top four seeds were No. 1 University of Texas at Austin; No. 2 Pennsylvania State University; No. 3 University of Washington; and No. 4 University of Missouri, Columbia.

Per the established bracketing principles the top 16 seeds were provided the opportunity to host. In addition, first- and second-round conference matchups were avoided and team pairings were determined by geographical proximity.

The Pacific-12 Conference led all conferences with nine teams. The Big Ten Conference and Southeastern Conference were next with eight teams in the tournament. Two teams, Penn State and Stanford have earned bids to all 32 championships. Four teams are making their initial appearances in the tournament: Alabama State University, Duquesne University, Hampton University and Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis.

In the 32-year history of the championship, 10 schools have been crowned champion, seven of which are in this year’s bracket, including defending champion, Texas.

 

Past winners making the field are Stanford (1992, 94, 96, 97, 2001, 04), University of Hawaii, Manoa (1982, 83, 87), University of Nebraska, Lincoln (1995, 2000, and 06), University of Southern California (1981, 2002, 03), Penn State (1999, 2007, 08, 09 and 10), Texas (1988, 2012) and Washington (2005).

First- and second-round matches will be played at 16 campus sites. Teams winning both matches will move on to regional play December 13 and 14. The pre-determined regional sites are Lexington, Kentucky; Los Angeles, California; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Champaign, Illinois. All regional semifinal games will be shown on ESPN3. Regional final games will air on ESPNU.

The regional winners will advance to the semifinals and final hosted by Washington and at KeyArena in Seattle, Washington, on December 19 and 21. Both national semifinal games as well as the championship game will be broadcast by ESPN2.

-paulie

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