Tuesday Cardinal Couple -- Forget the Laundry - Let It Rain Recruits!

TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- We'll just call her Hurricane Sandy today


(Cardinal Couple columnist Sandy Walker takes us on her weekly stormy deluge through Cardinal Women's Athletics and more this morning. We'll be back later today with coverage on women's basketball recruiting announcements.)



Pass out the Bubble Gum

IT’S Another GIRL!

Emmonnie joins Janelle Cannon

Hoping for Sextuplets

Check out Jenny’s Monday special Cardinal Couple Insert

EMMONNIE HENDERSON COMMITMENT

and again later today for the 5:30

MERECEDES RUSSELLL ANNOUNCEMENT

Janelle

Emmonnie

Don't make a POOR decision!

YOUR PICTURE BELONGS HERE!

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WHIRLWIND TIMES

Thanks to Hurricane Sandy I have been reminded that there truly is no place like home.   Since leaving Louisville for what was to be a short vacation -- wind and rain from my namesake has literally chased me from Washington DC down the east coast to Asheville, NC, through the mountains and for me now safely back home although the car continues its journey on to Houston, TX.   I find it remarkable that while in the same relatively short period of time that I have been holding onto what was to be a local use vacation rental car which now has enough new mileage to need replacement tires and a tune up that in addition to Janelle Cannon Emmonnie Henderson has announced that she will also be calling Louisville home for the next 4 years.  Such a great double treat to also learn of Emmonnie’s announcement and hopefully today additional commitments by what are to be the future stars and adopted family members of Cardinal basketball. Emmonnie is ranked #21 in the latest ASGR report.

I wonder if they yet really and truly understand the virtual rock star status the players and coaches hold in what is truly a southern atmosphere college-team town.  Fans of the Cards begin their attendance in strollers and end it in wheelchairs, yet they keep coming to watch returning and new Cardinal family members such as Emmonnie and Janelle -- and hopefully others which will commit today and beyond.  I hope they do and are able to soak it all in as just as how so much had changed in the short time I was away, their time as a Cardinal player will pass all too quickly but they will always be a member of the Card Nation

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CARD Nation Success


Louisville defeats Cincinnati in Volleyball, Football and Men’s Soccer.

Louisville's current ranked teams: M Basketball 2, W Basketball 9, Football 12, Volleyball 13, M Soccer 14, M Swim/Dive 16, W Swim 24 #L1C4

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SCHOOL RANKINGS

U of L teams hold a separate but uniquely additional joint national record.  Currently Women’s basketball is ranked 9^th, Men’s basketball is ranked 2^nd, Football is ranked 12^th, Volleyball is ranked 12^th, Men’s Soccer holds 14^th while Men’s Swimming/Diving is  16^th and the Women’s team holds the 24^th spot.  We are unaware of any other team in the nation with 7 of its teams holding one of the top 25 national spots. 

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BASKETBALL GAME TICKETS

Single game tickets went on Sale Monday.   Corner arena and baseline season tickets are still available.  http://www.uoflsports.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/102912aaa.html  Contact the ticket office at 502-852-5151. Also, don’t forget – U of L is pleased to be hosting the first and second rounds of the 2013 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament in the KFC Yum Center!. Tickets are currently on sale.  Coach Walz had indicated the need to pre-sale at least 8,000 tickets at this year’s award of the openings rounds is hoped to be the beginning of what some day will culminate in the hosting of the Final 4 Championships.  Selection to the 64 team NCAA tournament team will insure that U of L will play in the first round in their regular season home.  A win would give them home court advantage also in the 2^nd round which is also being played in Louisville.   U of L has not enjoyed the tournament home court advantage in recent years, if ever.  I would advise you to get your tickets now before the tournament teams are announced and you find yourself competing with fans from other teams for premium seats.

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GOLF

The women’s golf team is in 12^th Place of the Alamo Invitational After First Round.

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FIELD HOCKEY

Senior goalkeeper, Erin Conrad,                                                     

was named BIG EAST Conference Field Hockey Defensive Player of the week.  She had 10 saves for the week including six in the 2-1 Providence win.  She added four saves in the 4-3 overtime win against Ohio State.  The 12-7, 3-3 Big East team faces Connecticut Friday in the semifinals which are being played at Trager Stadium.

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MEDIA

CARDINAL COUPLE

Coach Walz is scheduled to talk to the media at noon today.  The players will then be made available at 12: 30.  Paul and possibly Coco will be attending and providing a report

BASKET BALL PRE-SEASON RANKING

Saturday the Associated Press released the current pre-season rankings.  Four returning starters from a 23-10 prior year’s record earned Louisville a 9^th place position and is the highest pre-season projection ever received by the team.  The always tough Big East had 5 teams included in the top 25.  They are Connecticut, Notre Dame, St. John’s and DePaul.

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BASKETBALL EXHIBITION GAME!

The long awaited pre-season basketball tip-off game begins with an exhibition match with Eckerd College on Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 7:00 p.m. The KFC Yum! Center match will be the only exhibition game of the season and admission is free.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

The regular season tip off for women’s basketball is next Friday November 9.   The return match from last year against No. 15 Texas A&M is at the YUM Center! At 7:00 p.m. and is a great opportunity to see the ladies avenge last year’s loss when the 2011 National Champion Aggies benefited not only by playing at home but also did not have to compete against Shoni.   It will also be great to see Monique and Tia again on the court after the long rehab.

This game is a

RED OUT with the goal of filling the house this and every game as we the fans control U of L’s advance into placing the Cards in a position of having the highest average attendance of NCAA women’s basketball.   Make your plans now for the game and bring a friend for what is the best value event for entertainment in the region.  Coach Walz indicated at the tip off luncheon that if you get them in the door for the first time, the team will keep them coming back.    

To help you painlessly get them in the door you can bring several friends to this match for $2.00 a ticket by showing a Kroger Plus Card at any U of L ticket office location.  Information can be obtained by calling the U of L  ticket office at (502) 852-5151.

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VOLLEYBALL

The AVCA coaches poll has moved U of L up to No. 12 in the nation.  Gwen Rucker was named to BIG EAST honor roll for the week. http://www.uoflsports.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/102912aaa.html.   Sunday’s win over Cincinnati gave the Volleycards a perfect record of 7-0 in away matches for the season. They are joined only by Hawaii and Marquette with perfect away match records for the year. Louisville will host a match against Marquette on Nov. 9 in Cardinal Arena.  Prior to the NCAA tournament they will play the final four games of the regular season in Louisville against Villanova on Nov. 2, Georgetown on Nov. 4, Marquette on Nov. 9, and Cincinnati on Nov. 11.


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BEST 2012-2013 BASKETBALL PROGRAMS IN DIVISION I

Yesterday James Bowman of SB Nation / Swish Appeal has again created what it considers to be the best 100 women’s basketball  Division I programs for the 2012-2013 season.  The link indicated are for teams published on Monday ranked as 71-100 http://www.swishappeal.com/2012/10/29/3509016/ncaa-womens-college-basketball-top-programs-71-100. The schedule continues today for teams ranked #41-70, Wednesday for #26-40 Thursday: #11-25 and Friday ends with teams they have ranked #1-10.

What caught my attention is that the rankings are their ranking of the 100 best programs in Division I. This is not the same thing as the 100 best teams in Division I for the 2012-13 season.  Considerations were Wins and quality of competition, Attendance, Recruiting, and Hitting benchmarks.  Benchmarks are Postseason play, win totals, Conference titles and tournament victories, All Americans and WNBA high draft picks.  Excluded were Faraway glory, Coaching records and longevity and Academics.  I will be checking each day looking for Louisville.  

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FIELD HOCKEY

The Field Hockey team clinched 3^rd place in the Big East Tournament by defeating Providence 2-1. 

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"The logical choice, Jim is that she verbals to Louisville."

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