SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE
- What will Jude's senior season bring?
-Walz Interview on CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO today
IS LEADERSHIP ROLE "IN THE CARDS" FOR JUDE?
As I park my car and prepare to enter the SAC Building, where the UofL WBB offices are, I see a familiar figure walking toward the parking garage. She is not surrounded by throngs of admiring Native American fans, her older sister is not leading the way and she carries no basketball, water bottle or school books.
Jude Schimmel saunters into the garage, climbs in her vehicle and slowly and carefully backs out. She drives by me...I raise a hand and wave and she gives me a broad smile as she passes me and drives out of the facility.Jude and I have never had more than just a few words together and she probably couldn't pick me out of a lineup...but she's stared out at me a few times in post-game media press conference, so I figured the wave was appropriate and was glad to get a smile in return.
She is on a mission. Not only on that particular day...but for her senior season as a UofL women's basketball student-athlete.
Looking back at her career...I recall when she first decided to choose to follow her sister Shoni's footsteps and attend Louisville. We got comments here at the site. Both positive and negative. You, our readers...told us Jude was:
-Too small to be effective in college hoops.
-Just being brought on campus to keep her sister company.
-The final piece of the package that ensured Shoni would come here and stay here.
-Someone that would ride the bench for four years
We also got some great and uplifting responses...-She led her high school team when Shoni was injured and was the star after Shoni graduated.
-Was a ball-hawking, lock-down defensive guard who could put up Shoni-type numbers
-A better three-point shooter than her sister.
-Intelligent, a big student of the game and a leader.
In 2011-12, her first season as a Card, she was a reserve who didn't start a game, used primarily as a back up guard and averaged 11.7 minutes a game. She was third on the team in assists, scored 50 points for a 1.7 average and had 19 steals.
As a sophomore in 2012-13, her playing time increased to 24.3 minutes per contest. She was second on the team is assists, three-point shooting %, and steals. She hit the game-winner against Texas A&M and averaged 5.7 points per game...217 total points. Still no starts, but usually first off the bench for Walz. Last season, she finally broke the starting lineup for five games. Although her minutes-per-game dropped slightly (22.5) and her total points (175) and average (5.6) were slightly less than her sophomore year...she had a career scoring high against Quannipiac (16 points). She was second in assists again and third in steals.
For the third time in her young life...Jude will don the jersey, put on the shoes and step out on the hardwood without Shoni by her side. The stakes much higher in this scenario.
Linked below are a couple of great reads on her from Indian Country Today:
JUDE THE LEADER
JUDE THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Will Jude evolve into Shoni's role as the go-to, the spark, the heart of the 2014-15 UofL WBB squad?
Shoni Schimmel type players come along for a program maybe once every 5-10 years. As a head coach, Jeff Walz has been fortunate to have two players who were legendary in their careers...Shoni and Angel. We don't see any of the returning players matching those qualifications and accomplishments.
There are five freshman on campus, though. Any or all of them have that chance, that opportunity to become that next Shoni or Angel.
Fun times ahead...and for Jude Schimmel...a season in the spotlight without having her name said second when the media discusses "a Schimmel" at Louisville.
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Our radio show on Crescent Hill will feature an interview with Jeff Walz. We'll also discuss other UofL Sports, we'll have a quiz for Worldwide Jeff and our usual assortment of gripes, analysis, ennui and blustering braggaddio. Maybe Worldwide willeven give us a concert review from last night's live music on the lawn at Crescent Hill Radio for the Friday night Frankfort Avenue trolley hop.
Join us, wont you?
Link below
MAMA !!! THEM MEN IS ON THE ELECTRIC RADIO AGAIN !!!
PAULIE
I think Jude will have a really good year. Frankly I think Shoni got as much or more from Jude coming to Louisville as Jude has or will. I'm pretty sure things wouldn't have turned out as well for Shoni if Jude had taken the Columbia scholarship offer. From a long term career standpoint a BA / BS from Louisville is great but an Ivy League degree from Columbia?!? No real comparison. She left tons on the table from a long term career standpoint to be there for her sister. Not to mention that she would have torn up the Ivy League WCBB scene. Shows how much she loves here sister, thats for sure.
ReplyDeleteTo me the biggest variable for Jude will be how well she can do against the bigger, stronger, quicker guards in the ACC on a night in / night out basis. It's a fact that she's just not that big and although she's quick, she's not going to be quicker than the average ACC guard. On the positive side I think she was pretty deferential to Shoni on the court throughout her first three years. She proved in high school she could shine on her own so it will be interesting to see how she does when she's not looking for Shoni. I'm hoping we'll be able to depend on her for a 10 pt / 5 assist / 2 steal and >= 2 turnovers stat line this year.
I'm more worried about Sara and Bria than Jude. I've had a bad taste in my mouth ever since neither of them showed up for the Maryland loss. I'm anxiously awaiting their first game so I can put that image out of my mind.
from the first night I watched Jude play, I decided if I had a choice of the two Schimmels that I would pick Jude. Please do not assume that I don't think Shoni is great, I do. But Jude fits better into my philosophy of basketball, defense first and offense second. this woman can play some serious defense. When I was volunteering at the Old Louisville Visitor's Center a man from Oregon asked if Shoni was my was my favorite player. I told him that Shoni was not even my favorite Schimmel. I also appreciate athletes who take their academics very seriously.
ReplyDeleteI have lived in Louisville my whole life and I say Loueeville because we are name after King Louie, not King Lua. As per your radio show. :) I refuse to adopt lazy speaking habits.
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