Lauren Cox making the visits with five universities -- Wednesday Cardinal Couple

6'4" Center scheduled to visit UofL the weekend of Sept. 25th.

Flower Mound, TX is a town in northeast Texas that is northwest of Dallas and due west of Lewisville. The name is derived from a 12.5 acre, 50 foot tall mound in the city that produces beautiful wildflowers and Indian grasses and is maintained by private and civic groups plus the Army Corps of Engineers.

The mound is traditionally what the town is most famous for...but over the last couple of years...high school basketball phenomenon Lauren Cox has given the nature spot a run for its money in notoriety and fame. 

Cox is the #1 ranked prospect in the 2016 class and has narrowed her choices and visits down to Notre Dame, Tennessee, Louisville, Connecticut and Baylor. She's already visited the South Bend and Knoxville campuses and will tour Louisville's Belknap Campus the weekend of Sept. 25th. 

She's no stranger to several residents in the Derby City...having participated on this summer's USA U 19 team with Mariya Moore, Asia Durr and Jeff Walz. 

Her visit will include scrutiny of how the players and coaches get along on and off the court. Besides wanting to play on a good team...another emphasis is being in a place she is comfortable. 

Cox also excels at Volleyball and has already taken the court for that at Flower Mound High School. Her basketball stats for her junior year are most impressive...named Gatorade Player of the Year for Texas and averaging 21.7 points, 15.4 rebounds and 5.2 blocked shots. She led her team to their first state semifinal appearance last year as well.

On a national setting, she's been part of teams that have won three consecutive gold medals...beginning with the 2013 FIBA Americas U-16 squad, last year's U-17 team and the U-19 team this summer. 

Her goal is to improve by getting stronger and preparing herself for the faster college pace. A deceptive post player who can stretch a defense out to the arc...Cox would flourish in the up-and-down the court style that Jeff Walz's
squads excel at. She's a battler in the paint, tenacious on defense. 

Cox hasn't announced a timeline for making a decision yet and will conclude her visits with stops at Connecticut the weekend of Oct 16th. and Baylor the following weekend. She experienced the thrill and excitement of the KFC YUM! Center last season and the Cardinal coaches have made in-home visits with her.


The obvious question would be...what would convince her to be a Cardinal? Significant playing time right off the bat would seem to be a very real possibility and the competition in the always tough ACC is an instant draw for any talented high school star. The KFC YUM! Center is one of, if not the best, college basketball facilities in the nation and Cardinal women's basketball fans appreciate and support the WBB squad by attending and avidly rooting for the players.


Jeff Walz is widely recognized as one of the best coaches in the women's game and is setting the building blocks for a National Championship. His potential 2016 class is already in the top ten with Jazmine Jones, Kylee Shook, Bionca Dunham and Sydney Zambrotta and Walz has indicated there is room for another "big" or two on the Cardinal Caravan. Post players flourish when there is a exemplary contingent of guards on a roster and Louisville is certainy not lacking in that aspect. 

Mulkey, Geno, Muffet, Holly or Jeff? 

Undoubtedly a tough decision for a high school senior to make. An honor to be considered by the five-some. The big-city-but-down-home atmosphere that surrounds Louisville, though...is a unique and positive pull to young men and women who are considering their student-athlete pursuits. If she loves the aura of The Flower Mound, Lauren will go nuts over Iroquois and Cherokee Parks and the beautiful floral displays there.

You see a lot of people smiling on campus...Louisville women's basketball is revered by fans. The best college sports town in America. The best facilities. The 'Ville'.

And...finally...her first name is the same as Coach Walz's wife. I'm seeing some manifest destiny here... 

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Paulie made a Tuesday visit on the Howie Lindsey Show and chatted about Louisville women's sports yesterday.

(Insert "Gee ya think so?" here if you desire...what else would Paulie talk about except Italian Sausages and ponies?)

Howie even snuck in a football question on him. Link for listening below...Paulie appears around the 32 minute mark but we think you should listen to the whole hour...Howie is that good...Paulie? Well, he's Paulie...let's leave it at that... 

CARDINAL COUPLE'S PAULIE ON THE HOWIE SHOW

paulie
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