Cardinal Couple: Louisville women's basketball -- #9 Cards face Clemson tonight...THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Louisville women's basketball -- #9 Cards face Clemson tonight...THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

CARDS TAKE A TIGER BY THE TAIL TONIGHT

No Nelly tonight, it appears, for the Tigers.

On paper and after a review of the stats, this ACC women's basketball contest between Louisville and Clemson tonight appears to be one where Louisville should win easily and improve their conference record to 6-2 while upping the season slate to 19-4.

They don't play games on paper or by statistical tendencies, however, and all ACC contests are challenging...especially when you are the visiting squad.

Louisville takes on the conference-winless Tigers tonight in the Littlejohn Coliseum tonight at 7 p.m. I've always loved that arena name and wonder if Robin Hood, Friar Tuck and Maid Marion will be in attendance...with some mutton, mead and a sling of arrows to help the Tigers try and take down the Jeff Walz led high-flying Birds.

It started out to be a pretty good season for head coach Audra Smith's felines. They leapt to an 8-0 start and people were wondering aloud if there was a chance that they might pull the upset on two very worthy foes that lay in wait next...visiting PAC 12 powerhouse Oregon and at in-state rival South Carolina.

The bubble burst, though...Oregon leaving Sherwood Forest with a convincing 87-57 win and the Gamecocks putting the Tigers back on I-26 with a 83-61 beating. Clemson would win their final three non-conference tilts to enter ACC play at 11-2...but success against the Atlantic Coast slate has been non-existent for Jaia Alexander and Aliyah Collier...losing their seven games by an average of 24 points and six of them by 12 or more points.

At NC State, Clemson was only down by two going into the fourth quarter but were outscored 18-8 in the final ten minutes. Clemson did have 42 points in the paint and held the Wolfpack to just 34% from the hardwood...but 17 Clemson turnovers led to 19 NC State points. The Tigers suffered a crucial blow when junior point-guard Nelly Perry separated her shoulder against Syracuse in early January and has sat out the last five games. The Tigers definitely miss those team high 14.5 ppg per game and her court-leadership.

It's not as if there isn't any other additional talent on the scenic South Carolina campus, though. Danielle Edwards, Alexander, Collier and Kobi Thornton are all capable of double-figure performances any night they take the court. The problem seems to be the accuracy in their shooting...Clemson is last in the ACC with 38%...and turnovers...where Clemson is second-worst in cough-up's...next to Boston College.

Keeping the ball when you get it so you can shoot it and then making it when you get a chance. Two very important concepts for winning basketball. Clemson's best chance may be moving the contest to Greenville's Bon Secours Wellness Arena...an ice hockey facility that one site reporting on Clemson basketball lists as the Tiger's home court. I'm just not sure how well Myisha and Jazmine would do on ice skates or on a frozen surface....

For Louisville, it would be best served if the Cards took the southeastern sojourn as a business trip. Go in, be efficient, don't get anyone hurt, play fundamental basketball for 40 minutes and get out with the "W". The 'numbers' indicate Louisville should be a 15-point favorite. I'd be surprised if it's that anywhere near being that close...but you never know what a wounded tiger backed in a corner might do. Dabo Sweeney and a pep talk might be in order...

Clemson actually leads the overall series between these two 3-2...but the three Clemson wins came before 1994. Last year, the Cards won 75-33 on January 28th. Myisha Hines-Allen missed the contest because of the death of her grandfather...but Sam Fuehring filled in with 12 points. The Cards held the Tigers to 12 first half points. Louisville's last trip to Littlejohn...in the Cards first ACC season...resulted in a 81-49 win.

The ACC Network Extra will have the contest live. I'll probably switch back and forth between that and the call of Nick Curran and A.J. on Cards Radio 790.

Your musical selection for the day would be the classic Buck Owens ditty "Tiger by the Tail"....LINK: BUCK and DEAN MARTIN? YES, THEY DID DO A DUET

😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜

PAULIE PICKS

Thursday Action:

-- Louisville claws the Clemson Tigers in Littlejohn Arena tonight. All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't prevent this upcoming Cardinal win...

-- Florida State goes to Georgia Tech to trade oranges for peaches or pecans and the Seminoles should come out on top of the wampum session. FSU will do.

-- Miami hosts the UNC Tarheels needing a win. They've lost the last two and were embarrassed at Syracuse. They get back on track tonight with a win.

-- NC State has the Pitt Panthers in Reynolds Coliseum tonight and Ms and Mr. Wuf should have plenty to dance about. If it were the Steelers...but it isn't and State should improve to 6-2 in conference.

-- Virginia Tech travels to Charlottesville for an in-state match up against the UVA Wahoos. Tech will welcome this one after facing and losing to Duke and FSU and should get the "W"

-- Wake Forest provides the Boston College Eagles with a landing zone tonight and should go to 4-3 in conference with a win over Baldwin's bunch. Wake is my "surprise" school so far in the ACC WBB conference. They're demonic.

-- Notre Dame and Duke is the premier ACC WBB tussle of the evening and it should be a good one in South Bend. Which Duke squad will show up? I'm going with the Irish to win a close one...unless Grayson Allen shows up. Road trip!

SEASON STATS:

I'm 40-9 in predictions and that's good for 81.6%. I'm waiting for my steak knives. I'm still saying that, at this juncture of the season, nine ACC teams should receive NCAA Tournament bids. Plenty of hoops left, yes...I know that...but if the pairings were today...I see FSU, Notre Dame, Louisville, Duke, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, NC State, Miami and Wake Forest as dance candidates.

I'm leaving out Georgia Tech and Virginia here...but if they catch fire in their final 10 ACC games, the committee would have to look at them.

What say you?

farewell Mary Tyler Moore. Mr. Grant (Ed Asner) out-lived her.
paulie
xxxxx

3 comments:

Merv1/26/2017 10:27 AM
Acc no cup cakes play hard every game its a dog fight game after game.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Mike D1/26/2017 10:56 AM
"For recreationsl purposes only" Louisville is favored by 21 1/2 points. I'm giving the points in this one.

Notre Dame is favored by 11 over Duke. I'll take Duke and the points.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Merv1/26/2017 8:54 PM
Sloppy game but a win is a win.
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Please leave your comments here. We ask you be respectful of other posts, no matter how ridiculous they may seem to you. After all, it is CARDINAL COUPLE.

Any attempts to advertise a product or other website here in the comments section without the prior consent of CARDINAL COUPLE will result in a bill rendered for advertising services and possible legal action. We're serious. No more bots.

Now, have your take...

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

RIGHT SIDE OF THE SITE

Welcome to the right side of the site! Table for two? Or would you like a seat at the bar? Over here, you'll find schedules, results, pictures, characters, notices, links and other ennui and general nonsense we offer and come across. You can hear past podcasts here, follow our Cardinal Couple Radio twitter account or find out more about us ! Of course, they've never heard of us at UofL. but we go on anyway. That's all pretty good and quite a bargain for the price (free). Please don't double park or take up two spaces while you're here and tip your server !

Who we are and what we do

We are an independent website that covers the joy and excitement of UofL women's sports. We're not about birds here, or trysts with other like-minded couples or major league baseball. We write about women's sports at the University of Louisville. We are non-profit, we run no ads and don't ask you for fees and our writers volunteer their services. We have no premium boards or fee-based reads. We are "daily". Any questions, comments or observations can be left in the comments section at the bottom of any article or sent directly to Paulie at: cardinalcouple@twc.com .. Thank you for reading. As we like to say..."You ARE Cardinal Couple! We never forget that and we appreciate you" !!

PEOPLE OF THESE PAGES

Jeff "Worldwide" McAdams writes our Sunday columns and is well-known for his snark on The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast and love of Volleyball. (He knows he's the brains of the operation...) He secretly wishes he was on a rocket to Mars. With good coffee.. Jeff's been with us the longest out of our current group of writers (beside founder Paulie) and all that proves is that he's slow to change and Paulie probably needs to clean house again and bring in a new group of chimps. He and Case are the guys behind the always malfunctioning podcast format (which we fully expect to create trouble each week). Jeff thinks he has a superior I.T. background than us and we allow him to think so -- we need him to explain "technology" to Paulie. You like Volleyball? He knows Volleyball. More than your average bear. .

PEOPLE OF THESE PAGES

Case Hoskins writes here Saturdays and is on our podcasts when he isn't busy getting muddy, moving to a new house, field dressing deer. or saying "Yes, dear" to lovely Lindsay his wife.. He's also co-conspirator on the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast with Jeff -- when he has an Internet connection. consider him our soccer expert here at CARDINAL COUPLE....we just have to keep him away from WSOC head coach KFD. During the day he helps blueprint and design better mouse-traps or fancy-schmancy buildings and stuff. Another one of them engineer types. Known for his love of the Seattle Seahawks and dislike of games that end in ties...he adds a voice of reason, intelligence and rationality to THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR PODCASTS. ( Or so he thinks...) Truth told, he's probably a candidate for smartest one of this bunch of hoodlums, outlaws and ne'er do wells...but don't tell him that. Often mistaken for NFL quarterback Andrew Luck...we're 99% sure that ISN'T Bobby Petrino sitting to his left. . Free to a good home that will give him a bath, something to argue about and some Rice-a-Roni.

PEOPLE OF THESE PAGES

Jared Anderson is one of our favorite writers and does podcasts with us as well. When he's not busy snapping photos of student-athletes he's taking selfies of himself somewhere. We look forward to his expertise on several sports on these pages and hope he accepts the challenge of taking on the Field Hockey water cannons. He also serves as CARDINAL COUPLE'S official photographer...an extension of his business JDA Photography. He also takes photos for other sites. He spends his working hours impersonating Freddy Farm Bureau around town and making sure folks are insured. Be careful, he might follow you home...but give him a hot meal, warm blanket, internet access, and a corner to sleep in if he does...and he'll be fine and unobtrusive, unless you give him picture-taking capabilities.. It's said that "you're no one unless Jared has taken your picture". He's owned by Katy- she's got the rock to prove it- and that's probably a good thing, because the lad needs a keeper.

PEOPLE OF THESE PAGES

Our newest writer, Daryl Foust, is all about Cardinals Athletics. A essential part of the old Cardinal Couple Radio Hour on the ill-fated WCHQ FM, she also had her own radio show (Kentucky Women Talk Sports) and has written for a couple of other Cardinal Sports sites. The standing joke is that she'll show up for the CCRH podcast again someday. A UofL employee, she' stays busy being Aunt Daryl and Lulu's owner. Her WBB and Softball knowledge is top notch . And, if there's a live music festival going on locally, you can expect to see her in attendance. We're honored to have her on board, we invite you to spend Fridays With Daryl at the website -- just don't ask her to predict scores, fill out brackets or be overjoyed at taking the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast Worldwide Quiz during the summer months...she's rumored to be a golfer as well, so "fore" in advance if she's in your neck of the woods.

CO-FOUNDER AND CO-OWNER

The other co-owner and voice of reason....the lovely Sonja...who returns to us on a permanent basis after what can be called an "interesting" time at Rivals. In her words..."you work, slave, research and study for hours and build a site... a women's board. You spend hours on a three column article and several of the readers decide to take aim at you when all you're trying to do is enlighten. I've never seen so many mis-spellings of Louisville WBB players names anywhere...which made me think I was dealing with third graders over there... I have decided to stay off that street and source from here on out and I'm so glad to be back with those who love and appreciate me... not with haters and self-anointed experts " An avid fan of native gardening, hiking and the Smoky Mountains....she loves German potato pancakes and Led Zeppelin....and reminds you to plant native species. I've only seen her mad once (when she was ready to punch out another woman writer who was spreading lies about her) and I've got a feeling that might be a typhoon you want to steer clear of. One of the original writers on the site (with Paulie and David Watson), she has returned. Not as a columnist, but as a proof-reader, confidant and one to bounce thoughts and ideas off of. She's tired of guys with very limited women's basketball knowledge but huge egos calling her out when they are usually chauvinistic, and can be compared to the dog outside barking at something he can't see...We welcome her back and know she'll enjoy the calm waters here. You've got nothing you need to prove or defend with us....you are among those who love you.

We're still on the air! (Click the Pic)

Did you miss the latest installment of THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR PODCAST ?? Well fear not, mon frere! We now have two ways to hear the rebroadcast. You can go to Anchor FM and hear it, as well as continuing to listen on You Tube! To give Anchor a try.... Click the picture to listen to it...and listen/watch us on You Tube in the future..you just.might learn something if you're not careful. Tell a friend we're podcasting now. You can check out the livestream below, or catch the podcast on your favorite podcast network source. I'll just cut-and-paste the links that Case put together in yesterday's article: Anchor (podcast host): Link Apple Podcasts: Link Breaker: Link Google Podcasts: Link Overcast (free account required): Link Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link RadioPublic: Link Spotify: Link

About the photos...

CARDINAL COUPLE uses photos from all sources in the daily columns that we present to you. If we've used a photo you have taken and want published credit it for it...just contact us and we'll be glad to do so. Shoot, we might even write a feature article about you and call your Mom and tell her what a good son or daughter you are. WE avoid pictures that may be subject to copywrite. Our legal advisors are busy enough chasing ambulances and wheelchairs when they're not trying to figure out trifecta plays at Churchill. Some of the photos are actually taken by the staff of CARDINAL COUPLE. (When we can get the camera away from the chimps). Paulie uses his cell phone to take pictures, too. You have been warned. Please realize that the captions that go with the photos are sometimes parodies. It's up to you to figure out which ones are and aren't. We can't spoon feed everything to you, you know... Jared Anderson is our main photographer and we have loved his work (even his selfies) for many years. Congratulations if you made it this far in your reading! We know...reading stuff like this can be pretty boring but WE have to put it on the site somewhere so that we can say..."hey, there is disclaimer on the site" in case some bozo decides that they want to sue us or something. Like we have any money. We're so poor we can't even pay attention. We even owe bums money.

I was walking down this road once years ago and I saw this guy chopping down a tree. It was hot, the guy was really sweating and I stopped to watch a while. He finally took a break, cracked a can of beer and then asked me if I had a gun. I hesitated before answering but finally told him that I didn't. He said: "That's a darn shame. I'm cutting down this tree because it's my neighbor's and I'm really pissed off at him right now. I was going to just shoot his sorry a$$...but I decided to do this instead. I'm having second thoughts...though." Sometimes, there just aren't enough trees... (I've never chose that particular walking route since..) .

If I'd taken a picture of that guy working on that tree, I'd been glad to share it with the entire world. That's the way WE see other photos out there. Share 'em and create through exposure and appreciation. We provide credit to the photographer when we feel it's needed. We also pay our taxes on time...