Louisville women's basketball -- Pay the Man -- Hines-Allen in the WNBA draft -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

WALZ, TYRA GETTING NEAR A DEAL? 

You might remember the television commercial. The NTRA (National Thoroughbred Racing Association) put it out a few year back.

It centered on actress Lori Petty. She was at a race track. Here come the horses. She's yelling "Go, Baby..Go!!" The horses run by her as she is running down the concrete apron in front of the track. She kisses the tickets, yells "YES!", holds her tickets high in the air and starts peeling them off one by one. Cute concept. 


"Pay the lady. Pay the lady. Pay the Lady" she brags. And the commercial ends with a  sardonic, almost scary laugh from her. 

LINK: PAY THE LADY

These days, the term "Lady" has fallen out of fashion. So has Lori Petty, apparently. But getting paid? Still in fashion.

Jeff Walz and permanent athletic director Vince Tyra will sit down, have sat down and will iron out a deal to extend Jeff Walz's contract at Louisville. I doubt Walz sprints out to Churchill Downs with the deal and holds it skyward...screaming "Pay the Man. Pay the Man."...but the University, athletic department, board, president and Tyra would be wise to give Walz what is right and fair. Give him something to yell about.

We kind of do things backward here at Louisville. First it's the men's basketball coach, then the athletic director and finally the President that get hired.  But, waiting until the President got hired was probably smart in going into negotiations with Walz. The board, being what it is...and a board that won't exactly be on one of the floats at the Pegasus Parade this May...must realize that Walz isn't holding a gun, wearing a mask and asking them to reach for the sky. The UofL WBB squad will be on a float Pegasus Parade day. We'll assume Walz will be on there with them. Maybe with Lola and Lucy. Hopefully, with a new contract. Hey...the guy likes Louisville and coaching basketball here. He's pretty good at it. The fan base loves him. The players love him. This isn't rocket science. Get 'er done. 

The man wants stability and an extension. Certainly not too much to ask for a guy who has taken the WBB program to three Final Fours since he's been here. Is one win short of 300 in 11 years of coaching at Louisville. The winningest coach in program history. The Rookie Coach of the Year his first year at Louisville. Top ten rankings in five of the 11 years. A missed foul away from another championship game appearance. 

And someone who wants to be here. 

Mind you, Coach isn't exactly on poverty-level wages currently.  In 2016, he "re-upped" for $1.15 mil a year. There was a $180,000 incentive bonus attached to the Final Four run. $25,000 for being named ACC Coach of the Year. $550,000 for a longevity bonus for being employed on April 1st. He's the fourth highest paid coach, by all accounts, in women's college basketball...behind Geno, Muffet and Kim Mulkey. He wants an extension. Wants to know the school is behind him. That's not too much to ask, right? An affirmation of his accomplishments? 

Walz is looking for a seven-year deal that would pretty much ensure that Louisville is his last stop. At 46, the question arises...would he retire at 54? 

Maybe. 

He recently said that "I'd retire tomorrow if i could."  There's no question he'd like to spend more time with his family. He has two daughters under the age of five. Two other children approaching their teenage years. His grandfather is in his late-nineties. He's fond of skiing and Colorado. He told me a few years ago: 

"I grew up cutting grass. I love yard work. How great would it be to just concentrate on that and have some fun and pride in it? And, you get the winter off. You don't have to recruit yards." 

If there was any concern about the change-overs at Athletic Director and President at UofL, I think Walz can safely put those fears and queries away. If the rumor-mongers that blindly prognosticated on a unverified rumor that Walz was leaving Louisville would shut up just a minute of two, hear this: 

Your Coach wants to stay. He wants to retire here. Yes, there is gratitude and respect in huge numbers for the man who brought him here. Tom Jurich. I still have great respect for that man also. But, it doesn't mean you can't keep that respect and also cooperate with who's calling the shots in 2018. 

Walz will do the right thing by his assistants as well. When you look at the three of them...Stephanie Norman, Samantha Williams, Sam Purcell and his (whatever her title is today) Beth Burns....you have one of the best associate and assistant coaches plus collective minds-formation in college basketball right here on campus. You don't waste good.  The trainers, support staff...they aren't just "real lucky". They work hard at what they do. It shows. It's a team effort. 

Maybe the deal is done by Friday. Maybe it isn't. Know this. The University of Louisville, for all their past blunders and controversial moves over the last several years, needs to line this one up, step right up and put it right in the cup, to use a golf description. 

Who is this in this photo with Coach Walz? First correct
answer gets entered for a $25 Panera Card drawing !!!!

Vince Tyra is a fair and honest man. He realizes just what and who he has across the table from him. He'll get this done and done right. 

Neeli Bendapudi may be new at her job also as University President but she's a seasoned and well-qualified person to hold the position. She also realizes good. There's no "blind-eye" toward public sentiment going on here. This one's a "gimmie". Sink it and move on to other pressing issues, Neeli.   

After all, the man plays Powerball each week when it gets to a certain astronomical level. If he were to hit it, he just might buy the University.

Pay the Man. Keep the Man. Extend the Man's contract. He's earned it. 




WNBA DRAFT

With the 2018 WNBA Draft coming up Thursday night, local attention turns also to where Louisville senior forward Myisha Hines-Allen might end up. The general consensus is that she'll most likely be used as a wing, or small forward where-ever she ends up...the 6'2" size just a bit under the average for the "4"s, or power forwards, and "5"s (centers) that are currently in "the league". 

We saw her outside shot improve a lot her senior season. Did the WNBA GM's see the same thing, though? 

Some projections see Hines-Allen as a remote late first round and probable-early second round pick. 

SB Nation doesn't have her going in the first round. Neither does the AP, Draft Site or Fan Sided, three other sites that watch things like this. 

There is a ton of talent available this draft. The more one looks at the names, the more one is impressed. A'ja Wilson, Kelsey Mitchell, Victoria Vivians, Azura Stevens, Diamond DeShields, Jordin Canada, Mercedes Russell, Lexie Brown, Kia Nurse, Ariel Atkins, Steph Mavunga, Monique Billings, Marie Gulich and Maria Vadeeva.

Can Hines-Allen replace one of those for the first team picks of the 12 teams? 

And, what do the 12 WNBA teams need?

Here's my take: 

Guard: Minnesota, Phoenix  .

Post/Height: LA, Indiana and Seattle.

Bench Strength: Washington, Chicago, San Antonio

Multiple Needs: Atlanta, New York, Connecticut, Houston

It should be interesting Thursday night. I'd like to see Myisha end up in Indy, for selfish reasons, so Cardinal fans could see her play in person more than in a Seattle or Sacramento, to just name a couple.

Indiana?  They have the 9th, 26th, 38th and 40th picks in the first three rounds

Atlanta?  To team up with Angel? Unfortunately, the Dream traded all their first three round picks away, so that probably won't happen. 

Washington? With Elena and Asia? The Mystics have the 8th and 19th picks. 

Wherever "Dooblay" lands, she'll have her work cut out for her...but she's embodied hard work as a Cardinal. Skills too. Someone's getting a gold mine.

Stay tuned. 

Team	Associated Press	DraftSite	FanSided
1:	Las Vegas	A’ja Wilson, C, South Carolina	A’ja Wilson, C, South Carolina	A’ja Wilson, C, South Carolina
2:	Indiana	Kelsey Mitchell, G, Ohio State	Azura Stevens, C, Connecticut	Kelsey Mitchell, G, Ohio State
3:	Chicago (from Atlanta)	Diamond DeShields, G, Tennessee	Kelsey Mitchell, G, Ohio State	Diamond DeShields, G, Tennessee
4:	Chicago	Azura Stevens, C, Connecticut	Diamond DeShields, G, Tennessee	Azura Stevens, C, Connecticut
5:	Seattle	Jordin Canada, G, UCLA	Jordin Canada, G, UCLA	Jordin Canada, G, UCLA
6:	Dallas	Gabby Williams, F, Connecticut	Mercedes Russell, C, Tennessee	Lexie Brown, G, Duke
7:	Washington	Victoria Vivians, G, Mississippi St	Gabby Williams, F, Connecticut	Gabby Williams, F, Connecticut
8:	Indiana (from Phoenix)	Maria Vadeeva, C, Russia	Kia Nurse, G, Connecticut	Victoria Vivians, G, Mississippi St
9:	Connecticut	Kia Nurse, G, Connecticut	Lexie Brown, G, Duke	Kia Nurse, G, Connecticut
10:	New York	Ariel Atkins, G, Texas	Victoria Vivians, G, Mississippi St	Maria Vadeeva, C, Russia
11:	Los Angeles	Stephanie Mavunga, F, Ohio State	Monique Billings, F, UCLA	Stephanie Mavunga, F, Ohio State
12:	Phoenix (from Minnesota)	Marie Gulich, C, Oregon State	Marie Gulich, C, Oregon State	Monique Billings, F, UCLA

Paulie
xxxxx