Saturday Cardinal Couple -- White visits UofL

SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Jatarie White a 2014 prospect?

-Kentucky Girls High School Softball results

-Cardinal Couple Radio Today

-Belmont Stakes

Seeing tall girls on the UofL campus isn't all that uncommon. After all, the school does play college basketball and volleyball. Seeing one of the top recruits for 2014 in women's basketball is news, however...and Jatarie White paid a visit to the Cards campus Thursday.

The 6'4" Providence Day (NC) paint dweller was named North Carolina's Player of the Year by both Gatorade and the Associated Press as a junior. She averaged 19 points, 10.6 rebounds and Providence Day won the 3A Independent Schools Championship. The soon-to-be senior is listed as the #12 prospect in the nation in the ESPNW Hoop Gurlz Super 60 for the 2014 class.

She's been around...as far as the college unofficial visit scene goes...with trips to South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, Clemson, Florida, Miami and FSU.

Her coach at Providence Day, Josh Springer, is pretty high on her:

"Her magnetic personality attracts teammates to her and she lifts them up even though they aren't at the same talent level as she is. She's become more confident in herself, not just as a scorer and a rebounder but as a leader on our team and as a great ambassador for our program."

And, she's 6'4". Did we mention that? But, she has commented that she really doesn't want to be a center on the college level...preferring to go to a "4" or "3" spot.

No problem. The 2014 squad will have Sara Hammond, Cortnee Walton, Shawnta Dyer and Emmonnie Henderson in uniform. We're pretty sure Coach Walz can find a center in that bunch. 

Lease a billboard in her hometown, Coach Walz. Twitter and Facebook her up, Cardinal fans. This recruit has the potential to be a program changer. Let's see how she looks in red and black.

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Kentucky Girls Softball Tournament action Friday saw about a thousand games played in between the raindrops in the double elimination format. Louisville Mercy beat Owensboro Catholic 3-2 in 12 innings to advance to the winners bracket final...where they'll play Greenwood, a 9-0 winner over Lone Oak to get there. Here's the whole list of Friday scores:

Mercy 1 - Boyle Co. 0
Lone Oak 5 - Scott Co. 0
Owensboro Catholic 5 - Ashland Blazer 1
Greenwood 13 - Notre Dame 0
Oldham Co. 10 - Estill Co. 0
Montgomery Co. 4 - South Laurel 2
Central Hardin 6 - Male 4
Livingston Cent. 11 - Magoffin Co. 3
Oldham Co. 4 - Scott Co. 3
Greenwood 9 - Lone Oak 0
Boyle Co. 9 - Central Hardin 1
Livingston Cent. 4 - Notre Dame 3
Ashland Blazer 2 - Montgomery Co. 0
Livingston Cent. 2 - Oldham Co. 1
Boyle Co. 3 - Ashland Blazer 0
Boyle Co. 5 - Lone Oak 2
Mercy 3 - Owensboro Catholic 2
Owensboro Catholic 4 - Livingston Central 2

Fighting it out in the losers bracket final game is Owensboro Catholic and Boyle Co. The winner of that one will await what happens in the winners' bracket.

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CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR today at 11 a.m. on Crescent Hill Radio. We expect a full broadcast crew and maybe even a studio visit from Sonja. (Someone has to keep Monkeyberry Moon Delight away from the banana rum and Sonja is wiry...).

Join us for the show or catch it on the heavenly SoundCloud...where you can catch all the archived CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR broadcasts.

Paul, Jeff and Jenny. Talkin' UofL women's sports and other general nonsense. Link below.

WHO LET THEM ON THE AIR?

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The final leg of horse racing's Triple Crown goes today with the Belmont Stakes in soggy New York. Although there will be no Triple crown winner again this year, the winners of the Kentucky Derby (ORB) and the Preakness Stakes (Oxbow) will match up in the mile and a half test. Fourteen runners are scheduled to contest the Belmont dirt, which has been pounded by rain the last couple of days. If they can get this track to fast conditions, it'll be the eighth wonder of the world.

I like Peter Pan Stakes winner FREEDOM CHILD to pull off the minor upset. This one loves the off-going and won convincingly on the same track a couple of weeks ago. For exactas and trifectas, I'll figure in FREEDOM CHILD with ORB, PALACE MALICE, GOLDEN SOUL and filly UNLIMITED BUDGET.

Sonja says, just bet ORB and accept 5/2 odds if you can get it. They won't stop the Shug McGaughey/Joel Rosario combination today and ORB loves the Belmont surface...wet or dry.

Good luck!

-Paulie

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Friday Cardinal Couple -- Best sister WBB combo of all time?

FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Are Shoni and Jude Schimmel the best sister combo of all time in women's college basketball?

-KY Girls High School Softball Tournament results


They've played for the University of Louisville for two years now as a tandem. They're recognizable nationwide. But...are they the best sister duo to ever suit up on the same team in women's college basketball history?

We're talking about Shoni and Jude Schimmel, of course. They aren't the first sister pair to ever play for Louisville... both Toni (2006-07) and Nita Slaughter (2010-current) played for the Cards, just not on the same roster together). Are the Schimmels the best sister combo of all time in NCAA WBB?

Folks on the west coast would point to Chiney and Nneka Ogwumike from Stanford as contenders. And, the two did put up some significant numbers while toiling for the Cardinal. Out around Oklahoma way, fans might mention Courtney and April Paris for the Sooners. What they did was impressive for OU, no doubt. The Smith sisters were a powerhouse at USF over the last several years. There are challenges...and contenders that rival Shoni and Jude.

Fans of Georgia WBB would argue that Coco and Kelly Miller, who both entered the WNBA in 2001 have a legit claim to the honor as best sister combo. They were spectacular and had a very good college and WNBA run. Both played together for a season with Angel McCoughtry and the Atlanta Dream.

When you look at the entire body (or bodies) of work, though...it's hard to surpass what the Schimmels' have done on and off the court. It goes way past assists, threes and ball handling when it comes to the Louisville duo.

Playing for UofL, sisters Shoni and Jude have become heroes to Native Americans and that native pride is resonating throughout not only their 2800 member Umatilla Tribe, but throughout Indian Country. Their play serves as inspiration for current and generations to come in Indian Country.

The sisters' love of the game is evident when their playing in a national championship game or in a pickup game at home which might include anyone from their four-year-old brother to their mother and father. Shoni says it best when she comments:

"On any given day, I think we're just ready to play ball. That's our competitive nature. We just want to go out there and win...to have fun and compete."

They've been the subjects of documentaries, of national forums on Title IX and after Shoni arrived at Louisville, Jude had no doubt about where she would be the next year.

"It's really rare to get to play a Division I Sport with your sister and I wanted to share that experience with Shoni."

They still have strong connections to their heritage and credit their family and tribe for their successes. As children, they dressed in traditional regalia handcrafted by their great grandmother and danced at tribal events. They've carried the dancing on as college students and members of the UofL women's basketball team...dancing by opposing guards in the BIG EAST and NCAA to two straight NCAA Tournament appearances as a duo and the National Championship game in the 2012-13 season.

"We both want to give back." said Jude of returning to the reservation. Shoni has considered the possibility of opening a restaurant that features traditional Native American foods. "I want to make it known that we have our own foods too." Holding true to their heritage is important to both sisters. Inspiration comes from the Native Americans who helped pave the road for them.

Inspiration on the court for the two is obvious. It was evident during the last Louisville WBB season that a lot of good things occur on the hardwood when Shoni and Jude were out there together.

"We've played together thirteen years." Jude will tell you. "I'm not surprised by anything Shoni can do or what we can do together. We have this zone, this wavelength between us."

Because of the Schimmel's inspiring dedication, a watershed of Native American talented student athletes will flow. If that doesn't make them the most influential and talented sister combination in the history of NCAA Women's basketball, then show me one better. I suppose one could say I am possibly prejudiced here...since I am a huge UofL WBB fan...but when you look at the whole picture...it's hard to top the Sho and Jude show.

And it still has a year to go.

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Results from the first round of the Ky. Girls 2013 Softball Championships:

Notre Dame 6 (no, not the BIG EAST one) - Montgomery 5
Greenwood 7 - South Laurel 1
Lone Oak 4 - Central Hardin 0
Scott Co. 2 - Louisville Male 1 ( it was the girl Male team)
Boyle Co. 3 - Estill Co. 0
Louisville Mercy 5 - Oldham Co. 4
Owensboro Catholic 14 (what!) - Livingston Central 2
Ashland 6 - Magoffin Co. 0

Congrats to the victors and they go at it again tomorrow in Owensboro. We'd love to see this thing moved to Louisville down the road...but finding a place where four games could go on at the same time might pose an insurmountable task.

If your favorite team lost yesterday, fret not. It's a double elimination format. 

-Paulie

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Secretariat - Belmont Stakes 1973...Hughes wins semifinal...Softball today...Belmont PP's and picks

("He is moving like a tremendous machine." ). One of the best race calls in history to go with the best race in the history of the sport. Chick Anderson was the race caller on CBS at Belmont Park that day. He also was track announcer at Churchill Downs for 17 years.


THURSDAY @ CARDINAL COUPLE:

-Hughes, Okoro in NCAA Championships

-Ky. State Girls Softball Championships begin today

-2011 Belmont Post Positions and Predictions

-Cierra Warren undergoes knee surgery.

Okoro is a senior on
the women's track
and field team at UofL.

Two University of Louisville track and field athletes participated in the NCAA Championships yesterday at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, IA. Men's distance runner Matt Hughes won his semi-final heat in the 3,000 meters and will run in the finals Friday night. Hughes won the event last year. Thrower Chinwe Okoro placed ninth in the discus throw after a sixth place finish in the qualifying round.

Today's action includes Cardinal high-jumper Rachel Gehret. Gehret won the high jump in the BIG EAST Championship earlier this year. The women's throwing team will also compete in the shot put and hammer tosses during the championships.

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Sixteen teams from across the state will vie for the title in the 2011 Kentucky State Softball Tournament beginning today at Jack C. Fisher Park in Owensboro, KY. Locally, Louisville Ballard and PRP will take part in the action. The tournament runs three days...with the championship game scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday. The first round pairings:

Three Ballard Bruins,...Walker, Wise and Fairley

PRP vs. Montgomery County

Allen County-Scottsville vs. East Jessamine

North Laurel vs. Central Hardin

Walton-Verona vs. Hopkins County Central

Lexington Lafayette vs. Owensboro Catholic

Calloway County vs. Ashland Blazer

Ballard vs. Letcher County Central

Ryle vs. Magoffin County

Ballard is ranked #1 in the state and went 35-4 during the regular season. They are led in the pitching circle by senior Kayla Fairley. Fairley is a dominating pitcher who went 26-3 on the season with a 1.11 ERA. She's also not too bat at the plate...hitting .308 for the season with four home runs. Fairley was the Seventh Region Player of the Year. She has yet to commit to a college...but Louisville is her first choice.

Never can have enough good arms, Sandy....go after this girl and put her in the Cardinal red...

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The post positions and odds for the 143rd running of the Belmont Stakes have been assigned and ANIMAL KINGDOM has been made the favorite at 3-1. The Kentucky Derby winner narrowly missed in the Preakness...running second to SHACKLEFORD who will also try the Belmont and is listed at 5-1. The post positions, jockeys and odds below:

Post 1:  Master of Hounds.  Garrett Gomez on board.  10-1
Post 2:  Stay Thirsty.  Javier Castellano rides.  22-1
Post 3:  Ruler On Ice.  Jose Valdivia, Jr. gets the assignment.  25-1
Post 4:  Santiva.  Shaun Bridgmohan in the saddle.  15-1
Post 5:  Brilliant Speed.  Joel Rosario is the jockey.  20-1
Post 6:  Nehro.  Corey Nakatani has the reigns.  9-2
Post 7:  Monzon.  Jose Lezcano in the stirrups.  35-1
Post 8:  Prime Cut.  Edgar Prado guides.  25-1
Post 9:  Animal Kingdom.  John Velazquez returns.  3-1
Post 10:  Mucho Macho Man.  Ramon Dominguez has the mount.  15-1
Post 11:  Isn't He Perfect.  Rajiv Maragh takes the call.  45-1
Post 12:  Shackleford.  Jesus Castanon goes for two straight.  5-1

Paul's Predictions:

I'm picking NEHRO here. He ran second in the Derby, sat out the Preakness and will love the added distance. He'll have to contend with ANIMAL KINGDOM, a threat in the long Belmont stretch. The question is how tired is ANIMAL KINGDOM after the Derby and Preakness? Look for MUCHO MACHO MAN to be gobbling up the speed at the end and just behind these two. I don't see SHACKLEFORD liking this extra distance and he'll fade late...Longshot special is PRIME CUT, with Edgar Prado on board. Prado knows Belmont and this horse has had six straight third place or better finishes in a row.

Sonja Says:

ANIMAL KINGDOM is my selection to win the Belmont Stakes. This horse can run forever and would have won the Preakness if Velazquez had moved him earlier. I can see NEHRO putting in a huge effort here but couldn't catch Velazquez in the Derby and won't here. I'll take SHACKLEFORD and SANTIVA battling for third. BRILLIANT SPEED is a live longshot to respect.

(David Watson is on vacation and has no selections for the Belmont Stakes.) We did ask CARDINAL COUPLE handicapper Tommy Boy about his picks but he hasn't finished his research and studies on the race as of this column posting. Respected charter Alan Patterson is trying to narrow it down between five horses as of yesterday and has MASTER OF HOUNDS, ANIMAL KINGDOM, NEHRO, SHACKLEFORD and MUCHO MACHO MAN on his short list...

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Lady Cards post Cierra Warren recently underwent knee surgery but is already up and around on crutches. We aren't sure what procedure was performed or her status for fall ball...but have some feelers out to try and find out. Up and around already is a good sign...

We absolutely love this collage that Charlie Springer
created last year of Cierra Warren! (Photo from UofL Card Game)
You can read Charlie's site daily at http://www.uoflcardgame.com/

Warren transferred to the University of Louisville last year after her freshman season at North Carolina. The bright and bubbly 6'5" center is expected to make a significant contribution to the Lady Cards in the 2011-12 season...after sitting out the mandatory year required for transfers from one D1 program to another. We had reports all last season that she was a force on the court during practice and look forward to her Lady Cards debut.

Warren was the "greeter" at the end of the huddle during UofL Cardinal pre-game introductions and...along with Shawnta Dyer, who returns after a red-shirt season...should give the Cards some pretty spectacular front line power.

GOOD NEWS! We have received confirmation from UofL that the surgery was minor, all things are GOOD on Cierra and she'll be ready to go for fall ball!

LOOK OUT, BIG EAST and LADY CARDINAL OPPONENTS...

FRONT LINE COMING TO GET YA...
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Sparks spank Lynx...Ballard, PRP advance in girls softball...Ky. All-Stars to scrimmage twice

SLEEP IN...IT'S SATURDAY AT CARDINAL COUPLE!

Maya Moore's debut in the
WNBA a losing one...but she
led all scorers with 21 points.

-Parker leads Sparks past Lynx in WNBA season opener

-Ballard, PRP headed to the Sweet Sixteen

-Ky. Girls All-Stars will scrimmage twice

The WNBA season kicked off last night with the LA Sparks vs.
Minnesota Lynx. Candace Parker vs. Maya Moore. For awhile, it looked like the Maya Moore show, with the Lynx leading by 10 in the third quarter.

Then, the queen of the league took the throne and the promising princess learned that UConn success doesn't always translate into WNBA wins.
Spurred by three straight Noelle Quinn three's and a Parker layup, the Sparks used a 11 point run late in the third to take a 59-57 lead and never looked back. The 82-74 win was largely led by the hot-shooting Quinn and Parker's 19 points.

Candace Parker, sidelined last year with a shoulder injury and subsequent operation, is back. The WNBA should be plenty worried....

The Atlanta Dream gets their season underway Sunday at 3 p.m..hosting the New York Liberty. Kia Vaughn vs. Angel McCoughtry. All we need is C Viv. Stringer on the sidelines scowling and Jeff Walz in his black sweater vest....OOPS, check that...Angel is day-to-day with the knee sprain and probably won't play.

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Sara Hammond will lead the
Kentucky All-Stars against
the Indiana All-Stars.

The Kentucky All-Star Girls will have a couple of scrimmages next week before taking on the Hoosiers. They'll face two talented groups of Kentucky junior all-stars....Tuesday at Eastern High School and Wednesday at Mercer County. The Tuesday face-off will feature juniors from around the Louisville area and standouts April Wilson, Christine Roush and Sydney Moss will lead the juniors against the seniors. The Wednesday scrimmage will pit talented juniors Bre Elder, Sydney Brown and Megan Pittman on the junior squad against the All-Star team. The 12 who will represent Kentucky in the annual clash against Indiana are listed below with college choices beside their names.

#1 Sara Hammond (UofL)

#2 Carla Booth (Eastern Kentucky)

#3 Averee Fields (West Virginia)

#4 Danay Fothergill (Western Kentucky)

#5 Chastity Gooch (Western Kentucky)

#6 Natallie Greenwell (Morehead State)

#7 Mechael Guess (Pittsburgh-volleyball)

#8 Juliann Miller (Evansville)

#9 Maddie Peabody (Lafayette)

#10 Caprisha Rogers (Wallters State)

#11 Kristen Stanback (Austin Peay)

#12 Lauren Tibbs (Marquette)

WE think this group has an excellent chance to sweep the Hoosier in the two contests next weekend. Hammond, Fields, Tibbs and Greenwell are all quality DI prospects who will  have a major impact at their future colleges. Mecheal Guess is a leaper who will play volleyball at Pitt...but don't be surprised if Pitt women's basketball coach Agnus Berenato isn't hanging around the locker room with a basketball practice jersey in hand for Guess....

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Louisville PRP and Louisville Ballard have emerged victorious from the softball regionals and will be two of the sixteen teams to compete in the state Girls softball tournament in Owensboro beginning next Thursday.
Ballard punched their ticket with a 9-1 rout of Eastern to win the 7th region...but their biggest win might have been the day before when the upended perennial softball power Mercy Academy to reach the finals.

PRP won a 7-6 thriller to earn the 6th region title and trip to state over Butler. The Butler Bears had the bases loaded, no outs in the bottom of the seventh but relief pitcher Savannah Mercer pitched her way out of the jam...which ended with a spectacular double play when Baleigh Bell flied out to left with one out and pinch runner Destinei Hollis was thrown out at the plate after tagging for the final out.

Softball enthusiast Ken Richards was at the game and told CARDINAL COUPLE:

"(Left fielder) Rachel Fox fired a perfect throw from left to nail Hollis at the plate. I feel bad for the Butler girls...but it seemed to me that Hollis got a jump on the attempt to score...leaving the bag before the ball to Fox was caught."

The Panthers will face Montgomery County in the first round of the Sweet Sixteen at 5 p.m. Thursday. Ballard gets Letcher County Central at 7 p.m.
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