Christmas Eve - Cardinal Couple -- SUNDAY CARINAL COUPLE

What have we been up to? 

Paul, Sonya, and I did help WCHQ get all of it's gear moved from the old studio location to the new yesterday with a crew of about 10-15 various on-air personalities.  In doing so, we got a sense of what the new space will be like for the first time, and as excited as I was about the new studio space when I wrote the article Friday, I am even more excited now.

The facility has extra space in an upper floor that hasn't been finished out yet, and Kathy, Paul, myself, and others were all discussing out the radio station might make use of that space.  The Cardinal Couple suggestion was to use one of the rooms as a recording space unconnected to the broadcast portions of the station to give groups a chance to come in and do pre-recorded shows and not have to worry (as much, at least) with scheduling around on-air activities.  Another room will probably be built out and used as an office space (Kathy's suggestion), which I'm sure will help her, and others involved in the administrative aspects of the station.  That still leaves another area of the upstairs to be decided on.  The possibilities are fantastic, and we can't wait to be a part of it.

Christmas Wishes

As we have already been looking towards next year with the studio update, and today is Christmas Eve, I guess this is the time to write about some Christmas Wishes.

Women's Basketball

My wish for WBB is for the best start in program history.  We're almost there, with just wins over
Georgia Tech and NC State needed to get us to that mark.

Within WBB, a few wishes for some individuals:

Kylee Shook - a wish to learn how to use her size to better advantage.  She's on the cusp of being a great basketball player, and it feels to me like she's just a bit hesitant to really mix it up to step up and be that better player.

Myisha Hines-Allen - this one is easy.  More double-doubles for DOU-BLAY!

Sam Purcell - another easy one.  Clothes.  The man can make anything look good, and I do mean anything.  Take advantage of it.  The more outlandish, the better.  And maybe with a little work on the ice, he could even join the Norwegian Curling team.

Jeff Walz - Wins.  Good defense.  And some family time with Kaeley, Jacob, Lola, and Lucy, and certainly not to be forgotten, Lauren.  Coaches are on the road a lot, be sure to take some time for some self-care Coach.

Attack Yorkies - Mostly Jess and Dana, we love ya, and my wish for you is all the steals and deflections that your heart desires.  Some commentators love offense *cough*Antonelli*cough*, but I'm a defense guy.  Go get em'!

Volleyball

For Volleyball overall, more of the same.  This past season was a overachievement of epic proportions, lets see more of it!

Molly Sauer and Alexis Hamilton - Another DS to step up into that rotation to join the two of you.  GabMolLexis was a potent trio that got the team's offense started, with Gabbie graduating, we need a DS to step up into that other slot to fill out that trio.  Will GabMolLexis become MagMolLexis?  Maybe NatMolLexis?  I'm not sure, but I'd love to see a modified trio emerge that is every bit as effective as what we had this past season.

Piper Roe - a starting role.  Your time has come.  You've learned from some amazing middles for a couple of years, watch Tess Clark, and Maggie DeJong dominate in the role, and cheering as Jasmine Bennett has become a force of her own with her amazing float time and length.  Now is your time to shine.  My Christmas wish for you is for you to become as great of a middle hitter and blocker as you are a person.

Megan Sloan - a swing set?  No wait, I'm reading my list wrong.  Swings...all the swings you want.  We still have some outside hitting to fill in, and my hope is that you can step up and fill that role.  With you, Melanie McHenry, and Amanda Green patrolling the pins, we've got height, power, and smart play there to take this team to the next level.

Incoming Freshmen - to the six new Cardinals joining this team next year, I wish you as much fun and success as so many had on this team this year.  Claire, Emily, Aiko, Mia, Maggie, and Anaya, you're joining a wonderful group of young women, and my wish for you all is a wonderful year to learn from them, get to know them, come to love them as teammates, and accept the love they will show for you.  You all are the future of this program, and I, for one, can't wait to meet you all and cheer you on in the stands of Cardinal Arena.

Field Hockey

Wow, what a year you all had.  Much like Volleyball, my wish is for more of the same in the year to come.  This is an easy list to put together...an ACC Championship, a deep NCAA tournament run and continued health and happiness.

Justine Sowry - Your enthusiasm and kindness is infectious, my wish is that you get as much as you give in this.  You got the win over your mentor and friend Pam Bustin, so that's one wish crossed off my list.  You clearly love to travel, and I'm sure you will make that happen in the coming year, and I wish safe travels to you.  Find some great potential Cardinals out there and show them what you and Louisville has to offer.

Ayeisha McFerran - Your senior year is coming, that goal is yours to own...not that you haven't already really done that.  I don't know what Irish National Team opportunities await you in the coming your, but I have no doubt there will be some, again, nothing you haven't already tackled.  I wish you all the success you could hope for both at UofL wearing the Cardinal logo, but also in representing Ireland.  A wish for clean slates all around.

Minout Mink - My wish for you is to ignore the ridiculous standards that the likes of Jared Anderson place on you.  You score goals.  It's what you do, and you do a great job of it.  You're also pretty fun to do a post-game interview with.  My Christmas wish for you is that we get to do more of those interviews because that means you're scoring, and I know how happy that makes you...and Coach Sowry.

Sam Minrath - You're one of the few Field Hockey players, and the only incoming freshman, I have had the opportunity to meet in person.  As an incoming freshman GK next year, you'll have the opportunity to learn from a couple of the best in the business - Coach Sowry, and Ayeisha McFerran.  My wish is that you grab hold of it and soak in as much of it you can.  Your time to shine between the pipes at Trager will come quickly, make the best of the opportunity to sit back and learn in the meantime.

Erica, Caitlin, MacKenzie, Taylor, and Camryn - the rest of the incoming freshmen class.  I haven't had the opportunity to meet you all as I have Sam, but if Coach Sowry and crew recruited you, that speaks well of you as Field Hockey players and as young women.  Welcome to Louisville (OK, you're not here, yet, I know, but it won't be long).  Much like my wishes to the incoming freshmen for Volleyball, my wish is that you embrace this team that you're joining as well.  Some of you may be called on to contribute significantly in the fall, some may take some time to develop, my wish is that you grab hold of whatever role you may be in and do your best at it.  A few of your are from Louisville, so you know how wonderful it is here, for the rest, I hope you come to love this city as much as I do.

Cardinal Fans

My wish is that all fan of the Louisville Cardinals, if they haven't already discovered the joy and excitement of UofL sports beyond Basketball and Football, is to do that.  I keep telling people how much fun it is to watch the game of Lacrosse, and everyone that has taken me up on the suggestion of coming out to watch has commented about how right I was.

Volleyball is, of course, one of my great joys, and my wish is that more discover this hidden gem on campus at UofL

In general, I wish for the Cardinals fanbase to discover some of the 21 other sports at UofL that don't get so much attention beyond Men's Basketball and Football.  Come out and cheer and get a greater understanding of what it means to be playing the game purely for the love of the game.  As the NCAA says, most of these young men and women will be going pro is something other than sports.  They're doing it because they love doing it.

Chuck sang it best...Run, run Rudolph.  Hear it hear: RUN, RUN RUDOLPH

-- 

JMcA

Butler Bearettes Off to Torrid Start -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Molly Lockhart's Squad Dispatching Most Opponents with Ease

Lockhart fighting for a rebound
(photo from CJ)

Last week I mailed Saturday's article in. Today, though, refreshed as I begin a short staycation from work, coffee in hand, I decided to tackle something I hadn't done before. I graduated from Butler Traditional High School in 2012. I'm sorry if that makes anyone feel old. Six years after I graduated, some 350 odd seniors from Butler will walk across the stage in late May or early June, most likely at Freedom Hall. One of those graduates will be Molly Lockhart, a signee in Jeff Walz class for next season.

Molly is the 6'-1" center at my alma mater, and will step into an important forward position for the Cards next year. She was listed as the 21st best player at her position by ESPN with a prospect rank of 90. That's pretty good. If she can be the kind of leader that another Bearette turned Cardinal was (you might remember Tia Gibbs), then Lockhart could have a huge impact on teams loaded with talent in the years to come.

I bring up Butler because, in addition to having an important future Louisville baller on the team, they're off to a great start to their season. The Bearettes are off to a 9-0 start according to scoreboard.12dt.com, which I'm pretty sure is the official scoreboard site of the KHSAA. At least, that's the one I remember using for high school soccer. I'm also going to stick with the scoreboard site for my information because Max Preps has Butler listed at 4-0. I'm going to assume that's incorrect. The two can't even agree on when matchups were or are to be played.

Lockhart playing hard defense in last year's
game against Manual

Butler has two close wins this season, both by five. One came against Male earlier this month and the other came over Graves County Thursday night. The Bearettes followed up Thursday night's scare with a 63-20 drubbing of Livingston County last night. Every other win this season has been by at least 16 points, with the most lopsided victory coming on December 12th, when they defeated hapless Western by a final score of 76-1. It was the second of three games this season where the Warriors have been held to six or fewer points and allowed 75 or more.



Yikes.


Butler is currently on break for Christmas before heading down to Orlando next week for The Rock Holiday Classic. They are sure to take on stiffer competition in such an event and it will be good for them to test their mettle against other top teams.

Butler is seeking their 6th state championship this season, which would give them the most all time. They are currently tied for that honor with Laurel County. Louisville won the first girl's sweet sixteen in 1975, and have won two of the last four in 2014 and 2016, meaning Molly already has one state championship ring. The stats haven't been updated for the last two games, but through the first seven, Molly was averaging 11.7 points per game, just edging out junior guard Jaida Wiggins for the team lead. She also averaged 8.6 rebounds per game, which is what you'd expect your star center to do for you. Lockhart has attempted no three point baskets but shot 65% (37-57) through the first seven games. She's unfortunately a rough 11-18 from the free throw line so far this season, the last two games excluded.

Being only 6'-1", Jeff Walz is likely to move Lockhart out of the center position, which means she'll need to work on her shooting ability all over the floor, especially at the stripe, in order to see much playing time early on. Her rebounding ability will definitely help put the R in FRED, though.

Junior guard Jasmine Elder is another proven scorer for the Bearettes and freshman guard Dynastee White give head coach Larry Just a lot of possibilities. Whether Butler can challenge #1 Mercer County and Louisville signee Seygan Robins for this year's state championship title remains to be seen, but

There are a lot of games remaining in Lockhart's senior season. She has plenty of time to work on honing her craft, and playing for a good team can afford her the opportunities to open up her game a bit, provided coach Just will allow her to do so.


She was also troubled with an injured finger to begin the season.

 I'm sure, as a signee, that Jeff Walz has already been in contact with Molly and her coach about some of the things he'd like to see her improve on this season. I'm excited to be cheering on a fellow alum from Suda E. Butler at Louisville, and I wish the Bearettes the best in their championship quest this season.

The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

It's Saturday, so you'll surely expect to see something about the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour in today's article. If you are expecting it, you haven't read Jeff's wonderful article from yesterday, so be sure to do that! There will be no Cardinal Couple Radio Hour today nor next week due to a combination of our studio home relocating and the holidays tying everyone's time up. If you need a CCRH fix, you can go to WCHQ.com and browse through the archived shows. Find one from this summer. With all of the Louisville women's teams on winter break, today's show would have effectively the same message as a dead period show anyway. I'm looking forward to being back in the studio on January 6th and hope you'll all join us then!

www.wchqfm.com

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

PS: Please note that I took a ridiculous amount of time looking through old Facebook pictures for fun ones from Butler before ultimately striking out. I hope you enjoy the random Butler photos I found on Google instead.

Summertime? -- Changes ahead -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

One could be excused for thinking it's summertime for the moment.

In addition to the mid to upper 50s temperature...ok, that's not quite summertime temps, but still pretty warm for December...and a bit of a lull in athletic activity happening at UofL, we have a bit of a reprise of the summertime lull.

WCHQ new home (by day) 

Let's talk a little bit about WCHQ, our wonderful hosts for the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour on Saturday mornings.  As we've mentioned before, we won't be the air this Saturday or next because WCHQ is in the process of moving their studio facilities.  WCHQ will no longer be "A Basement on a Hill", in fact, it will no longer be in a basement at all.  The station manager, Kathy, who we refer to as Monk on the show, has purchased a building at the corner of Mellwood and Stevenson Ave...perhaps dangerously close to Apocalypse BrewWorks.  Much of the "disassembly" process of the gear at the Frankfort Avenue location has already been in progress.  The streaming systems have already been relocated to the new facility which already has new Internet access setup and running.

The new facility will have a whole new control board setup...one created from day "1" to be used to manage a radio station, rather than cobbled together tour gig equipment patched together to get the job done (Kathy's description).  The current/previous location of the studio, and it's proximity to some other residences and businesses, really limited what could be done in studio for live performances.  They needed to heavily restrict drum sets and amplification in-studio in order to try to be good neighbors to the restaurant upstairs as well as some residences in close proximity.  Load in and load out of equipment will be much easier at the new facility because it will be on the ground floor and there will be fewer, and more easily negotiated steps.  Not being in a basement and having challenging steps will also just generally make the studio more easily accessible for mobility challenged folk...people with bum knees, for example.

The new studio space is freshly renovated and painted, making for a nicer atmosphere overall, it also will have some amenities that the previous one did not, such as a green room.

WCHQ new home (by night).

Much of the work to move equipment will be done this weekend, Paulie, Sonya and I will all be there to help out as much as we can, and the new studio is anticipated to be up and running by January 2nd so you can look for the return of the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour on January 6th.  We're excited for the new digs and are proud of our association with this up and coming resource for local music, activity, and news.  We have our niche in covering UofL women's athletics, and I don't think we could have a better radio host and partner than WCHQ in town.

Paulie's side show, Handicapping Heroes, a look at handicapping/horse-racing, will also emanate from there when the ponies return to Keeneland this spring.

With all of that said, that means that there will not be a Cardinal Couple Radio Hour broadcast this Saturday nor next Saturday.  We had toyed with the idea of pre-recording something to send in and get on the playlist, but the stars did not align correctly for that (and frankly, I've been busy doing last minute Christmas shopping).

Looking forward to settling in to a new seat "to the left" of Paulie.

--
Jeff

Louisville women's basketball -- Without Durr, Carter...Cards get by Air Force -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

HINES ALLEN 16 POINTS, SHOOK 13 REBOUNDS PACE CARDS

The University of Louisville women's basketball team is off for the Holidays now and maybe that's a good thing. A 62-50 win over Air Force Academy was less than convincing Wednesday afternoon in Colorado Springs. 

Without Asia Durr (back spasms) and Arica Carter (foot injury) Louisville put just eight active players on the court to tangle with the win-less Falcons. A starting lineup for the Cards that surprisingly didn't include home-town sophomore Kylee Shook. Walz sent out Sydney Zambrotta, Dana Evans, Myisha Hines-Allen, Jazmine Jones and Sam Fuehring to face the Falcons but substituted liberally throughout the game...and everyone saw at least 14 minutes. Syd totaled 34 in a game that saw some pluses but some glaring negatives. 

Air Force accomplish what Kentucky was unable to do in the Cards last game. Take a lead on the Cards.  After "DOOO-BLAY" (Hines-Allen)  scored the first four points of the game, the home-standers came back and led Louisville 5-4 a couple of minutes into the action. The Cards did respond with a 14-0 run that....nearly...finished the first half before AFA's Kaelin Immal sank a buzzer-beating three to set the tally at 18-8 after 10 minutes. 

This wasn't pretty basketball in many aspects for the 14-0 Cards. Zero three pointers converted (out of eight attempts) Yes UofL was without the two players that made nine out of the ten against Kentucky, but Zambrotta going 0-5 is either a tribute to the pressuring AFA defense or just a rough night behind the stripe for "Z". 

You decide. Most of her looks were fairly open. 

The Cards were able to go on a 12-4 run in the second session to lead 30-12 with four minutes until half, but...just when you thought the Cards might be ready to go on one of their patented runs...the Falcons retaliated with a quarter-closing 8-4 run. 34-20 at the half. 

Air Force played like a team with nothing to lose and everything to gain, and, basically that was the scenario and how it played out. At 0-10, they didn't come in thinking they  were going to dominate the #3 team in the country...but wanted to make a good showing.

They did that. 

They weren't particularly efficient on offense...shooting 29.3% for the game...but kept hanging around the 12-14 point range and forced (or watched) Louisville commit a season-high 22 turnovers. 

No sir, not pretty at all. Evidence of how important Durr and Carter are to this squad. 

All you really need to know about the final twenty minutes is that Air Force won the session 30-28. They beat the Cards 14-9 in the 4th quarter, Louisville aiding that by making just one of their final nine shot attempts. 

But, a win is a win and the women produced theirs slightly more convincingly then the men did Wednesday night. 

I did listen to Coach Walz on the post-game show. Suffice to say, he wasn't particularly thrilled with the Cards effort in Colorado. He left the players with a few things to think about over the next seven days before they reconvene in Atlanta to face Georgia Tech. 

THE FRED REPORT

Fred McMurray of My Three Sons. The Cards
could have used a couple of them Wednesday. 

F- Free throws. Nothing to complain about here. 22-25 is 88% is way above the standard of 70% my guidelines are here. CAPITAL "F". 

R- Rebounding. Led by Kylee's 13, the Cards did manage a 45-31 advantage over the smaller Falcons. Myisha grabbed eight. We'll award a CAPITAL "R" here also.

E- Effort/Execution. With a season-high in turnovers and allowing 12 steals, this was not UofL's finest hour. In fact, it well have been the Cards poorest performance of the year. Whether it's against a conference contender or also-ran, you have to bring your best each night. Louisville did far from that. No letter here. Maybe they were tired.

D - Defense. Holding a foe to less than 30% shooting and just 50 points is not a bad night, especially with two of your top three players watching from the bench. Still, swatches of inconsistency and letting Immel and Bennett go for almost 30...I have to limit this category to a small-case "d". 

FINAL FRED TALLY:  F-R-_-d



SO...

Maybe some of the players were mentally at the airport or on the way home. Maybe UofL underestimated a team that had nothing to lose and played pretty decent defense. Maybe the altitude of over 7,000 feet had something to do with it. Maybe a lot more than we realize. 14-0 looks good, though, even if it was a lack-luster, less-than-average effort that got UofL there. 

Whatever the circumstances, fates and situations were that led to the events of the afternoon, hopefully a lesson was learned. There may be situations later in the year where foul trouble or other issues have 2-3 starting Cards riding the pine. Louisville won't be playing a win-less opponent in these and we hope that the experiences of the trip to the Rockies gave Louisville a reminder that nothing is given and nothing is guaranteed. 

Let's also not forget that the Cards were coming off an emotion-filled win at their in-state rivals place and that can be draining. The "highs" experienced in that huge win weren't going to be emulated against a 0-10 foe that is possibly the fourth worst team in DI basketball, according to the RPI's. The Cards showed up, did enough to win and were never seriously challenged for 35 minutes.

Can they afford to do that the rest of the way? Of course not, that spells "L" in the win/loss column. But, they won. Walz is going to have to display discontentment. That's all part of coaching. 

Everyone throws in a clunker now and then. The Cards delivered theirs with the accuracy of a Brandon McKay fastball. Get it out of your system and move on. Credit your opponent for a hard-fought battle, tear off the rear view mirror and keep driving toward the goal. The Final Four.

Kylee Shook returns home and shows her posse she can still rebound. Myisha does what she does, dominate and leads her teammates to victory. Other than that, it might be a road trip to forget and a game film not worth watching. The lowest scoring effort of the season for Louisville. Better have some Pepto-Bismol in the viewing room if they decide to re-live the 40 minutes of less-than-satisfying video. 

14-0.

paulie
xxxxx

Louisville women's basketball -- Cards enlist Air Force as next foe -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

CARDS PLAY SECOND GAME IN A ROW ON THE ROAD

A flock of high-flying Cardinals have landed at the Air Force Academy and have received clearance to head to Clune Arena on the AFA campus to have an aerial battle today at 1:05 PM (13:05 military time) M.S.T. (that's 3:05 or 15:05) E.S.T. with the Falcons. The Cards look to extend "the streak" to 14-0 against a foe that has yet to win a game this season. 

Louisville actually arrived in Colorado Springs, CO Monday and have spent the last couple of days checking out the U.S. Olympic Training facility and the Air Force Academy...getting in a couple of practices and seeing the sights. Pictures of Arica Carter wearing a boot surfaced from out there and created a minor panic state with some of our readers, but, all is allegedly well with the red-shirt junior -- according to our sources and she was wearing it for preventative purposes and to give her leg some rest. She did not...

"break her foot kicking Kentucky's a$$ Sunday"  -- as one of our readers jokingly e-mailed to me yesterday. 

Our esteemed writing columnist here at Cardinal Couple "Worldwide" Jeff McAdams tells us that they'll put a protective cast or boot on a player these days if they sneeze too hard, so we'll assume that A.C. is healthy and available if Walz needs her today. 

Maybe today's regularly-scheduled writer...Mr. Anderson Jared...is in a cast today and that's why you're stuck with me on these pages for a Wednesday

So ...what can we expect from this "bird battle" today? We know that AFA is the third game of the season for the Cards against winged mascots (the UT-Martin SkyHawks and Oregon Ducks are the other two) and fourth opponent with a bit of military reference...the Toledo Rockets, Vandy Commodores and MTSU Blue Raiders have also attempted the capture of a win against UofL and failed. 

AFA is 0-10 on the season. They've been close several times in getting a "W'"...losing five games by three points or less. No one has really drilled them too badly...an early season 76-40 loss at SIUE at Edwardsville, IL. and their last contest against Colorado -- a 68-40 defeat are the only two games they haven't been closely competitive in. 

The two squads have played no common opponents this season...but AFA did face ex-UofL assistant Bethann Ord's Weber State squad in Ogden, UT 12 days ago and lost 62-52. 

It is a chance for UofL to play in front of sophomore Kylee Shook's family and friends...she did her high school work in Colorado Springs. She's continued to work hard on the other side of the Mississippi...averaging 6.6 ppg this season and recently dropping 21 points on Murray State. 

Obviously, we expect Shook to get the start and she's got a better-than-average chance to reach double-figure scoring for the fourth time this season if all goes well. 



It is the "furthest from Louisville" away game the Cards have played this season in five road contests. 1091 miles in all...and 183 miles more than the trip to Brookings, SD that the Cards took 18 days ago. The Cards, of course, flew to Colorado Springs. I've made that drive on I-64 and I-70 en route to Denver and did it in a day and a half. If I had left around 6 a.m. yesterday morning and driven straight through I could have been there probably by midnight yesterday. 

Thanks, but no thanks... 

Kaelin Immel is the lone double digit point producer per game for the Falcons at 12.4 a contest. She's a 5'9" freshman guard out of Beaverton, OR and also leads AFA with 19 made threes. A look at the roster indicates a youth movement is going on in head coach Chris Gobrecht's third year. Nine freshmen and three sophomores are listed on the Falcons 16-player roster. 

Expect the Cards to equalized the minutes as much as possible today. Hopefully, Syd will get a chance to launch a few missiles of her own at today's target and Jess will see some prolonged court time. Maybe Bionca can avoid the whistles and get some significant minutes, too.  Ten players. 200 minutes available. Maybe five double-doubles? 

The thing is, no one has put up more than 76 points on the Falcons this season, so Gobrecht is obviously teaching defensive skills to this cadre of floor runners. Gobrecht is a interesting, journeyman-type coach with 37 years as a head skipper under her belt and previous stops at Yale, Southern California, Washington and Cal-State Fullerton. She's the winning-est coach of all time in WBB at UW and Yale. She's won five games in three years at Air Force. 

Do I think the Cards will have a hard time today in their inaugural meeting with Air Force.

No, I don't.

Happy Birthday Kate! Are you leading a sing-along here? 

You can never really take any game for granted, though, and I'm sure the UofL coaching staff has instilled the need to work hard and stay productive in today's Rocky Mountain Way performance.

If Louisville loses this one, though, I'll give up sports-writing, start a family farm in Fordsville, change the name of this site to Sonya's Succulents and start informing folks about botany, cactus, jade and aloe vera plants. 

There's a broadcast being offered on-line for this one.

http://www.goairforcefalcons.com/videos/live.html

Mountain West Conference stuff. Although it might be interesting to hear someone else's assesment of #3 Louisville...I'll watch while listening to Nick and A.J. describe the action on WKRD 790 AM. 


paulie
xxxxx

Poll results for WBB and Julie Sullivan offers a Christmas poem -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

It seems we may have a second poet-laureate here at Cardinal Couple. First off, the long-standing annual Sonja XMAS poem is rapidly nearing completion and sources tell me that she, the chimps, and Mike the psychedelic-eyed Clemson Tiger should have it out by the weekend. Since Mike isn't much of a proof-reader, I've gotten some glimpses of what my better half has been working on and I like what I'm seeing.  

The poem, a tradition started long ago at Howie Lindsey's fine CARDINAL SPORTS website lives on and it will be posted here and there. (I had wondered why the egg-nog and bourbon levels in the house had been shrinking...) 

Julie Sullivan, our newest writer, is also adept as a wordsmith and offers us poetry today based on a true experience from a couple of years ago. We hope you enjoy this holiday treat and that your holidays (Worldwide refers to this time of year as "Christmahanakwanzika,") are going well.  -- Paulie -- 

Less than a week before Christmas and all thru the website

The games had been covered, I have nothing to write

Paulie wrote the UofL/UK game with such clever flair

That all felt the victory, even those who were not there 

But the readers are clamoring for a new story to read

It's early Tuesday AM and the sweat starts to bead

Then, I remember an incident from two years ago

When a Cat fan and I had a battle to and fro

She put a Christmas tree in a common hallway

And from a bough, a giant Wildcat ribbon did sway

On the tree a Cardinal ornament soon did appear

When I was wrongly accused, I put it in high gear

A tree with blue? It's not the color of the season

Everyone knows Santa wears red for a reason

Her tree was soon adorned with lots of red birds

And an email she did get with the following words: 

Oh, Cardinal tree, oh Cardinal tree

How lovely are thy birdies?

Oh, Cardinal tree, oh Cardinal tree

How lovely are they birdies"

Oh, Cardinal tree, oh Cardinal tree

Such pleasure you do bring me!

Oh, Cardinal tree, oh Cardinal tree

Such pleasure you do bring me! 

And how this former Wildcat tree

Brings us such joy and glee

Oh, Cardinal tree, Oh, Cardinal tree

Such pleasure you do bring me.

Oh, Cardinal tree, oh Cardinal tree

Card/Cat games we'll be winning

A symbol of our pride and love

No other school can ring my bell

Someday Ms. J. will think you're swell. 

Oh, Cardinal tree, Oh, Cardinal tree

You'll never again need changing. 

( This column is a tip of the hat to my grandfather, who wrote each of his ten grand-kids individualized poems that accompanied our Christmas cash each year. The money was welcome but all these years later, I still miss GrandPop's cheesy rhymes. I hope I did him proud.) 

-- JC --   

***********************************************************

USA TODAY, AP POLLS OUT

If it's Tuesday morning during basketball season, and we're relatively sure it is, it's time for the weekly polls for NCAA Women's College basketball. Steady on the horizon, course remains the same for the WBB Cards in the AP, holding at third: 

1)  UConn            800 points

2)  Notre Dame    748 points

3) LOUISVILLE      740 points

4) S. Carolina       686 points

5) Miss. State       672 points

A bit of a head-scratcher, "WTH" result over at the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll, however, where the Cards are still in fourth behind Mississippi State. 

1) UConn             800 points

2) Notre Dame     745 points

3) Miss. State       720 points

4) LOUISVILLE      719 points

5) S. Carolina       681 points

in the RPI rankings, the Cards are sixth.

Coach Walz and the players will tell you rankings are unimportant, they take each game at a time and I have to agree. I use them primarily to see how an upcoming opponent might be situated coming into a game against UofL. 

Speaking of, the WBB squad is in Colorado and ready for Wednesday night's game against Air Force. I suspect Mr. Anderson Jared will fill us in on more of that tomorrow. FWIW, Air Force is #345 out of #349 in the RPI listings. 0-9 on the season. 

345	345	Air Force	MWC	0-9	0-5	0-0	0-3	0-1
346	346	VCU	Atlantic 10	1-7	0-5	0-1	1-1	0-0
347	347	Charleston So.	Big South	2-5	0-2	0-1	1-2	1-0
348	348	La.-Monroe	Sun Belt	2-5	0-4	0-0	0-1	2-0
349	349	Longwood	Big South	2-6	0-4	0-0	1-2	1-0

Paulie

xxxxx

Louisville women's basketball -- No contest. Cards clobber Cats 87-63 -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

DURR'S 32, FIVE IN DOUBLE FIGURES PUT AWAY UK

Look, ma! They spelled it right in Lexington !! 

Louisville women's Basketball goes to 13-0 with a domination of Kentucky 87-63 Sunday afternoon in Lexington's Memorial Coliseum. The Cards never trailed in a contest where Louisville used a five minute, 20-5 half-ending run to take a 27-20 lead to 47-25 advantage after 20 minutes. 

#25 was Durrific. What more can you say about the Douglasville, GA junior in the contest? 32 points, 6-11 from trifecta range and just one foul and one turnover in 36 excellent minutes of court time. She's Asia Durr, the best basketball player in D1 women's college hoops. In keeping with the tradition we've come to expect of her, she passed the accolades on to her teammates: 

"My teammates find me on the court, Coach Walz calls great plays and if I don't have the shot there -- I know I have my teammates to count on. They always help me get hyped. They get me going." 

Daryl Foust, Al Greener and a guy I'm pretty sure isn't
Santa Claus with me in end zone media row. 

The teammates did a wonderful job of energizing Durr, no doubt...but with her seven first quarter points and aided by Myisha Hines-Allen's three baskets, the Cards streaked out to a 23-16 advantage and the normally raucous and rafter-rattling Coliseum was more like a funeral parlor setting, except for the Cardinal fans squeezed into the corners of the big box. 

It was evident that UK came out wanting to run every chance they got but after an early success by Alyssa Rice on a jail-break that got her in front of the Cards' transition defense for a bucket...UK would score no more fast break points. The heralded guard combo of Maci Morris and Taylor Murray was also pretty much kept at bay with just 24 of UK's points and a combined 9-21 shooting. 

Jeff Walz commented on them: 

"They are guards that have the ability to take over a game. We knew they loved to drive to the right. Unfortunately, for the first few minutes we allowed them to do that and they scored. We made some adjustments. Forced them to their left. Defensively, we did a lot of good things."

Coaches Walz and Mitchell exchange views pre-game

Things like holding UK to 34.6% shooting in the first half. Creating turnovers. The Cards forced UK into 16 miscues and scored 22 points off them. Eliminating second chance opportunities. Give that stat to Louisville 20-8. Give the Cards credit for keeping the fans out of the game. And, UK, too...for that matter.

It was over at the half.

Yes, they continued the game and Louisville did outscore the Cats 40-38 in the final twenty. Going into the locker room after the first twenty, UK walked off the court like a defeated team. The scoreboard read 47-25. A second quarter where Louisville dominated 24-9 and where starters Myisha Hines-Allen and Jazmine Jones sat the entire 10 minutes because of two fouls each. 

Their court absence wasn't a factor. Durr remained hot, starters Sam Fuehring and Arica Carter picked up the slack. Dana Evans came off the bench to contribute valuable minutes. 

If there are a better "nine" in the nation than these contributing Cardinals, beside possibly UConn, point them out to me. 

Sam drawing a charge early was big for
the Cards

You control the ball, you control the game. Louisville did that. Out-rebounding UK 36-25. The evolution of Sam Fuehring has been a wonderful thing to watch this season. Give the New Jersey junior 10 points and 10 grabs from Sunday. Maybe "give" is the wrong term. She earned each and every one. Drawing charges. Giving UofL 34 minutes of effort and hustle that wore me out just watching from the end-zone. 

Walz had to be happy with only 11 turnovers. No more than two by any player. Once again, control the ball, control the game. One thing he couldn't talk about, but was a discussion of sorts on media row, was the discrepancy in foul-calling.

The Cards were whistled for 24 infractions. UK 17. Four Cardinals played with four each at the end and two others had three. Another rough outing for the sometimes brilliant, sometimes head-scratch causing Bionca Dunham. Four fouls in three minutes. A couple that could have gone either way. The same thing happened to Jazz Jones. Whistled for four and two of them were "phantom" calls. Louisville normally gets a pretty evenly-called game when big, bald Luis Gonzales has a whistle. Didn't happen Sunday. Mark Zentz was his usual below-average in court officiating and Michael McConnell (Mitch's son, maybe?) might as well have grabbed a seat and enjoyed some popcorn instead of running around and making bad calls and missing infractions. I know, we're positive here at Cardinal Couple, but these guys were less-than-mediocre at best.  

The Cards owned the paint Sunday. 

13-0. It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? A determined and delightful effort in the barnyard for the Cards in front of 5871 (funny, it looked like more than that). About 400 left happy. The others walked out into the misty, late afternoon conditions in Lexington and will wait for Thursday...wondering if Matthew Mitchell can get his first win in four games...against a California team that is 8-2, falling only to #1 UConn and #13 Missouri and winners of their last five. It's our ol' buddy Lindsey Gottlieb coming to visit the Cats and she's got Kristine Anigwe, Asha Thomas and Mikayla Cowling guiding her sleigh as she attempts to deliver a few more lumps of coal to "Kan't-tucky."  

When she shoots, good things usually follow

It's a sweet feeling to finally walk out of that cracker-box after a UofL win. I was there for the last one in 1979...making the trip to cheer on a classmate who was on the team.

This UofL team is something special. I stand humbled in their effort and presence.

The usually flamboyant UK head coach Mitchell, after some early antics, spent long stretches of Sunday's game sitting on the bench with a look of askance, bewilderment and resignation on his face. He has a squad that needs to embrace the concepts of defense and continuity. That's his job...and UK might be able to respond to these needs...but, on Sunday, little of that was present. With classes not starting back up until early January, one would figure he'll be searching for that particular rainbow. 



THE FRED REPORT

It was a "beautiful day in the
neighborhood" for UofL WBB Sunday.
Fred Rogers. In a red sweater. 

F- Free Throws. If there was one area where Louisville could have improved on Sunday's slaughter, it was at the charity stripe. 11-16. Myisha the main culprit with a 0-4 effort. No letter awarded for 68.8%

R- Rebounds - Louisville controlled the boards 36-25. They got over half of those from Myisha and Sam. They out-rebounded their Wildcat counterparts Makenzie Cann and Alyssa Rice 19-4. That'll get you a capital "R" every time. 

E - Effort/Execution - The Cards won the hustle stats convincingly. They got the ball to their scorers. Save for the the disappointing afternoons for Jones and Dunham, they were a crisp and finely-tuned machine. 20-8 second chance points. Game-changer. No problem in extending a capital "E" here. 

D- Defense - Louisville had been holding foes to 55 points a game. Despite Kentucky managing 63, the Cards forced 18 turnovers, allowed just 44.9% from the floor (which was 39% before the fourth quarter) and dominated the paint on both end of the court. We'll give out a capital "D" here. Only Ohio State has managed over 70 points against UofL. 

THE FRED REPORT:  _-R-E-D

Mission accomplished. The Cards move on to explore the wild, blue yonder with a trip to the Air Force Academy on Wednesday. A chance to be the "top guns" once again. Another chance to "fly into the danger zone." and emerge unscathed. 

FOLLOW KENNY'S LEAD

Somewhere, "Goose" is probably smiling...

Goose and Maverick understand UofLs
"need for speed" 

In Louisville, grins are a' plenty. 

UK made some interesting choices. The Cats decided to see if Arica Carter could beat them. Mission Accomplished with 11 points and three threes. They chose to shut down Durr's three attempts and driving to the basket. That worked out well, right? 

The question I had going in was whether Durr and Hines-Allen continue their All-American performances? Mission Accomplished. Fall out, troops, and re-assemble in Colorado. The Empire still stands unblemished...the record perfect. 

The Battle of the Bluegrass goes to the Cards. Convincingly. And, an old curse...the spell of the "winless Cards in Memorial" is broken and put to rest. 

THEY SAID IT:  

MATTHEW MITCHELL POST GAME

MYISHA, ASIA and WALZ POST GAME


paulie
xxxxx