Reid and Lady Cards ranked 8th in BIG EAST

WELCOME TO THE TUESDAY EDITION OF CARDINAL COUPLE (We're glad you made it!)

-Reid ranked as 8th best player in BIG EAST

-UofL WBB ranked as 8th best team in BIG EAST

-YUM Center making money? Who knew...

-Kom on the sidelines

(Information from the Rutgers Rivals WBB Chat board.)

Monique Reid, pictured here, is ranked the 8th best player in the BIG EAST, according to an outfit called f-reports...We did a search and couldn't find any on-line information about the rating service but we'll go ahead and post their top ten BIG EAST players here. Not totally convinced that we're in full agreement with all the rankings and ratings here...but they aren't too far off. We'd probably move Reid up a spot or two and drop the Connecticut freshman Dolson down a few spots...

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1) Maya Moore-Connecticut-Sr. (No argument here...she's the best of the BIG EAST).

2) Madina Ali-WVU-Sr. (She's had a strong season so far for the Eers).

3) Angel Robinson-Marquette-Sr. (Can't argue this one either...this Angel can soar also).

4) Keisha Hampton-DePaul-Jr. (She's a little over-ranked here, in our opinion, but very good).

5) Stefanie Dolson-Connecticut-Fr. (A good player but not this good. Borderline top ten).

6) Kayla Alexander-Syracuse-So. (We would move her up a notch or two. A banger).

7) Sugar Rodgers-Georgetown-So. (Another one we'd move up. Quick, effective guard).

8) Monique Reid-Louisville-Jr. (The 'super sub' is top five in our stats.)

9) Liz Repella-WVU-Sr. (Are we the only ones who think she's been around 8 yrs.?).

10) April Sykes-Rutgers-Jr. (Breakout season for her. Not our namesake either.)

All in all, an OK list but we'd need to find room for Sam Quigley from DePaul in here somewhere and also Andrea Smith from South Florida. Shoni Schimmel is also on the bubble for making this group. We'll try to see how this list changes as the season progresses. If we can find it again.

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David Wilson does computer rankings of the basketball conferences and here's his latest of the BIG EAST. You can see his work over at http://www.talismanred.com/ Below is his top 10 for the BIG EAST:

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1) Connecticut 898

2) WVU 863

3) Syracuse 854

4) Marquette 720

5) DePaul 712

6) Georgetown 709

7) Notre Dame 700

8) Louisville 682

9) Rutgers 675

10) St. John's 665

He has Louisville ranked 42nd in the nation currently, putting the Cards squarely 'on the bubble' if the NCAA Selection Committee had to pick tournament teams today. Not real convinced here that there is that much difference between Syracuse, Marquette and DePaul..but after all, it is a computer.

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According to a published report in yesterday's Courier-Journal, the Louisville Arena Authority expects a profit in the first year of the KFC YUM ARENA in downtown Louisville. You can read the whole story at: www.courier-journal.com/fdcp/?1292322384500. If the link doesn't work, it's in Monday's paper. Buy or borrow one.

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We don't like the fact that the arena authority has to pay Freedom Hall $750,000 to cover its lost income because of events that have moved to the arena. Who in their right mind would choose Freedom Hall over the new downtown arena for anything? And, they just re-did portions of the Hall in Wildcat blue. I know they miss that $6 they used to get from us for parking at events out there...The KFEC also manages both facilities...so isn't this a little bit of double dipping here? Maybe it's gratitude money that is being paid for not having to be stuck forever on Ring Road.

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-Jim Host suggests that the arena could 'host' up to 140 events annually. Please, no tractor pulls or cow shows, Jim. 94 events are currently scheduled or have dates in the YUM.

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-$2.2 million is expected from food sales commission. That's a lot of nachos and cheese...

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-$1.1 will be paid out in gas and electricity. (Turn off all lights when not in use, guys!)

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Host goes on to say that even if the economy doesn't improve "we should be OK for two or three years going forward."

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(Speak for yourself, Jim...if things don't get better soon, CARDINAL COUPLE will be living in a cardboard box underneath the 2nd Street Bridge next to the Arena...)

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Former UofL golfer Danielle Kom is a noticeable impresario on the UofL sidelines during women's basketball games. She's working as a reporter for the WAZOO network and although we haven't heard her on the air doing a broadcast yet, she's a fixture next to Bob Valvano and Drew Deener when they're on the air.

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In addition to four years of golf at the 'Ville, she was also President of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. Kom attended high school at Christian Academy here in Louisville and also played basketball in addition to golf while there.

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WE'VE had the chance to sit next to her a couple of times this year and she's got a great personality and big smile. Some big time network or city will most likely come by and swoop her away from UofL and WAZOO before too long. We're gonna enjoy her presence while we can.

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(I'd make her play from the men's tees if I teed it up against her and I'd probably need 2-3 strokes a hole...considering the way I play. We are talking about Putt-Putt, right?)

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POST ARTICLE NOTE...Maybe we spoke too soon about Danielle. She thought CARDINAL DOMINANCE did this write up and has joined the CARDINAL DOMINANCE website. Hey, happens all the time. We're so insignificant that dogs won't even shake hands with us. We appreciate that CARDINAL DOMINANCE reposts most of our articles over at their site and also on Facebook. Sometimes, people even read them and realize that it was us who actually wrote them. And sometimes not. Shannon is the 'man' when it comes to recruiting information and coverage of the football Cards. And, he cooks a mean Italian Sausage over a propane grill.

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Two stroke penalty, Danielle.

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WE'RE not in the business of telling jokes here at CARDINAL COUPLE (although we do joke around a lot over on the left side of the site...) but gotta share this one with you.

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An Indian chief instructs his tribesmen to collect firewood for the upcoming winter. They bring in a bunch and ask him how much more they should collect. He tells them that he'll let them know in a couple of days...he rides into the nearest town and sends the guys at the National Weather Service a telegram...who assure him that it's going to be a cold winter. He has the tribe collect more firewood...but just to make sure, he contacts again and they once again assure him that it's gonna be a cold winter. The tribe finds all the firewood possible and Chief sends one more telegram to the National Weather Service.

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"How can you be sure that it's going to be a cold winter?" he asks them.

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"The Indians are collecting an incredible amount of firewood." is the reply.