Where are they now?

Welcome to the Monday view at Cardinal Couple!

-Where are they now?

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-WE try to predict the BIG EAST

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Ashley Rainey (pictured right) is playing at Lindsey Wilson College and averaging 20.8 points a game and 10.4 rebounds for the Blue Raiders (10-3). She has been named the Mid-South Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week twice for the NAIA school. Rainey played in 22 games for Louisville in the 2009-10 season...starting 16 before leaving the team. She averaged 6.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in her one season at the Ville.

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Janae Howard is at Western Kentucky University and the third leading scorer on the Hilltoppers (4-7) squad. She's started 5 out of the 10 games she's played for the Toppers and is averaging 24.6 minutes per game. Howard leads the WKU squad in three pointers made and attempted (25-69). Howard was a reserve on the 2008-09 Louisville squad that made it to the NCAA Championship game.

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Another player on that team, Mary Jackson, is at Memphis after sitting out her transfer year and comes off the bench for the Tigers. She recently had 11 points against North Carolina A&T and averages about 3 points a game. The Tigers (8-3) have won their last 5 in a row.

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Laura Terry played in 11 games for Louisville in 2009-10 before a knee injury put her on the sidelines during her junior year. She twice hit double figures for the Cards last year, with 11 points against IUPUI and 10 at Central Michigan. Terry is now a student assistant coach for the Cards and you can see her on the bench during Cardinal home games.

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Nikki Burton took part in 18 games as a part of the 2009-10 Cards and started 11 of them before going to the sidelines with injuries. She's on the injured list this year with a groin injury and is expected to redshirt this season. Burton averaged 5.9 for the Lady Cards last year and had 36 steals...good for second on the team despite playing only about half of the Cardinal contests.

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With BIG EAST play right around the corner, the action will be coming fast and furious amongst the 16 teams in the league. WE'VE got some very early conference season speculation on how the teams could finish up. Read at your own risk...

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Them that has:

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-Connecticut is loaded again and is our pick to win the BIG EAST schedule. Will Maya Moore ever graduate? They may eventually lose a game...we figure either the Connecticut men's team or the WNBA Connecticut Sun are the two most likely candidates to knock them off.

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-DePaul has a wealth of talent and can score from anywhere on the court. Sam Quigley and Keisha Hampton should be able to lead the Blue Demons to the runner up spot in the BIG EAST and....they did knock off #2 Stanford recently. UConn beware.

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-Georgetown has talent with Sugar Rodgers and Monica McNutt and will be a tough opponent for anyone who crosses their path in the BIG EAST. These Hoyas are a rough and tumble bunch...bring the first aid kit and team physician. Rutgers loss a wake up call.

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-Louisville is 2-2 against top 25 opponents this year and features a well balanced scoring attack led by freshman Shoni Schimmel. The Cards can be deadly in their zone presses and can score in bunches with the transition game. Try and zone them and they'll burn you from deep.

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Them that is pretty good:

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-Notre Dame returns talent from last year's team and led by Skylar Diggins...they can shut you down with pressure defense and tear you up outside. Wouldn't be surprised at all with a top four finish in the BIG EAST regular season. Muffet McGraw knows a thing or two about hoops.

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-St. John hasn't disappointed in the pre-BIG EAST schedule and returns a talented bunch of hoopsters that can light up the scoreboard. You won't win many rebounding wars against them and your defense better be clicking if you expect to beat them.

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-Syracuse plays the brutal possession by possesion ball that Quentin Hillsman teaches and it's paid dividends for them so far with an undefeated record. That'll change in the BIG EAST...but don't be shocked in the Orange pull off a few major upsets.

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-West Virginia is highly ranked so far under the tutelidge of Mike Carey and features one of the best players in the league in Liz Repella. The Mountaineers are well disciplined and won't beat themselves. They will whip up on quite a few BIG EAST opponents, though.

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Them that is so-so:

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-Rutgers is rebuilding under C.Viv Stringer but still has talent with April Sykes and company. They can throw scary defense on opponents and C.Viv is rarely out-coached. They did beat Georgetown.

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-Marquette returns three starters from last year and has gotten off to a strong start in pre-BIG EAST play. They don't get blown out and no one puts up big numbers on them.

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-Providence returns two starters from a team that made it to the WNIT quarterfinals last year. Mi-Khida Hankins are Symone Roberts are legit hoopsters.

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-USF has gained a couple of talented transfers in the Smith sisters and they've turned it around in Tampa. Beware BIG EAST teams that venture into the SunDome.

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Them that aren't so much:

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-Villanova will compete with anyone but the talent level there isn't quite enough to get them into the over .500 bunch in the BIG EAST. Harry Perretta begins his 34th. year there.

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-Pittsburgh does have four starters back from last year...four starters from a 16-15 team. Agnes will need a few miracles in the Peterson if they are to improve on that record.

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-Cincinnati has a young and bright coach in Janelle Elliott. It's a shame the Geno prodigy can't suit up for the under-manned Bearcats. They'll fight to stay out of the BIG EAST cellar.

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-Seton Hall is in Anne Donovan first year of coaching. She'll turn the program around in South Orange...we have no doubt...but it isn't going to happen this year.

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