Louisville WBB @ Syracuse Tonight

WEDNESDAY (Oh, yeah!) as seen by CARDINAL COUPLE

-Cards go to the 'Cuse.

-Hillsman fights a battle of his own.

-Golf keeps swinging

-Honors for Grieshaber

-Another conflict..
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Kayla Alexander, shown above, leads the Syracuse Orange in scoring and rebounding. The Orange get a visit from the University of Louisville women's basketball team tonight. Game time is 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. Unfortunately, the University of Louisville's men team plays at the same time on ESPN ....so it's one of those listen to the ladies and watch the guys nights for those of you who like both...
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Syracuse (17-7, 5-6) is the best rebounding team in the Big East. Besides Alexander, the 'Cuse get plenty of paint proficiency from Iasia Hemingway, Elashier Hall and Erica Morrow...who also score in double figures. The Orange enter the game fresh off a 70-49 drubbing of Villanova, a win that stopped a three game losing streak. Syracuse rolled through the pre BIG EAST part of their schedule 12-1...losing only to Baylor. Since conference began, they've taken losses against Georgetown, WVU, Rutgers (twice), Notre Dame and DePaul. Notable wins have come against Clemson and Marquette.
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Louisville comes into tonight's game on a two game win streak and begins a two game road trip. Monique Reid is expected to play tonight...the junior sprained an ankle Sunday before the WVU game and sat out 32 minutes of the contest. Reid leads Louisville in scoring with 15.6 points per game. Shoni Schimmel follows with 15.6 a contest. Schimmel leads the BIG EAST in 3-point field goals made with 68 and freshman teammate Nita Slaughter is tops in conference with a 3-point % of .431 (25-58).
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The Cards success behind the 3-point stripe could play a significant role in tonight's contest. Louisville faces tough sledding around the rim tonight and a successful 3-point barrage would not only draw the 'Cuse away from the hoop defensively..it would also put a bunch of points on the board. Let's hope the Orange get 'Schimmeled'
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We'll have a recap of the game later tonight. No TV for this one...WKRD CARDS RADIO 790 AM and 101.7 FM will have the radio broadcast. Paul and Jim (no...not me and my older brother) will have the words and music.

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Quentin Hillsman (pictured left) is fighting another battle in addition to
the one he faces on the court as Syracuse head women's basketball coach. Former Syracuse women's basketball player Lynnae Lampkins has brought a Title IX sexual harassment complaint against Hillsman and the Syracuse women's basketball program.

Lampkins, a junior who no longer plays on the team, accuses Hillsman of inappropriate texting and touching. She did not rejoin the team this year because "I couldn't be around him. He would slap butts and chest bump. I was very uncomfortable with it."

She also testifies that Hillsman sent her a text over the summer that read "I love you, I miss you, I can't wait to see you." She wasn't aware of any other Syracuse players receiving such a text.
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Hillsman denies the accusations. He considers them untrue and hurtful to him, his family and the Syracuse women's basketball program but is trying to prevent it from distracting the program and the players. (Excuse me..but this is typical coach-speak out of 'Meeting the media' 101). After the allegations came out during last summer, Syracuse used outside council to do a investigation. The investigation team reported that they found no substance to the allegations and no basis for action to be taken. Syracuse's president, chancellor and athletic director have all come out with statements showing support for Hillman. Lampkins remains on campus, still on scholarship and is majoring in health and wellness. It's funny how outside council hired by an academic body to investigate the hiring entity almost never sides against who is signing the paycheck.
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Cover up, collusion and denial mode? Or just a player disgruntled with conditions and the daughter of a high school coach who has filed two previous incident claims over the last six years...a defamation suit and conflict of interest charge in Upper Marlboro, MD. Things getting crazy up in Boeheim-ville, yo! No other 'Cuse players are talking about it and it hasn't gotten the coverage of the Pitino/Sypher mess Louisville has had to endure for almost a year now.
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WE at Cardinal Couple still remember Hillsman storming off the court in 2009 at Freedom Hall after a heated discussion and finger pointing at Jeff Walz following a 78-57 Louisville win...and then making some unflattering gestures to Lady Card fans during his exit. Last year, Hillsman appeared to pass out near the end of Louisville's 64-58 loss to the Orange. The guy has a flair for the dramatics...for sure. Whatcha got in store for tonight, Q?
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Louisville's womens golf team completed day two in the Northrop Grumman Regional and moved up the ladder to 10th place. UCLA, USC and Pepperdine hold the top three spots. Anna-Karin Ljungstrom fired a 72 for the Cards and is tied for 29th. Sara-Maude Juneau carded a 73 and is tied for 27th. Maria Castellanos toured the Palos Verdes Golf Course with an 80. Laura Anderson finished at 84 and Candace Wiley shot an 84 also. Freshman Tara Lyons, playing as an individual, did 18 in 82.

The five-iron Cards finish up play this morning.
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A big congratulations to cross country's Kim Grieshaber for earning All-Academic honors from the U.S. Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association. She led the Cards to a top 15 finish last fall in the NCAA Regionals and was the top finisher for Louisville in five out of their six races. Getting it done in the classroom and on the competition course...we salute you, Kim!
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WE don't know about you...but we're not overly happy that the men and women play tonight at the same time. WE know a lot of our readers cheer for and follow both squads and one would think that the BIG EAST scheduling folks could avoid such snafu situations. The guys are in Cincinnati tonight...on ESPN...
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WE'RE not big fans of trying to follow both teams at the same time. At least both are on the road, so WE don't have to decide whether to attend one and catch up on the other afterward. It's the seventh time this year that both teams have played on the same day.
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Paul had this brilliant idea last night (a first for him) that same day game conflicts could be avoided by designating a specific night or weekend day for the two sports. Let's say men's hoops on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Women's hoops on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Leave Friday alone and go out and support the high school teams in your area...because a lot of them play on Friday nights. The plan is a good one...but it would never fly past the guys holding the puppet strings over college hoops...ESPN and the other networks that televise college basketball.
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Reminds us of the old joke...'I control the destiny and fate of my actions and doings...as long as it's OK with you, dear..."