CARDINAL COUPLE

CARDINAL COUPLE
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Friday, April 5, 2013

Friday Cardinal Couple -- More Bears



FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Just another bunch of Bears.

-Lacrosse today!

Just when the Lady Cards thought it was safe to continue up the trail to the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament title, another bunch of Bears are in the path. This group is of west coast variety...Cal Bears...and, while not as tall or widely known as their Texas counterparts...still just as dangerous and appear to be fully out of hibernation.

Coached by relatively unknown (but hugely successful) Lindsay Gottlieb, Cal has put up a 32-3 record on the season...losing only to Duke in early December, Stanford on January 8th. and to UCLA in their second game of the PAC-12 Tournament.

The Bears were picked by a lot of writers to finish second in the PAC-12 and a check of our CARDINAL COUPLE Pick' Em contest showed that 25% of the entries had Cal going to the Final Four.

In the NCAA Tournament, they opened with a thumping of Fresno State 90-76 and squeaked by South Florida in overtime 82-78 in Lubbock. USF came from 10 points down late to force the extra five minutes.

Moving to Spokane for the regional, UC sent LSU home with a 73-63 defeat and eliminated underdog Georgia 65-62 in overtime. They were the #2 seed in the Spokane regional and avoided a third game with #1 seed Stanford in the regional finals after Georgia pulled the upset.

Lindsay is also an expert at the
macarana...as seen here.
"It's hard to argue that Louisville is the hottest team in the country right now. They're clearly an exciting offensive team. They put a lot of fine players on the court at one time and we're going to have a challenge to slow them down." -- Lindsay Gottlieb

(We should also note we contacted Ms. Gottlieb about an e-mail interview several days ago. One of her administrative interns sent a response e-mail that Lindsay would be glad to answer the questions we sent later that evening. That was two days ago. It is the left coast, however. Or maybe we just got 'catfished'...)

It's California's first trip to the Final Four and Lindsay's as well. She was Joanne Boyle's assistant at UC before taking the UCSB head coaching job a few years ago. When Boyle departed, Gottlieb was offered and accepted the job last season.

So which Bear will try and keep Shoni contained? We expect
Cal sophomore Brittany Boyd will draw that unenviable assignment. Boyd is also the second leading scorer for UC with 12.6 ppg a game. Top honors go to Layshia Clarendon with 16.4 points a contest. The Bears average 72.8 points a game while allowing just 58.3...and outrebounded their foes prior to Louisville by 11.3 a game.



Throw all that out the window and give it a David Akers kick as well. Statistics have meant nothing to the Lady Cards over the last three games.

Purdue...rough, tough and BIG 10 Tournament champs. Currently back in West Lafayette or on Spring Break. A #4 seed that played like a #14.

"Don't you know who I am and why am I not winning?"
Baylor. Oh, yes...Baylor. #1 seed, #1 in the nation and #1 in most fans hearts and minds. A 28-point favorite in Vegas to beat UofL. Someone forgot to tell Shoni, Nita and Mo. Mulkey getting some early, unexpected flower-planting and mulching time in currently...when she's not whining on podcasts or TV about the horrific abuse that her precious darlings received from those mean-spirited Cardinal girls...and the unjust, horrific referees who conspired to turn a women's basketball game into a MMA event.

Tennessee. Came out bewildered, baffled and blown away by Louisville's defense and audacity to challenge them on the boards. Holly Warlick did a fine job in her first year as the head Volunteer. Maybe she needed a few more hours of community service or a book on the Schimmel sisters. She's back in "Orangeville"...probably hoping Mercedes Russell missed viewing the game.

Win or lose Sunday, it's been one heck of a fun and wild ride for Louisville WBB. The team that so many turned their back on after the loss to Kentucky. A guard that people said weighed too much, shot too often and never played defense. A coach who couldn't prevent opponent runs, didn't play the right combinations and wasn't kind and gentle enough with his players. A collection of not-ready-for prime time underachievers and timid prima donnas...according to some. Or thugs and villains, according to others.

A team in the Final Four.

They may be ugly ducklings and party crashers...but they are OUR quackers and interlopers...and we couldn't be prouder, happier or anymore in love with them.

They've been through the season from hell, as far as injuries go...but still smile like heavenly angels and play like possessed demons.

And all you can do is just smile. Hollywood couldn't have written a better script or plot line. Just one question, if it were to go to film...

Who would play the evil Waco witch Kim?  

-Paulie

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Cortnee Daley is a freshman mid-fielder for
the UofL Lacrosse team.
Lacrosse returns home today after a month on the road to play rival Notre Dame. Got two great interviews with Cortnee Daley and Kay Morissette Wednesday on campus while waiting for the WBB bus to pull up at the SAC...but you'll have to listen to the CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO SHOW Saturday to hear them. All I can say is...if I liked lacrosse before, I'm absolutely enamored with it now. Two very nice, polite and exuberant young women, those two.

Notre Dame is currently #7 in the nation, so a Louisville win would be the highest ranked opponent to fall to the Cross Cards in Louisville Lacrosse history. 

We think you should go to the Lacrosse game today. Starts at 5 p.m. You're gonna have a good time and you may even see a couple of CARDINAL COUPLE staffers out there as well. Or chimps. We never really know for sure...

Free pizza for UofL students. I'll find a way to circumvent that...

If you can't make the Friday game, they play again on Sunday at noon against Marquette. It's Marquette's first year in Lacrosse...but their head coach is a former Notre Dame assistant. Also, Marquette does not play in the BIG EAST in Lacrosse...but Loyola, MD does. Go figure.

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13 comments:

  1. Well said, Paulie.

    On to NOLA! Hope to get there in time to see the "official team entrances" (NCAA terminology) this evening. Then autograph session and open practice tomorrow morning followed by a men's win tomorrow night followed by...????

    Go Cards!

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  2. Have a big time, Mike and look out for CARDINAL COUPLE staffers down there. They're taking the staff Chimps and Bill the Goat...so expect the unexpected. Work requirements have me stuck in the Ville unfortunately but Sonja and I will be following via TV and pretending like we're in NOLA. I've already bought french roast coffee, crossiants, crawfish and a Dr. John CD.

    Paulie

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  3. Literally, there should be alot of the "Red Nation" aka Native Americans (lol) showing up at New Orleans to support the Schimmels and Louisville. I know of about 40 Umatilla's making the 2436 mile trip. Be on the look out for the Cayuse-Umatilla-Walla Flag, funny it is red too. Here on the Umatilla Rez Wildhorse Resort & Casino is having a showing with free drinks/food so I'm there, come on over PDX Phil!! CAN'T WAIT! SURVIVE AND ADVANCE!!--Umatilla23

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    Replies
    1. Louisville has to be the casual fan favorite as well, from our perspective. People love to cheer for an underdog and the Cards certainly have acheived that status in the WBB FINAL FOUR. Most expected UConn and ND to be there. Cal was a #2 seed in the West and not that far a stretch to consider having a chance to advance in the weakest region.

      But Louisville? In a region with Baylor, Tennessee and UCLA. Advancing to the Final Four? I've seen one women's bracket picks with the Lady Cards getting to New Orleans and that is Sonja's.

      Indian, white man, construction worker, accountant or housewife...the Cards are the story and the affirmation of..."if you believe...anything is possible."

      Paulie

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    2. Hearing from up in Montana that there will be a good number of Crow & Northern Cheyenne in NOLA also. It's all good.

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    3. After reading these comments, I'm even more excited to get down to Lou Orleans than I was before, knowing that so many of the Oregon-based fans will be making the trip.

      I just googled the Cayuse-Umatilla-Walla flag so I know what to look for.

      I wish I could make it down there earlier than Sunday, but couldn't make the arrangements work out for it.

      Come say "Hi." I should be easy to find...I'll be wearing red! ;)

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    4. Hey U23 - I may just come over to the Wildhorse to watch. I should be pretty easy to recognize - pale skin & red Louisville basketball jersey with the number 23.
      --PDX Phil

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  4. I'm very proud of our girls, I know I boast alot about them being Native American, but what else do we get to boast about other than Geronimo out running the US with his spirit like trickery lol. You are right, for this team in general to do what they did AS a team is amazing, that ONE BAYLOR win is one for the books! I will not be surprised if there is some kind of film just based on that one win. Regardless of race, they made us all believe, and now there are many who will look at this Baylor game like the Women of Louisville watch the Survive and Advance documentary--I'm sure coaches will show Baylor game to their teams. THIS BRINGS EVERYONE TOGETHER!

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    Replies
    1. I completely agree. This is actually a much better story line than Survive and Advance
      --PDX Phil

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    2. Agree completely, guys. It even produced a marraige. Rick Schimmel married CeCe Moses in Okla. City.

      Paulie

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  5. If Baylor/Mulkey want to keep whining, then it's fair game to ask why Griner bailed out of the Olympics, where she would have been subject to testing to determine whether her body produces testosterone.
    Methinks Mulkey doth protest too much.
    --PDX Phil

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  6. Spent some time at the team hotel. Saw the team as they left for the "official team entrance" dinner. They looked loose and relaxed. Saw several familiar faces in the lobby. Not many fans of any team on Bourbon Street but more red than any other color. Looking forward to the autograph session and open practice tomorrow morning.

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    Replies
    1. Appreciate the updates, Mike. Keep 'em coming and would love to hear from any other Cardinals in NOLA!

      Paulie

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