Recruiting terminology, from a coaching perspective

WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

In today's edition of CARDINAL COUPLE, staff columnist Jenny O'Bryan fills us in on terminology and the schedules involved in women's basketball recruiting. The season is getting closer and the anticipation is building!

With summer ball having closed the door the final time for the class of 2014, I wanted to provide readers with some terminology regarding the recruiting process. 

As we often remind you, the NCAA is full of rules and regulations coaches and student athletes must follow to remain in compliance.   Below is a list of terms and permissible activity of coaches as they are out on the recruiting trail. 

Recruiting Calendar Period Definitions:

Contact Period – Coaches can have in-person, face-to-face interaction with prospects and/or family members at any location and can evaluate prospect’s academic and athletic qualifications by visiting their school to speak with teachers and coaches, to review film, and can observe practice and competition.

Evaluation Period – Coaches can evaluate prospect’s academic and athletic qualifications by visiting their school to speak with teachers and coaches, to review film, and can observe practice and competition, but no in-person, face-to-face interaction with prospect’s and/or their family members away from campus is permitted.

Quiet Period – Coaches can have in-person, face-to-face interaction with prospects and/or their family members only on their campus. No off-campus evaluation or contact is permitted.

Dead Period – Coaches cannot have in-person, face-to-face interaction with prospects and/or their family members at any location. Contact is prohibited even if the prospect and/or family members arrive unexpectedly on campus.

Women’s Basketball - Division I (total limit of 3 calls during July with not more than one call in any one week)

July 1-5 – Quiet Period: One call per week to JUCOS, 2013, and 2014 HS grads

July 6-12 – Evaluation Period: One call per week to JUCOS, 2013, and 2014 HS grads July 13-22 – Dead Period: One call per week to JUCOS, 2013, and 2014 HS grads July 23-29 – Evaluation Period: One call per week to JUCOS, 2013, and 2014 HS grads July 30-31 – Dead Period: One call per week to JUCOS, 2013, and 2014 HS grads
 

 (This information was gathered from www.informedathlete.com, 6/13)

As the July evaluation period closes, coaches are likely sifting through tons of data they have collected and makings lists for future classes, but more specifically, honing in on the recruits who will fill their roster needs in the upcoming year. 

Fans can look for information to start flowing a bit more freely from both recruits and scouting services as recruits being to trim their lists and make visits to campus.  Next week I will review some of the terminology and periods that are pertinent from the athlete’s perspective.  

Jenny O'Bryan

....

Tuesday Cardinal Couple - 10 seconds? About time!

TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-NCAA WBB installs 10 second rule. Will it matter?

We've discussed the new rule in NCAA women's college basketball previously here at CARDINAL COUPLE. 10 seconds to advance the ball over the half court line. Just like the rest of the world is doing. Will it make a difference? And how will the coaches and players adjust to it?

Unlike their male counterparts, who have a 35 second shot-clock..the women have 30 seconds to get a shot off when in the offense set. It obviously creates more possessions in a game. And, if a team uses all 10 second to advance the ball into the offensive court...you have 20 seconds to get into a offensive set and try to score.

A lot of times last year, it really didn't matter for the UofL WBB squad. Jeff Walz and his staff are firm believers in opportunistic, transition basketball. Shoni Schimmel and Nita Slaughter haven't met a shot they didn't like from beyond the three-point mark. Bria Smith would dribble through a backup on the Watterson Expressway at 4:30 p.m. for a chance to get in the paint and attempt a close-in shot.

Be courteous if you see Bria on the expressway.

On the rare occasions where Louisville dallied in crossing the time line, it was either a guard getting instructions from Coach Walz on the set to run or merely a clock-killing maneuver.  Full court pressure by an opponent never seemed to bother the Lady Cards.



One of the biggest complaints we fielded here at the site last year was over the Kentucky-Louisville game last year. The Cards enjoyed a double-digit lead in the second half, but took their time getting into the offensive set near the game (according to some of you). You told us this took Louisville out of their rhythm that they had used to build the lead. A recent re-watching of the contest showed me that, although the Cards were deliberate at times in getting the offense in motion...it was missed shots by Louisville and the clutch play from a certain UK freshman that put an "L" in the Cardinal column that afternoon.

You score more points than the opponent, you win. Neither team scored over 50 in that contest...a sorry offensive performance in a game that was dominated and dictated by defense.

You can miss shots with three seconds or thirteen on the

shot clock, folks. And, offensive rebounding of the misses was lacking as well by the Lady Cards. I seriously doubt that the extended time it took Louisville to advance the ball over the half-court timeline in the second half was the contributing factor in the loss to the Wildcats in that game.

Thank you for allowing me to vent.

The 10-second rule will be brutal on Cardinal opponents who don't have the ball-handlers or guard efficiency to handle a full-court press that Louisville could very well employ to set up a transition offense. We like this. How will it effect the Cards if they are the object of full-court defensive pressure?

Probably not much. The Cards used a three-guard set quite extensively last season in their march to the title game (Jude, Shoni, Bria). They are adequate ball-handlers. Add guards Tia Gibbs, Starr Breedlove, Janelle Cannon and Monny Niamke to that mix and Jeff Walz has plenty of options to shake off man-to-man or zone full-court pressure after a made basket or out-of bounds possession.

So, in summation...don't expect the addition of the 10-second clock to tilt the apple cart of NCAA WBB hoops. What it will mandate is that coaches work extensively with all players on improving their ball-handling skills.


If anything, it gives a trailing team late in a contest, a new opportunity to get back into a contest if they can press and defend well and create turnovers and clock violations.

You can rest assured the Lady Cards have been working hard in the off-season to capitalize on the new rule. And that should create a lot of fun moments of UofL fans in the upcoming season.

Paulie

--

Monday Cardinal Couple -- Cardinal fans: Some perspectives

MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- "I'm a Cardinal fan."

As you probably realize, here at CARDINAL COUPLE...we try to present UofL women's sports from a fan's perspective. The writers here at the site are all huge Cardinal Sports fans and have spanned the nation in our travels to watch University of Louisville teams play.

I once did a count of the states I had been to following UofL teams. The final number was 30. I'm sure my columnists here at the site have comparable numbers.

Several weeks ago, I began contacting Cardinal fans I've had the pleasure of meeting as a fan, as a writer...and posed a simple question to them:

What is a UofL fan?

I got some great responses and, since things are a bit slow right now in Louisville as far as campus activity and games go currently, I decided to build an article around these responses. Got a take? Feel free to leave it in the comments section. Here we go.


-Cliff G:

"For me, it's supporting the teams I follow with season tickets, away trips when I can go and following them on the computer, in the media and talking about them with friends and co-workers. I've had the chance to go to some wonderful places over the last 29 years and see some incredible games. I was in Dallas when Denny Crum won the 1986 NCAA College Basketball title. A kid, but I remember it very well. I've been to Arizona and saw Howard's team beat Alabama. Probably my favorite trip was this spring when I rotated back and forth from Atlanta and New Orleans watching the basketball teams. I represent with my voice, my attendance and my wallet."

-Tom B:

"I think a Cardinal fan shows their choice by attendance, talking up the teams and wearing the gear. My wife says I have too many Cardinal shirts, hats and things. Each one holds a special memory for me though and I can't depart with them to the DAV or Goodwill. I still have a t-shirt that has the Final Four Participants from the 1980 men's basketball tournament. I have a football signed by every coach since Bob Weber. I have a picture of me and ex-womens' basketball coach Bud Childers. A lot of the older things I have stored away in boxes..but my den is a shrine to Cardinal Athletics. Framed prints, posters, newspaper headlines and other things I've collected since I was a boy and going to Freedom Hall to watch Butch Beard and Wes Unseld."

-Cindy L:

"I just love UofL teams, especially the women's teams. I live out-of-town now but when I attended UofL, I went to women's basketball and softball games when I could. I was in St. Louis when Louisville women's basketball made it to the championship game and had classes with a couple of the players on that team. I'm married now, my husband is a big Illinois fan and sometimes that causes a little bit of a rivalry between us. We agree on several things though. We both like to see UK lose, when Louisville is on TV we watch and we'll never forget watching the women's basketball team beat Baylor because we were at the hospital with his sister who was in labor. She had a beautiful baby girl 3 hours after the Cards won that game. Wouldn't it be cool if she grew up to be a basketball player and went to UofL?"

-Adam G:

"Football is what I love the most. The whole thing. Tailgating, the game, the fans. My dad took us out when we were kids and Louisville had just started playing in Papa John's. We made trips to Memphis, Michigan, Florida and St. Pete for bowl games. I actually quit a job a couple of years ago because my boss wouldn't let me off on Saturday's to go to football games. I get student season-tickets because I go part-time to UofL. My girlfriend's dad played football at UofL, so she's a big fan too. I go to men's and women's basketball too, and baseball. We also did a volleyball game last season and we'll most def be back this year. Go Cards!"


Cardinal fans. They represent, they display and they show up. I was recently in Gatlinburg, TN. on vacation. I counted over 20 people in UofL shirts or hats in the five days I was there. Only UT was better represented.

So, what is a Cardinal fan?

In short, they appreciate the players and the plays...no matter who makes them. They represent the school and own the praise or the blame for their conduct. They are slow to "boo" and quick to praise. They defend their choice in hostile territory. They may live far away from Louisville or five minutes from campus. They may attend hundreds of games a year or have never stepped foot on campus or the venues where the teams play.


They are toddlers, old men, construction workers, waitress and attorneys. They are black, white, short, tall, wear glasses, drink bourbon, eat wings, drive clunkers, live in mansions, shop at WalMart and none or all of the above.

And, in 2013...they are having the time of their lives.

GO CARDS!

-Paulie

+=+=+=+

Sunday Cardinal Couple -- Hines-Allen looking to finish strong

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-2014 prospect Hines-Allen #1 ranked in Jersey


We discussed the UofL WBB 2014 recruiting class on the Saturday CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR, but didn't get too far because Arianna Freeman and Syd Brackemyer are the only two pieces of the puzzle we can fill in yet.

CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO 7/27/13

Syd will open the lid and appear on the grid
for Louisville

Just how many girls Jeff Walz will bring in no one exactly knows (the Cards are graduating at least four that we know of) and there are about a dozen or so that we hear linked with interest in Louisville.

One we'd like to see in the red and black is Myisha Hines-Allen. The senior at Montclair High School (Montclair, N.J.) is a 6'2" wing who averaged 21 points and grabbed 9 rebounds a game for the Mounties last season.

She's ranked #1 in New Jersey and Hoop Gurlz puts her at #17 in the nation for the class of 2014.

Hines-Allen will be a force

Basically, Hines-Allen can do it all. It's probably trite and overworked to compare prospects to the legendary Angel McCoughtry. The last player I did compare to Angel was Asia Taylor -- who was having a stellar senior season in high school before a leg injury slowed her down for almost two years.

Hines-Allen could be that good.

Her high school coach Bianca Brown is slow-playing her:

"From what I've seen this summer, Myshia has been more aggressive, more comfortable doing the things she will be asked to do."

We have a request also, Coach Brown, on something else you might ask her to do.

Consider Louisville.

The entire college basketball world is after "MHA" and she'll do well wherever she ends up. If Louisville is to keep a seat at the table of the elite women's basketball programs, the Cards need to win battles like this. The score on major coups for Louisville over the last three years is 1-2. Walz got Sara Hammond out of UConn's clutches. The Cards fought to land Sydney Moss. She migrated to Florida, was an All-SEC Freshman selection, but saw the error of her ways and is hiding out at Thomas More for a season.  Louisville saw Mercedes Russell decide on Tennessee...a decision some are still scratching their heads over. How long will she tolerate the Knoxville scene before pulling out and escaping the over-rated SEC WBB and Tennessee?

Dear Ms. Russell:

Louisville 86 - Tennessee 78. How do you like ol' Smokey and the Vols these days? But, it is important that a player feel comfortable and at ease with their college choice. If Mercedes is in that mode at UT, then all we can do is wish her a great four years and the best of luck.

Ask Holly Warlick, Jeff Walz, Geno Auriemma or any NCAA coach...


Do coaches feel pressure?

They just might answer the question with a question while shaking their head at you while giving you a puzzling look.

Do cupcakes have frosting?

(I actually heard someone ask a coach in a press conference once if they felt any pressure. The room became deathly silent. We were waiting for the coach's head to explode or armed security to escort the buffoon out of the room. If the coach had had a pie handy, it would probably have ended up in the scribe's face. The coach gave a terse, one-word reply. "Always").



It should be an interesting fall-signing period.


-Paulie


=====================================================

Saturday Cardinal Couple -- Another apple falls off the Walz Coaching tree

SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Monique Reid named head coach at Fern Creek

-Saturday CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO

-Friday Night Crescent Hill Trolley hop


The Jeff Walz coaching mentorship legacy grows again. Lady Cards star and former Fern Creek High School All-State player Monique Reid has returned to her alma mater to take the head coaching job for the Tigers' girls basketball team.

Reid, who scored the winning free throws in Louisville's upset of Baylor in the 2013 NCAA Regional, was a four year star at Fern Creek before going to Louisville and leading the Cards in scoring her sophomore year. She was All-State her junior and senior years at Fern Creek and many felt she should have received Kentucky Miss Basketball in 2008...former teammate Tia Gibbs (Butler) narrowly beat her out.

Reid is the only Louisville WBB player to play in two national championship title games...she was a starter on the 2009 squad that made it to the title game in St. Louis. 

Despite knee difficulties, Reid played an essential role in Louisville's run to the championship game in 2013...averaging 9.2 points and 3.9 rebounds.

According to Mo, she's ready to go:

"Organization-wise, I feel like I'll be ready for that. If you can play for Coach Walz for five years, you can do anything. There will be some nerves but I'm ready."

Will she be a "Walz Jr." on the sidelines?

"I can't scare off the kids just yet. Definitely, when it comes to X's and O's, he's the best. He has a good personality and can be a goofy guy. I think I have a little bit of both sides in me."

Reid is the second ex-UofL WBB player to hold the Fern Creek job in the past three years. Candyce Bingham coached the Tigers in the 2011-12 season. Rick Laemmle took over the reins in 2012-13 when Bingham return to join Walz's staff. The Tigers were 11-18 last year under Laemmle.

We wish Mo the best in guiding the Tigers. She knows the game, she knows the area and she knows what it takes to win. Reid will also serve as a substitute teacher while completing her master's at UofL. 

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Saturday brings yet another live broadcast of Crescent Hill Radio's production of CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO! We've got a good show planned for you with part two of Jeff McAdams interview with UofL head volleyball coach Anne Kordes. We also have Jenny's recruiting updates, news on UofL women's golf and a great interview with a lifelong Cardinal sports fan.

Believe it or Don't returns today and I've got a quiz for Jenny and Jeff that you can take as well.
 
Toss in a few guest appearances from Bud Goode, Sal Monella and Don Paulie and the hour will be over before we know it.

Listen live at www.crescenthillradio.com or catch the post-production version after the show at:

http://soundcloud.com/crecenthillradio/cardinal-couple-07-27-13

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Another great evening at the Friday Night Trolley Hop on Frankfort Avenue! There was live music in front of the Crescent Hill Studios from Phourist and Won't Go Quietly and both these bands were fantastic.

I've got a little clip of Won't Go Quietly I'll play on the radio show today. I dig these guys the most! Unfortunately I got there during Phourist's closing song but they are excellent.

You can check out both bands on Facebook and I highly recommend that you do. Great local music, original songs and driving energy.


-Paulie

==

CARDINAL COUPLE FRIDAY PRESENTS:

 

 

 

FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 

 

 

-Cardinal golfers fare well in tournament

 

-Join us at the Trolly Hop

 

-CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO TOMORROW!

 

-Julie Hermann

-1400 and still counting

 

 

Louisville women's golfers Emily Haas and Laura Restpo used a strong finishing round to finish second in the 4th. annual Pure Silk Women's Collegiate Team Championship in Columbus, OH. They fired a combined 143 for the lowest score of all 42 teams participating to finish with a 287 total.

The score was five strokes behind MSU's Nagel and Witherby's 282.  

 

Coming in tied for eighth for the Cards were Katie Petrino and Tara Lyons...shooting a 302 for the three day event.

 

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

 

 

Yes, news is rather sparse and slow this time of the year when it comes to the reporting on UofL women's sports. While attempting to line up interviews for our Saturday CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR, I discovered that none of the five coaches I was trying to reach were available due to being out-of-town.

 

It's either that or they've finally gotten tired of me.

 

Fortunately, we have part two of Jeff McAdams' marathon interview with volleyball head coach Anne Kordes.

 

The rest of the show? We may just have to wing it...

 

We'll get updates from Jenny on WBB recruiting and have other topics of interest in addition to a "Believe It or Don't segment and a little quiz for the listeners and my esteemed co-hosts Jeff and Jenny.

 

We may even send Jeff out on the mean streets of Crescent Hill wearing a sandwich board and soliciting fan reactions.

 

CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO ON CRESCENT HILL RADIO

 

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

 

Don't forget...Friday Night Trolley Hop on Frankfort Avenue tonight! Meet CRESCENT HILL RADIO and CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO personalities at the free event. The station is at 2520 Frankfort Avenue. We'll be hanging listening to the music and making sure the staff chimps don't torment and harass the food wagons that'll be there. We've posted more details on the "Left Side of the Site"

 

See ya there!

 

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

 

Finally, in an interview with ESPN...former Cardinal hero and current Athletic Director at Rutgers University Julie Hermann announced that she was gay.

 

Does it really matter?

 

Given the body of excellent work she's spear-headed and accomplished in her long and illustrious career as a sports administrator and coach, she could be animal, vegetable or mineral as far as we're concerned at CARDINAL COUPLE.

 

Excellence knows no sexual preference. Good is good.

 

Julie Hermann is a happy, delightful and knowledgeable spokesman and innovator for college athletics. An absolute joy to be around and engage in conversation. A builder. She'll continue to be. And that, friends...is the ways she should be viewed, judged and remembered...because they are the traits that have made so many happy and successful.  

 

Julie is gay. Russ Smith is short. Sara Hammond is strong.

Shoni Schimmel is electrifying. Alicja Wolny punishes a softball with a bat. Tom Jurich is married. Jeff Walz stutters. We love them all. It's the person, folks...not the moniker.

 

And UofL is better than UK. 

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Today's column is the 1400th. in the history of CARDINAL COUPLE. A birthday of sorts, I guess. We've come a long way since that inaugural edition back on Thursday, Jan. 14th. 2010.

It was just Sonja and I when we rolled out the first edition. We've had some great writers since then and I'm very happy with our current lineup of Jenny O' Bryan and Jeff McAdams. I knew neither of them back then. I'm glad I met both.

We didn't have a radio show back then...or media passes. We had virtually no contacts, sources or access to players, coaches or staff either.

Yes, we've come a long way. But the journey has just begun, in our eyes.

Where will we be when we reach 2800 columns? It's hard to

say. One thing we can tell you with all certainy, though is this:

If it bounces, rolls, splashes, gets hit, runs or flies through the air and involves female athletes from the University of Louisville...we'll be covering and talking about it. That's a guarantee.

Thank you for reading and listening to CARDINAL COUPLE !!!

 

 

Have a great weekend! 

 

 

 

-Paulie

(who has facial hair and likes the Beatles...)

 

----- 

 

 

Let's Be Friends - Cardinal Couple Thursday

Without Golf there would be no news

Two Louisville Women's Golf teams are competing in the Pure Silk Women's Collegiate Team Championship.  This is a three day tournament put on by the Women's Golf Coaches Association.  Each of the three days involves a different golf format.  The first day is a Alternating Shot format for each two person team.  The second day switches to a Best Ball format, and the third day is a Best Combined Score.

Louisville's two teams are Emily Haas with Laura Restrepo, and Tara Lyons with Katie Petrino.  Haas and Restrepo shot a 67 in the Best Ball round yesterday, for a current tally of 144...you math wizzes will deduce that they shot a 77 in the Alternating Ball Tuesday.  Lyons and Petrino are sitting on score of 149 with rounds of 78 Tuesday and 71 yesterday.

144 is good for 4th place currently, only 6 strokes back from the leaders from Michigan State and only 2 strokes back from 2nd place held by a team from Tennessee.  Iowa holds the 3rd spot.  Lyons and Petrino's 149 is good for the the 9th place.

Let's Be Friends

As I was reading some news articles on one of my 19 devices (it was 18, but I had a new laptop get dropped off on my desk at work Tuesday), I came across an article from the CBS Sports Blog.  You may be aware...we mentioned it very briefly at the end of Saturday's Cardinal Couple Radio Hour show...CBS Sports recently named Louisville as the most successful college athletic program of the year.  This article...go ahead and go read it, I'll wait for you here...is clearly intended to be mostly about Tom Jurich's success leading the UofL Athletic program, particularly from the perspective of Rick Pitino's Basketball team.  While I'll stand and agree with anyone that wants to sing the praises of Tom Jurich and what he's done for the UofL Athletic Department, there was something else in Gary Parrish's blog that struck me.

While talking about what Tom Jurich has built at Louisville, 3 words seemed to stand out to me, "culture," "friendship," and "family."

I'm definitely not an insider of the UofL Athletic Department, but I have been able to see, from the outside, some of the evidence of this culture, these friendships, and the strong family-like bond among many of the coaches, staff and student-athletes.  Jeff Walz is right, too, its not just between the basketball teams.

If you want to see some of your favorite students athletes, your best bet may be to go to other UofL sporting events.  Its pretty rare, these days, to go to a UofL sporting event and not see athletes from other sports there cheering on the team.  Gorgui Dieng and Peyton Siva were regular attendees at Volleyball and the Women's Basketball games and often had other Men's Basketball players in tow.  The Swimming and Diving teams frequently make their presence known at various Volleyball matches, sometimes in quite dramatic fashion.  Softball, and Baseball games present a veritable parade of student-athlete spectators.

When you attend these events, you start to see these familiar faces in the crowds, particularly if you go to some of the events where the crowds are smaller, like Lacrosse...another good reason to go see Kellie Young's team play...but I think more importantly, you start to see that these people are there because they are invested in each other, they like each other, and they genuinely want to see all of the teams and players succeed.

In my mind, this may be the greatest measure of success for Tom Jurich and the rest of the UofL Athletic Department.

We're a fan blog, trying to share the joy and excitement of UofL Women's Athletics, and in doing so, we frequently post score updates, results, commentary about the play of various athletes on the field or court, but sometimes I think its good to take a step back and remember that these young women and men are real people, with real challenges in their lives.  Part of being a fan, then, is supporting these young people as they transition through some of the most interesting 4 or 5 years of their lives.  Part of why I'm such a fan of the University of Louisville Athletics is because of this culture that that has been built.  It makes it extra special to be a fan when you see the Athletic Department doing things "Right", doing things with integrity, doing things with honesty, and doing things in mutual support of each other.  That's an organization, and group of people, that I'm proud to cheer for.

Cardinal Couple Radio Show

Speaking of the radio show, we're excited to get back in the studio again this week, Saturday at 11am on http://www.crescenthillradio.com, after having, by far and away the biggest response and number of listens to our show from last week on the Sound Cloud.  By biggest response, its not even a close contest...less than a week from upload, we've had well over triple the number of plays of our next highest show archive, which goes back to early March.

This week, we'll have the second part of my interview with Head Volleyball Coach Anne Kordes, covering what they're doing now in the pre-season to get ready for the fall schedule of matches, as well as her thoughts on scheduling philosophies and how they're using non-conference scheduling to prepare the team for success.  I haven't heard what Paulie has up his sleeves for the show, yet, but I'm sure it'll be entertaining.

Wednesday Cardinal Couple -- Summer ball winds down for the Class of 2014

WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

(Staff hero Jenny O'Bryan fills us in on the latest on recruiting in today's column. With her ear to the wall, eyes on the feeds and nose to the grindstone...Jenny is always looking for the latest news and always produces.) 

"V Dub" is on everyone's radar

The final summer evaluation period is underway starting Tuesday, July 23 and ending Monday, July 29.  For the class of 2014 it is the end of their summer basketball careers.  Coaches will be fanning out to D.C, Louisiana, Georgia, and many other events to look for the next big game changer. 

We have been talking about rising seniors (class of 2014) that are on Louisville Women’s Basketball radar.  Jatarie White, Victoria Vivians, Gabby Green, Myisha Hines-Allen, Imani Tillford, Mariya Moore, Natalie Romeo and Kortney Dunbar, to name a few. 

We will soon be hearing about unofficial and official visits as these young athletes start to trim their lists and make decisions about their futures.  Louisville will get a few more athletes ready to join Sydney Brackemyre and Ariana Freeman at the YUM Center.  The early signing period is fast approaching and this class could be wrapped up before the season starts. 

While a lot of attention is being paid to the rising senior class, coaches are also watching younger athletes at these events creating lists of talent, and potential spotted on the court, that match the needs of the program in the future years. 

Two names surfaced during the early evaluation period that had offers extended to them by Louisville.  Keep in mind the coaching staff cannot talk about a recruit until they have signed with the school.   The earliest a student athlete can sign is in the fall of her senior year.  So where does the information come from?

Social media has made this information available to enthusiasts, like myself, probably to the chagrin of college coaches everywhere.  Student athletes, their parents, club coaches, and scouting services all tweet about the goings on in the basketball world.  Scouting services dole out information to the general public via twitter when they hear it. 

UofL wants to know what
Brown can do for them.

In the class of 2015 wing Taylor Brown was recently offered a scholarship by Louisville Basketball.    Brown plays summer ball with fellow Louisville recruits  Hines-Allen and Tilford from the New Jersey Sparks basketball program. 

I cannot find much in print about Brown, however, the attached video shows her doing it all for her high school team.  Given it is a highlight reel, you are only going to see the good stuff, but there is plenty of that to see!  Brown is pulling down rebounds, finishing in the paint, making jumpers as well as 3 balls.  She has a real nice hi-lo pass to get the assist.  She looks like a baller and I look forward to watching her name as her recruiting heats up. 
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKp0c11a0fU

The other name coming out of the early evaluation period is Dekeriya Patterson out of Florida.  What makes Patterson unique is that she is in the class of 2017.  Before you have to stop and count on your fingers, she is a rising freshman in high school.  This youngster has not even played her first high school game, and yet Louisville has offered her.  Following her club director, Kenny Kalina, on twitter, it looks like new Assistant Coach Sam Purcell is very high on this rising high schooler.   The below is an excerpt from Kalina on his website:

Many have already seen that Louisville has offered Patterson and while that is impressive, her play has been just as impressive. Patterson has a skill set of a college sophomore already and has yet to play a high school game. With deep range and a taste for the big game and big shot there is no one you would rather have with the ball at the end of a game than her. Look for her continued development at Dunbar on the defensive end and maturity to turn her into a must have player in 2017.
 

Does this description remind you of anyone?  "Deep range, big game, big shot"  "ball in her hands at the end of a game".  While I was not following recruiting back when Shoni Schimmel was going through the process, this youngster sounds a lot like the Schimmel we know now.  This kiddo is not yet in high school.  Wow, do I look forward to watching her high school career. 
 

For all you other recruiting junkies out there, this will give you a few names to follow.  I think we have a faithful reader and commenter in Florida, maybe he will hear more about her than us and keep us abreast of the news.  (Joe, are you reading this?)


-Jenny O'Bryan

Tuesday Cardinal Couple -- The Forgotten Four: How will they return?

TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-What can UofL WBB expect out of Dyer, Taylor, Gibbs and Niamke?

-WBB will play WKU in Bowling Green

They were four of fourteen on the squad last year but didn't dress for the BIG EAST or NCAA Tournament runs. They were all starters at one point in their collegiate careers but now find themselves finding five starters in front of them from the national NCAA runner-up team.

I'm speaking, of course...of Asia Taylor, Tia Gibbs, Shawnta Dyer and Monny Niamke. What will their impact be on a squad that is deep in talent at each position?

Let's look at their bios so far and what they might bring

-Tia Gibbs

The former Louisville Butler, 2008 Miss Kentucky Basketball guard has been on campus almost as long as Jeff Walz. After spending a freshman year at Vanderbilt, Gibbs transferred and sat out a season before turning in a spectacular 2010-11 campaign. Then, one game into the 2011-12 year, she injured a shoulder that sidelined her. Along with a hip injury, Gibbs comeback has been highly anticipated for two years now by Lady Cards fans. She led Louisville in steals in 2010-11. Scored in double figures in 16 games. Shot 81.1% from the free throw line.

Will she return to such numbers in the 2013-14 season? Probably not...but Coach Walz would probably gladly settle for half as much and a solid 10 minutes a game if she's still got it in her. Energy. Leadership. Defense. Those will be the three keys for Gibbs. Torn shoulder labrum, torn hip labrum...but un-torn and un-waivering desire to compete.

- Asia Taylor

Watching game film on her from her 2008-2009 senior season in high school had me convinced she just might be the next Angel McCoughtry. A devastating leg injury ended her senior season, though...and she played basically on one good leg her first year as a Cardinal. She started roughly half of the games in her first three years here before sitting out the 2012-13 schedule with (you guessed it) a hip injury.

At her best, Taylor is a ferocious defender and scoring threat inside who goes to the boards strong and probably had the best vertical of anyone on the team when she was healthy in 2011-2012.  If she can give Louisville strong, solid support on the front line as a dependable back-up at the "4" or "5" and consistantly hit a mid-range jumper...then her 10-12 minutes a game will be productive for Walz.

And, she's Sonja's favorite player on the team. Important stuff...

- Shawnta Dyer

Another hard-luck victim with two injuries since she's been here...ACL most recently and a fractured heel before she ever played a game as a Cardinal. The Shawnta we saw in the 2012-13 season before the knee injury was a hard-working, aggressive paint player on both ends of the court who scored well inside and abused defenders who decided not to "front" her.

That needs to come back if Dyer is to have any major impact on the 2013-14 successes for the Lady Cards. When she's "on"...she's hard to keep off the glass and away from the hoop. Reports are she's ready to go and near 100%.

- Monny Niamke

She was the sure-fire, can't miss guard headed from France to Louisville that all of a sudden ended up at Lindsey Wilson. The year of hoops there, though, gave her a wealth of experience at point guard. She averaged 12.5 ppg and led the team in assists during that 2011-12 season before finally ending up at Louisville and redshirting last season.

How will her skills translate to Division I? She is a better than average defender and quick...two skills desired at point guard. She's proven she can be a scorer...on a roster that is knee-deep in guards, though (no pun intended) one has to wonder just how many minutes she'll get as a back up or if there is the remotest of a chance she'd get a starting nod? Point guards need to be excellent ball-handlers and accurate distributors of the orb. We'll see how "Money's" skills are after a year on the shelf.  

We look forward to seeing all four mentioned above having healthy, productive and fun seasons for Coach Walz. On a roster that has so much talent and five returning starters...the competition for playing time is going to be quite a battle and fun to watch...

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Slowly, but surely...we're getting news about the non-conference schedule for the Louisville womens' basketball team.

Jeff Walz will take the platoon of Cardinals down I-65 for an early season matchup with Western Kentucky on Wednesday, November 27th. for a game in E.A. Diddle Arena. The 7 p.m. CST contest falls the day before Thanksgiving (and Hanukkah).

Sounds like a good opportunity for UofL Fastbreak Club or Marketing to get together a bus trip, right? Talk to us, A.J.

The Hilltoppers are coached by former UofL assistant Michelle Clark Heard and two former Lady Cards are on staff with her...assistant coach Candyce Bingham and staffer Laura Terry.

Wow...the Festival of Lights, cranberry sauce, Big Red and Cardinal hoops all in a 24 hour period. Let's hope the Cards don't end up being the "turkey"...

-Paulie

--