UofL WBB selected third in ACC pre-season -- Thursday Cardinal Couple

CARDS SELECTED THIRD IN ACC WBB PRESEASON POLL

So, in the "who cares what they think?" category...we bring you the ACC WBB Media Day report. Thanks to Ira Green for doing the leg-work:  :

Louisville Women’s Basketball Picked to Finish Third in Both ACC Preseason Polls Sara and "the Debster" appear to be fascinated by the light The Cardinals received a pair of first-place votes in the Blue Ribbon Panel’s ACC Preseason Poll. The University of Louisville women’s basketball team, which returns two starters and boasts a top-10 incoming class, is picked to finish third in the Atlantic Coast Conference in separate polls of the league’s Blue Ribbon Panel and its 15 head coaches, it was announced Wednesday. The Cardinals, who have eight letterwinners coming back from last season’s NCAA Elite Eight run, received 724 points – including two first-place votes – from the Blue Ribbon Panel voters. Louisville was narrowly picked to finish behind Duke (733 points, one first-place vote), while Notre Dame is the favorite to win the league title with 38 first-place votes. Hammond discusses UofL WBB One of five seniors, Sara Hammond was selected to both the coaches’ and the Blue Ribbon Panel’s all-ACC Teams. A WBCA honorable mention All-American and first team all-American Athletic Conference selection, Hammond averaged 10.4 points and 5.9 rebounds a season ago. She reached double-digit points 24 times in 2013-14, while connecting on 51 percent of her shots. Louisville’s freshmen and McDonald’s All-Americans Myisha Hines-Allen and Mariya Moore also received preseason recognition. Hines-Allen, named to the ACC coaches’ Newcomer Watch List, finished her prep career as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,803 points in addition to totaling 1,035 rebounds, and 170 blocks. Moore, one of on the ACC Blue Ribbon Panel’s Newcomer Watch List, produced 2,396 points, 1,110 rebounds, and 878 assists during her prep career. Louisville is one of just three schools – others are Duke and Notre Dame – with at least one student-athlete on each of the four lists (ACC coaches’ and Blue Ribbon preseason all-ACC teams and coaches’ and Newcomer Watch Lists). Syracuse players try to channel the radiating force coming from "Q" 's bald head.  Under head coach Jeff Walz, the winningest coach in program history, Louisville went 33-5 last year, with a 16-2 mark in AAC play. It was the Cardinals’ second-highest overall win total in school history, and the group set the Louisville record for most home victories at 18-2. After finishing runner-up in the conference tournament, the Cardinals advanced to at least the NCAA Sweet 16 for the fifth time in school history, culminating with an Elite Eight appearance. Louisville opens its season along with 12 other schools on Nov. 14, with the Cardinals traveling to IUPUI in Indianapolis, Ind. Louisville returns home for five-consecutive games in the KFC Yum! Center, beginning with UT Martin on Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. Reserved season tickets, which provide fans with lower level seats for all home games at the KFC Yum! Center, are available. Season-ticket holders enjoy exclusive benefits including savings of more than 40 percent off single-game pricing, convenience, access to special events, and purchase priority. Ticket packages begin at just $4 per game. For tickets and information, call (502) GO-CARDS or visit GOCARDS.com. Blue Ribbon Panel ACC Preseason Poll 1. Notre Dame (835 points, 38 first place votes) 2. Duke (733, 1 first place vote) 3. Louisville (724, 2 first place votes) 4. North Carolina (707) 5. Florida State (545) 6. Syracuse (536) 7. Georgia Tech (508) 8. Miami (421) 9. NC State (407) 10. Virginia (334) 11. Wake Forest (295) 12. Virginia Tech (184) 13. Boston College (178) 14. Clemson (169) 15. Pittsburgh (144) Blue Ribbon Panel Preseason All-ACC Team Elizabeth Williams, Sr., C/F, Duke Kaela Davis, So., G, Georgia Tech Sara Hammond, Sr., F, Louisville Allisha Gray, So., G, North Carolina Stephanie Mavunga, So, F, North Carolina Xylina McDaniel, Jr., F, North Carolina Lindsay Allen, So., G, Notre Dame Jewell Loyd, Jr., G, Notre Dame Brittney Sykes, Jr., G, Syracuse Dearica Hamby, Sr., F, Wake Forest Blue Ribbon Panel Preseason ACC Player of the Year Jewell Loyd, Jr., G, Notre Dame Blue Ribbon Panel ACC Newcomer Watch List Sierra Calhoun, Fr., G/F, Duke Rebecca Greenwell, R-Fr., G, Duke Shakayla Thomas, Fr., F, Florida State Mariya Moore, Fr., G, Louisville Brianna Turner, Fr., G, Notre Dame ACC Head Coaches Preseason Poll 1. Notre Dame (223 points, 14 first place votes) 2. Duke (196, 1 first place vote) 3. Louisville (194) 4. North Carolina (193) 5. Florida State (152) 6. Syracuse (149) 7. Georgia Tech (136) 8. Miami (117) 9. Virginia (98) 10. NC State (87) 11. Wake Forest (82) 12. Virginia Tech (54) 13. Clemson (44) 14. Pittsburgh (43) 15. Boston College (32) Coaches’ Preseason All-ACC Team Nikki Dixon, Sr., G, Clemson Elizabeth Williams, Sr., C/F, Duke Kaela Davis, So., G, Georgia Tech Sara Hammond, Sr., F, Louisville Allisha Gray, So., G, North Carolina Stephanie Mavunga, So, F, North Carolina Lindsay Allen, So., G, Notre Dame Jewell Loyd, Jr., G, Notre Dame Brittney Sykes, G, Syracuse Dearica Hamby, Sr., F, Wake Forest Coaches’ Preseason ACC Player of the Year Jewell Loyd, Jr., G, Notre Dame Coaches ACC Newcomer Watch List Sierra Calhoun, Fr., G/F, Duke Rebecca Greenwell, R-Fr., G, Duke Shakayla Thomas, Fr., F, Florida State Myisha Hines-Allen, Fr., F, Louisville Brianna Turner, Fr., G, Notre Dame So...what does it all mean?  I can't argue with the Irish getting the nod as the preseason I'm not sure if I like this logo fav. They're returning a ton of talent and look great on paper. Jewel Loyd is as "good as advertised" and she'll create a lot of problems for whoever she faces.  Sara Hammond deserves the pre-season All-ACC Team Selection. She is the spotlight of this 2014-15 UofL WBB team and will be a force (provided she can stay out of foul trouble). I would have added Bria...she'll baffle a lot of ACC opponents and is twice the guard Kaela Davis is. I guess it's all about parity.. The problem I have is in the Coaches ACC Newcomer Watch list. All five UofL freshmen should be on there and try and convince me differently.  New league, new games to play with "the established"...I suppose. I'd also be surprised if Rebecca Greenwell survives an entire season. Those knees aren't exactly 100% good-to-go and her playing time (I surmise) will decrease as the season progresses.  The bottom line is...does it really matter what the ACC thinks of UofL? Coach Walz could care less where he's placed in pre-season rankings....his objective is post-season, NCAA Tournament results. Jeff Walz sees it this way: The ACC probably had better interviewing areas than the Galt House did. Ira Green does look stylish in his suit, though... "When you have had the luxury of having such a veteran group the last two or three years, you are normally breaking in two or three freshmen, and this past year it was one," Walz said. "You've got 13 or 14 players that know how it is done and know what you want. Now we are looking at five freshmen.  "Our seniors have done a great job. We are fortunate to have Sara Hammond, Bria Smith and Jude Schimmel who were a part of last year's team on the floor, but then we also add Shawnta Dyer back and Sheronne Vails. So now we have five players who understand what is expected of them and understand the work ethic you have to have. They have done a great job of teaching our freshmen what they need to expect and what they need to do." Louisville's team this year is an interesting mix, with five seniors, five freshmen and just two juniors and one sophomore.  How many of these ACC Coaches can you name? "This team is 50-50," Walz said. "We are experienced and we are not. Are we going to experience growing pains? We sure are, but at the same time we also have Jude, Bria and Sara who all played for a national championship a couple of years ago. And Megan Deines and Cortnee Walton and Sheronne Vails. So we have six players who played for a national championship. We also have some freshmen who I believe are going to have to play significant minutes. " So, thanks for the input...ACC. See you in March...in the NCAA Tournament...when the real madness reigns.... /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Also, be sure to catch UofL women's soccer tonight on ESPN3. Karen Ferguson Dayes' Kickin' Cards travel to Pittsburgh to face the Panthers at 7 p.m. paulie ... .. .