Cards and "Cuse" square off in WBB tonight at the YUM! -- Thursday Cardinal Couple

#8 UofL looks to get Walz his 200th win tonight


The University of Louisville women's basketball team puts their 6-1 ACC record on the line when Quentin Hillsman brings his Syracuse squad in for a 7 p.m. tip at the KFC YUM! Center. A win could provide Jeff Walz his 200th. win of his head coaching career at Louisville.

This one won't be easy. The "Q" and his Oranges are 15-5 and 5-2 in the ACC. Ranked #23 in the latest polls, Syracuse has won their last five games...knocking off N.C. State last time out and allowing the Wolfies just 27% shooting.


Alexis Peterson leads these fruits with 15.6 ppg, 92 assists, and 47 steals. She's the one the Cards will need to squeeze to stop the other talented upstate New York ballers.

Briana Day is averaging a double-double with 10.2 ppg and 10.8 grabs. Brianna Butler adds 12.8 ppg. 

Should we call them "N" and "N Squared"? 

Briana (or "N") has a twin sister on the squad...Bria Day..who sees action as a reserve for the Orange Women. Brittany Sykes (no relation) is done for the season with her season ACL tear of her career. She had just returned from the first ACL rehab when the "Cuse" played Notre Dame in early January and she limped off the court in that one with the same injury.

Hillsman started his head coaching reign a year earlier than Jeff Walz did and is 182-103 in nine years. The Cards hold a 6-5 edge in the all-time series...4-1 at home...and Louisville won the last outing with a 68-57 "W" in Syracuse.

Whether Walz will stay with his new starting lineup of Carter, Dyer, Hammond, Schimmel and Moore remains to be seen...but whatever combination he tosses out there can't afford to be caught watching the paint dry at the start of this one -- as happened when Miami was here Sunday. 


Hillsman's team are always aggressive on the boards and Peterson is a "do-it-all" guard who is excellent in transition and performs the "dribble drive" well...so the Cards guards and paint dwellers must be pro-active in keeping her out of the painted wood.

No TV for this one that we know of except for Cards TV, which can be accessed either through GoCards.com or the GoCards.com GameDay Live mobile app. 

(That'll be $100 for promotional services, please...UofL) 

Matt never realized I took this picture of him practicing
his calligraphy.  Or alphabet.  I never really know...

You can also listen to the call of Matt Andrews and AJ on WKRD 790 AM...they always have such a good time calling the action and are aware I'm just a mere 40 yards away if they need to add a third-graders' viewpoints and babble.



Walz and "Q" have sparred at times on the court but are purported to be good friends off the hardwood. You don't want to miss the "Q" show tonight. A combination of frenzied stalker, wide-eyed aggressor, dancer, "B" movie actor and known to occasionally lay on the floor when he hyperventilates...Hillsman is worth the admission price alone. My post-game report may suffer (...as if it is ever any good ,anyway...) because my eyes will be fixed on "Q" and his two-hour live performance at the KFC YUM! Center.

Walz can emote a little emotion in front of section 114 as

well...so this one could end up being a actor performance review instead of a game recap when I eventually recap it later tonight.  

Let's put 12,000 in the YUM! tonight. It would be 24 times the amount Syracuse brings in for their home games. The ladies will thank you if you do. 

paulie