Louisville Women's Basketball...Durr Claims R.O.W. again and Cards move up to #13 -- Tuesday Cardinal Couple

LOUISVILLE FRESHMAN DURR GATHERS 2ND ACC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK HONORS

There can be little doubt that the start of 2016 is meeting with Asia Durr's approval. She's gathered her second ACC Rookie of The Week honors in one month yesterday, the Cards were 9-0 in January and she's scored in double figures in her last eight games. Toss in the USBWA National Freshman of the Week laurels and you really couldn't blame her if she was a bit sad to see the calendar flip to Feburary.

All that for a player averaging 25 minutes a game and coming off the bench for Jeff Walz's women's basketball team. Walz will tell you no one spends more time in the gym than the Douglasville, GA. off-guard (he'll also tell you she needs to shoot more...but that's an entirely different story.) That hard work is paying off and backs up the old adage that you create your own success. 

What a long way from December for #25, when it was speculated that she might "red-shirt" her freshman year because of continuing pain from a groin injury back in the spring of the year. Psychologically...when one receives confirmation that things aren't getting worse and what one is experiencing is normal for a situation...it can only boost the psyche and attitude. When Durr received the affirmation from the doctors that she was healing properly, we saw the #1 recruit in the nation buckle her seat belt and hit the fast track. 

We get speculation here at the 'ol C.C. and there have been wonderings on whether Walz should make her a starter. I will offer some personal and good advice to this debate.

Don't wonder why Coach Walz does something..unless it's just out of innocent curiosity or to get a better understanding of the reasoning.

I'm pretty sure that the man has earned the deserved respect on how to run the UofL women's basketball program by now. You probably wouldn't want him popping into your workplace and changing the way you file your papers, treating your customers or revising your methods of doing business. He doesn't ask to run CARDINAL COUPLE and I have no desire to coach the Cards...

Step back, let the gentleman do his thing and enjoy the results.  His bosses haven't put the "Head women's basketball coach" title in front his name on pure whimsy or because they lost a friendly wager.

Granted, some coaches recently in DI women's basketball have appeared to have gone off the deep end or lost control of their teams. In Louisville, that's hardly the case. If anything, the Cards are experiencing a resurgence after a struggling start and high expectations. The redemption train has a full head of steam and is rolling down the tracks.

We can only predict that if you liked the January version of Asia Durr and her squad, you're going to love what you see in February. You'll have four chances to see them this month in the KFC YUM! Center. Why would you want to miss any of them? Your first chance is Sunday...with #3 UND visiting "the place of slaughter down by the water". 


CARDS CLIMB TO 13th IN POLLS


Louisville WBB has climbed to 13th in the latest Associated Press and RPI rankings. The Cards move up a notch from last week's #14th. in each. 

The ACC has four schools in the top 25 (Notre Dame, the Cards, Florida State and Miami). A bit of an eyebrow-raiser that the Seminoles are ranked 10th...yet the Cards knocked them off by ten points to start the month of January. 

"WHAT happened in season five of The Walking Dead?" 

Too much love for the SEC here, in my opinion, with seven schools (South Carolina, Miss. St., Texas A&M, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida and Missouri) in the top 25. The Pac-12 has five schools in the standings as well. UConn and South Carolina remain atop of the standings. That should be a match-up well worth watching...they'll get together in Columbia Mon. Feb 8th.

Louisville will face three of the top 25 in February...beginning with #3 Notre Dame Feb. 7th., South Florida on Feb. 15th. and at Miami on Feb. 25th. 

paulie