Welcome to Cardinal Arena -- Bionca Dunham...WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

"Sleeper" Dunham could wake up a lot of Cardinal opponents

( This is the second of a series of articles about the new players on the 2016-17 Louisville Basketball team. Today, we look at BIONCA DUNHAM.) 

Bionca Dunham comes to Louisville as a freshman after playing in Philadelphia, PA for Imhotep Institute Charter School. She is a 6'2"/ 6'3" front line player who was a three star recruit (by ESPN) who is relatively new to the game...playing for only four years and with very little club ball experience. 

Somehow, when you see her in pictures or in public, she seems taller that 6'3". Maybe it's the lean, athletic frame. It could be the long, long arms...perfectly designed for shot-swatting or grabbing rebounds and deflecting passes. 

Interestingly enough, the UofL player roster lists her at 6'2". ESPN says 6'3". I says...very tall, taller than me.

Her high school game was defined by many talented aspects. She moves well in and out of the paint and can sky for rebounds. Bionca has no trouble at all engaging in the up-and-down, transition game style that Jeff Walz prefers and can go to the boards to "gather garbage and put it back in the cylinder." 

All these skills are ones any college women's basketball coach desires in his incoming freshmen. The question presents itself...how will these translate into college Division I basketball and for the Cardinals? 

With the current number of players on the Louisville roster listed as forwards or centers (6 forwards, 1 center) and a roster list of Sam Fuehring, Myisha Hines-Allen, Cortnee Walton, Kylee Shook, Ciera Johnson, Mariya Moore and Dunham...it would appear that the quest for playing time is going to be a battle for Dunham. And, we have no insight on any time of starting roster yet for the Cards or how head coach Jeff Walz or his assistants are going to structure the lineup, playing time or substitution patterns. 

Will there be three guards, Moore (who we can probably pencil in at the wing or "3") and Hines-Allen out there? Will they "go big" with the front-liners? Maybe he'll mess with the fans and opponents and go with an "all-J" lineup....Jones and Jones, Johnson and Johnson and Jackson.

THE BACKWARDS "L" (no worries, you'll get it right in time.) 

The assumption from here is that Dunham will be one of the second wavers that hits the court for specialized situations or when the lead is large...and will not crack the starting (or finishing) lineup. We like to see some extended time for an all-freshman contingent on the court...since there are six of them, though, it'll be musical chairs on which five hit the court. 

With that said, things can always change. Coach Walz is bound and determined to play those that work hard 100% of the time. If Bionca proves to be one of the top five, 100% hard-workers...then she's earned the right to play. 


FUN FACTS ON BIONCA

1) SHE'LL WEAR #33 FOR THE CARDS. THAT'S MONIQUE REID'S OLD NUMBER. 11 CARDINALS HAVE WORN #33...LIKE KATIE OLSON (04-07) AND BECKY POPE (77-80)

2) SHE'S THE ONLY PLAYER FROM PENNSYLVANIA ON THE ROSTER THIS YEAR. SHE'S THE ONLY PLAYER IN CARDS WBB HISTORY I CAN REMEMBER FROM PHILLY. 

3) AT 6'2" (WE'LL GO WITH THE ROSTER HEIGHT) SHE'S TIED FOR 5TH IN THE TALLEST PLAYER CATEGORY FOR 2016-17 WITH MYISHA HINES-ALLEN. TALLER ARE KYLEE SHOOK, CIERA JOHNSON, CORTNEE WALTON AND SAM FUEHRING. 

4) BIONCA IS ONLY THE FOURTH PLAYER WHOSE LAST NAME STARTS WITH A "D" TO PLAY FOR JEFF WALZ. SHE JOINS GOOD COMPANY (DURR, DYER AND DEINES). 

5) THE URBAN DICTIONARY DEFINES THE WORD 'BIONCA' AS: GOON, RUDE, FEELS NO PAIN, HAS NO FEELINGS. ( SURELY THIS DOESN'T APPLY TO OUR MISS DUNHAM!) 

PAULIE
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