Louisville women's basketball -- We continue breaking down the brackets...Lacrosse goes Coastal -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

OKLAHOMA CITY, STOCKTON WILL BE CHALLENGING

(Don't forget the Jeff Walz Show tonight at Chili's on Bardstown Road. "Dave and Doris" of ESPN will be there with the mad scientist to discuss the NCAA Women's Tournament and answer your questions. I think I'll ask them what to order...) 

Yesterday we looked at UConn and Notre Dame's regions and today we'll examine the Louisville region (Oklahoma City) and the Stockton regions. It should be noted yesterday I did say that Stanford would be at home...they will not...they'll be at Kansas St. due to a scheduling conflict. Will it matter? Probably not. 

OKLAHOMA CITY

11 driving hours from Louisville and where the Chesapeake Arena proudly stands is the destination for the 16 teams in the Oklahoma City bracket. Some might call it the Midwest bracket or the Baylor bracket. Let's have a look: 

Baylor should roll past Texas Southern and whoever comes out of the Cal vs. LSU game. I'm still wondering how California got in and Virginia didn't. Maybe it's because Cal head coach Lindsay Goettlieb is seven months pregnant and just got engaged. As a #9 seed, they were probably one of the last four in...I think they'll be a first round "out" and LSU gets the Bears.

Paulie and Bill head out for Oklahoma

Right here in River City, Louisville hosts Chattanooga, Tennessee and Dayton. The Cards handled the "Choo-Choo's" earlier in the season and, although apparently the Mocs have gotten better...so has Louisville...and the Cards advance to play either the Vols or Flyers. Tennessee is bi-polar. They've beaten Stanford, Miss. St., Kentucky, Notre Dame and South Carolina. They've lost to Va. Tech., Ole Miss, Georgia, and twice to Alabama. The Flyers have nine players over 6'0". I expect it will be a Louisville vs. UT match-up and I'll take the Cards in a close one. 

Oklahoma gets Gonzaga and this could be a #11 seed over #6 upset...I'll go with the Bulldogs over Boomer Sooner. Washington and Montana St should fall in favor of the Huskies from Seattle. Northern Illinois and DePaul looks to be a barn-burner...Doug Bruno's Blue Demons can be dangerous Tournament time (ask Jeff Walz) and I see them advancing then falling to Mississippi St...who gets Troy to start. Troy Aikman? Troy Polamalu? Troy Donahue? My bartender buddy Troy Combs? Doesn't matter. Troy goes home and MSU gets to Oklahoma City by beating them and DePaul. 

MSU's Victoria Vivians and crew will face a dangerous Huskies crew in Oklahoma that features Kelsey Plum, Chantel Osahor and Katie Collier. I'm going to show my anti-SEC bias here and predict the Huskies mush on to face the winner of the Louisville vs. Baylor game. Can the Cards get by Kim Mulkey and her Lady Bears? Why not? They've stopped big girls in the middle before an slowed down excellent guards. We'll go heart over stats here and take the Cards in a close one. We're called Cardinal Couple...so it should come as no surprise to anyone that we'll predict the Cardinals over Washington in the regional final and the chance to go to Dallas. 

STOCKTON

Way out West...and only three of the 16 teams in this region are from the west. I realize that it would have had people screaming at their soup if Washington, Stanford, Oregon State and UCLA all would have ended up here...but just one of the four? C'mon NCAA Committee. Gotta show more game than that. 

Who will beat South Carolina? They'll have no trouble against UNC-Asheville, I have them beating Michigan State next (although it could be Arizona State...who beat UK earlier in the year and finished fifth in the PAC 12). I have Miami meeting the Gamecocks in Stockton...the Canes disposing of FGCU, and Marquette to get there. Sonja says Miami and beat South Carolina. I see it not...and have Dawn Staley's squad facing Oregon St. in the regional final and beating them.

Oh, Paulie...What say you of Florida State?  I think they beat Western Illinois and then win the battle of the dyslexia schools (FSU vs USF). I do not see them knocking off Oregon State. As much as I like Jose Fernandez's squad at South Florida this year...I just don't see them beating FSU after getting by Missouri. Creighton played well all season and should handle Toledo in their opening match...but it won't go so well for them against Oregon State is the thought here. 

South Carolina completes my picks for dancing in Dallas. Good luck! We'll come back to this topic when we know who is in Dallas and see how well I did with this fearless forecasting. 


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THE CARDINAL COUPLE PICK "EM" 

We hope you'll accept our invitation to take part in the annual NCAA WBB Tournament Pick 'Em. It's free...and all you have to do is submit your picks to us before Friday noon. You can leave then in a comments sections or e-mail them to us at: 

cardinalcouple@twc.com 

Sonja and her merry band of staff chimps will pour through them, occasionally pull one out and laugh hysterically at it, and post several of them for observation at the local post office and beauty salon. 

We've had a good response so far. Why not go for it? 


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LACROSSE GOES COASTAL...BEATS THE CHANTICLEERS 13-6

A couple of weeks after Paulie terrorized Conway, SC...the Louisville lacrosse squad retraced those steps back to Coastal Carolina and did damage to the "Chants" behind the strong scoring of the pride of Lakeville, MN...Hannah Koloski. 

Hannah tied her career high goal output with six scores and #20 Louisville improved to 8-2 on the season with the win. 

The Cards jumped out to a 4-0 lead...Koloski scoring twice...and took a 7-4 halftime advantage to the locker room (or maybe tent). Koloski had four first half tallies and Meghan Siverson added two for the Cards...who were getting strong goalkeeper play out of Brittany Read...the ACC Lacrosse Defensive player of the week. 

Junior Julia Wood

Louisville began the second session strongly with another 4-0 run and after a Elise Koehl score...Louisville found themselves up 11-4 with 16 minutes left to play. Koloski got her sixth score a few minutes later and Junior Julia Wood netted her first score of the season to cap the Cardinal scoring and the seven-goal win. Siverson had three goals in the "W", Koehl added two and McKayla Conti found the net once for "the stick girls"...who have won four out of their last five. 

A 32-13 shot advantage for the Cards in the match and Read finished with four saves. 

UofL heads to Boston College next...for a Saturday, March 18th. match that starts at noon. 

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...in case you missed it...

Francesca Pan keeps dancing

Four ACC WBB squads are in the women's NIT tournament. Wake Forest starts with Beth.-Cookman, Georgia Tech gets Jacksonville, Virginia Tech plays Rider and Virginia faces St. Joseph. 

We had hoped Clemson might get an invite. They did not. UNC isn't "in" and that's a bit surprising. Boston College and Pitt are sitting out as well. 

Of local interest, Morehead State will play Middle Tenn. and Indiana squares off against Ball State. 


with brackets dancing in his head...
paulie
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