Volleyball Adds Transfer, Football Loses Transcendent Talent -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Volleyball Gains Outside Hitter from Illinois

Whether or not she will be eligible this upcoming season is a question for another day, but Louisville added the services of a new outside hitter as Marijke Van Dyke announced that she will be headed to the Ville from Illinois. Van Dyke was a true freshman last year, and typical NCAA rules would require that she forego a year of eligibility while transferring. However, the NCAA is far more likely to grant immediate releases in the non-major sports (ie football and basketball). If you'll remember, Kennadi Carbin was an immediately eligible transfer for the women's soccer team this year.

Van Dyke will be the second former B1G player to suit up for the Cards under Dani Busboom Kelly, as Wilma Rivera made it to UofL by way of Penn State. Van Dyke is a 6'2" outside hitter that will help promote the larger style of play that Busboom Kelly was surely accustomed to at Nebraska. Van Dyke will also fill a position of need. UofL graduated an outside hitter and two middles this year. An experience outside hitter with size, especially one that was formerly the #66 overall recruit in the nation, will help bolster a front line that now has some holes. In addition to adding an outside hitter to the squad, Van Dyke's arrival will allow Busboom Kelly to move other outside hitters to the middle to fill the gaps. 

Marijke Van Dyke finished her only season with the Illini appearing in 9 sets over 6 matches. She had five kills with six errors and a hitting percentage of -0.067. Note the small sample size and inability to get into rhythm. She also had one dig, one reception error, one block, and one blocking error. Her numbers weren't great, but they're about what you'd expect from a designated bench player as a true freshman. Given an opportunity and the type of positive coaching that Dani Busboom Kelly displayed this season, Van Dyke could turn into the player at Louisville that everyone expected her to be based on her ranking.

We'll be keeping an eye out about her eligibility and look forward to seeing her in the red and black whenever that may be.

Lamar Jackson to Skip Senior Season

In an unsurprising move, Lamar Jackson announced on Twitter yesterday morning that he would forego his senior season at UofL and declared his entry in the 2018 NFL Draft. There have already been many critics of this decision, and there are sure to be more. I thought about it the other day, and put myself in the shoes of a star athlete. Many say that if you go to the NFL (or NBA or whatever) and bust without a college degree, you will have nothing to fall back on. In my opinion, if you have the opportunity to go pro, with a first round grade, you are guaranteed quite a bit of money, and you should do it. There are always going to be opportunities to return to school to finish your degree, especially if you are smart with your first contract. We hear stories all of the time about NFL players finishing their degree in the offseason, even some players getting advance degrees (including doctorates!!) in their off time.

While there would likely be benefits to Lamar Jackson returning to school (finishing degree, another year to develop, etc), there are also extreme risks. Returning to college means an additional 12-15 games before having the ability to earn any money. With the style of football played by Jackson, a first round grade could vanish in an instant. While this is possible at the next level as well, Jackson will have access to much better nutrition experts, training staffs and equipment, etc. A player in the NFL is much more equipped to prepare their body for playing in the NFL than a player in college is. Lamar Jackson should get his money while he can.

As much as I loved Lamar Jackson at Louisville, and as amazing as he was (you know, the 42 records and all), I truly hope he goes to a beneficial spot in the NFL. I'm afraid (and I'd love to be proven wrong), that if Lamar goes to a team chomping at the bit to start him immediately, things will not go well. There is still a lot of development that Jackson can undergo. Arriving at a team with an established, good QB with a coach that can teach will give Jackson the opportunity to learn NFL offenses and defenses under less pressure while refining his body and his game. There are still months to go until the draft, with a pro day and a combine between now and then. There will be the countless slam pieces saying he can't make it as a QB as well as some that may overestimate his ability to transition to NFL immediately.

I wish nothing but the best for the best college football player I've ever had the opportunity of watching. Now it's time for Puma to shine in the Ville.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

After our hiatus, we are finally back on the air. This time, we'll be coming to you live from a new, larger studio, which means more microphones and potentially more friends. Today's show will be the fullest of houses, as Paulie, Jeff, and I are joined by JC Sullivan and Paige Sherrard. We'll chat Lamar Jackson and the current goings on in Louisville women's basketball, with games this past week and one coming up tomorrow. Tune in at 11 AM at 100.9 FM and streaming live on the WCHQ app and the WCHQ website. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-