With there being few sports going on right now we don't have as much to report from a game-by-game perspective but the news coming out of Louisville athletics has been coming in waves lately. Today we have all the news for you ranging from new rankings, to All-Americans, to new records, to coach resignations.
WBB Moves Up in the Rankings
UConn (9-0) and Notre Dame (8-1) hold the top two spots followed by our beloved Cards. Baylor (7-0) and Mississippi State (9-0) round out the Top Five. Louisville joins NC State and Maryland as the only teams to reach 10-0 on the season so far.
Louisville is also one of 18 remaining undefeated teams out of the 351 D1 programs.
Women's Soccer All-Americans
Ekic was also named an All-American by the United Soccer Coaches Poll earlier this year. She scored seven goals and had five assists for a total of 19 points during her sophomore campaign.
Whitsett earned her first ever All-American honors. The freshman led the team with nine goals while also adding two assists for 20 points.
Mallory Comerford Sets American Record
Comerford took home the silver medal in the 200 free with a time of 1:51.81. She topped her own record set during the preliminaries which was 1:52.52. Knocking that much time off in such a short span is nearly unthinkable.
She is accompanied by her UofL companions Zach Harting, Marcelo Acosta, and Carlos Claverie at the 14th FINA Short Course World Swimming Championships in Hangzhou, China.
Ken Lolla Resigns
I spoke with a few of the players as well as some of our colleagues in Daryl Foust, Paige Sherrard, and Mike Gilpatrick. No one knew anything of it as it came as a surprise to all.
I had speculated early on that it was either to take a position with a professional team or to pursue something with his religious affiliations. The latter turned out to be true as more media releases came in the evening.
"Thirteen years ago, God blessed Tina and I with the opportunity to come to Louisville and be a part of this amazing Cardinal family and the Louisville community. We are forever grateful for the acceptance, support, and love we have received from the Louisville community. It has been an honor and a privilege to represent such an outstanding institution and special community. Recently, we have received similar promptings from God that it is time to seek new challenges. We have always been faithful to those promptings and we will move forward faithfully, knowing there is a calling we are to fulfill," said Lolla.
Many of us have a favorite coach and Coach Lolla has been mine. He and his family have been some of the biggest supporters of everything I have done post-graduation and I thank them for that. Best wishes to the Lolla family wherever life may take them.
Men's Basketball Hosts Lipscomb
Sorry Muffet, but you're wrong.
From what appeared to be a season on the rebuild forr the men's squad when Chris Mack to the job, there is now talk among fans and media that the Cards just might take the men's version of the Battle of the Bluegrass against the Kentucky Wildcats. Mack has certainly taken the program and fans by storm.
Saturday Reminder
Happy Wednesday and Go Cards!
- Jared -
A surprise for sure on Lolla. Wish him the best. The WBB squad a surprise also with the scheduling of an 11:30 a.m. game? I realize the men are playing later in the day, but 11:30 for the women? I'm not in favor of such an early start and I think it will affect attendance.
ReplyDeleteHow about two Louisville women's swimmers being a part of a world record in the 4x50 relay?
Curtis "A floater, not a swimmer" Franklin
I heard that 6'7" Kamilla Cardoso, class of 2020, was at the UofL v UK game Sunday. I did not see her but a friend said he passed her and her parents in the hallway and he did a little research and determined it was her.
ReplyDeleteShe plays at Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga and is Brazilian. Treasure Hunt, one of the great names in high school basketball, is also on that Hamilton Heights team.
Paulie, what are you hearing about her? Or Treasure Hunt? I haven't seen any schools listed as her favorites?
Blue Lou
I can't add a whole lot more. Treaure Hunt is 6'2", though and the Cards have been actively after her as well as Kamilla. Their head coach is Keisha Hunt, so I'm figuring there is a family relationship of some sort to Treasure there. Keisha does retweet Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi State tweets...don't know what all that means, but I think one of their players has committed to MSU WBB. I know that UK star Rhyne Howard is from Cleveland, TN...which isn't too far from Chattanooga.
DeleteIt may have been a case of getting to see both programs in action for Kamilla's presence at the game. Who knows? I'm not the biggest follower of recruiting but any time you can get a 6'7" come in to watch your team, that has to be good, right?
I did start following the coach on Twitter @kiKiHunt so, we'll see if she follows me back and what she puts out on Twitter.
Paulie
Ok, so you are not a big recruiting guy. But, do you know anything about Kenzie Maynard at Belfry High School?
ReplyDeleteBlue Lou
I follow her on Twitter and know she's quite a scorer and rebounder for a sophomore in high school. She follows UofL WBB a lot on her Twitter account.
DeletePaulie
Lolla's success at UofL has had a lot to do with the rise of soccer throughout the city. Jeff and I talked a lot about the meteoric rise of soccer in this area and the huge success almost every team saw this year. Ken Lolla has been a major part of that. Like we talked about on the show, the success of the men's team has really pulled the women's team along. Hopefully that momentum can be sustained.
ReplyDeleteHe will be missed on the sidelines for sure.
wondering if it was anything more than just a personal decision to follow a religious "calling". I'm not trying to be a conspiracy theorist here or rumor starter, but, you win the ACC and them get knocked out of the NCAA Tournament, at home, by Michigan State early on.
DeleteTyra seems to stress wanting Coaches who "want to be here". Although I never saw any indication of Lolla NOT wantng to be here, his post-game interview after the loss to MSU was almost cavalier and non-committal in terms of losing.
Maybe that's just the way Lolla rolls. But, maybe he ALREADY knew he was leaving before that MSU loss. Maybe he wasn't on-line with Tyra's atheltic direction or policies?
Louisville will have no problem filling the slot, but, I want to know more behind Lolla's reasoning. It's sudden, caught a lot of people by surprise, and, like Pearsall's sudden decision to "retire", surprising.
Nick O.
OOOOHHHH!! And maybe there WAS someone on the grassy knoll when JFK was assassinated and there are aliens circling the earth in spaceships with Elvis and Jimmy Hoffa aboard !
DeleteThe man made a decision. Respect the man for the decision and let it go. Wish him the best.
Paulie
Paulie, I'm just noticing that, one-by-one, coaches that Jurich hired are leaving, getting dismissed and reportedly hiring agents.
DeleteNick O.
And maybe he wasn't totally on board with Lynn Stadium being used for other than UofL events?
DeleteLook, people make decisions. If you can't live with the man or woman inside you, you seek a change. I made a decision to leave a good job to spend time, care for and be with my mother-in-law during the last six months of her life. I never regretted that and have some great memories of her because I did.
DeletePeople make decisions. Sometimes, the decisions receive questions and comments. The bottom line is this. We have a limited time here on earth. If you aren't happy, want to try something else or decide to go in a different direction, than you owe it to yourself to make the needed change.
Change is inevitable. If it wasn't, we'd still be in loincloths or sheepskins living in tree houses or caves and hunting animals.
Paulie
Ahh ... people move on, all the time, for a variety of reasons.
DeleteI like the coaches who have been hired recently. So that's why I don't worry about this either.
Lolla will be remembered. Let it go. I recommend you pour your thoughts, support and passions into this incredible WBB squad on the UofL campus.
Get behind Aprille, Teeter, Satterfield, Mack and all the coaches and their squads. Show your support. You locals are so lucky to have all this at your doorstep. I follow from a far, in South Florida, and I'd wager I'm a bigger fan than most of you.
-- The Real Joe Hill --
Saw three players who tweeted about visits during the UK game, none of them the mentioned players. I'll see if I can find those names again.
ReplyDeleteJayla Kelly, 6'3" junior from MO
ReplyDeleteSara Puckett,6'2" 2021 from AL
Madison Hayes 5'11" 2020 from TN.
All three had visit appreciation tweets.
Can't remember the one who Walz offered to.
Hayes is the one who tweeted that.
DeleteGood stuff Curtis! I'm not real "up" as far as knowledge goes on any of the three but expect it might be time to do a little research.
DeletePaulie