Baylor was the team to drop down some. Kim Mulkey's squad lost to South Carolina to close out November before destroying Georgia on Dec. 4. A two-week break from playing games doesn't help in terms of staying highly ranked.
Stanford, UConn, Oregon, Oregon State, and South Carolina remained the same in the Top 5. Florida State, NC State, and UCLA round of the Top 10. In fact, South Dakota moving from un-ranked to 25th was the only other change in the rankings.
The Cards are 2-0 against the rest of the Top 25 with wins against Oregon and Kentucky. They have two more games against current ranked teams. Florida State comes to town Feb. 6, and the Cards travel to NC State on Feb. 13.
Four players have broken 100 points on the year: Dana Evans (209), Jazmine Jones (146), KyleeShook (107), and Elizabeth Balogun (103). The Cards have outscored opponents 840-645.
No one has broken 100 rebounds but five players are north of 50: Shook (95), Bionca Dunham (70), Jones (53), Balogun (53), and Elizabeth Dixon (22). Louisville has out-rebounded opponents 469-336.
Other marks at this point include Louisville dominating assists against opponents 176-11, out-blocking opponents 52-25, and UofL has less turnovers by a 185-166 margin.
Louisville will travel to UT Martin on Thursday before taking a 10-day break to allow players to celebrate Christmas and the holidays with their families. Norika Konno will actually have a few extra days break. Coach Walz is allowing her to miss Thursday's game to get an early jump on getting home halfway around the world to Japan.
I'll be in Chicago Thursday and Friday, so I'm taking the Wednesday write-up this week and Paulie will cover Thursday and Friday.
Seems like we're all traveling these days, copying Jeff's "Worldwide" adventures.
By the way, you have eight days before Christmas. Can you remember what the "true love" sent on that day in the song "12 Days of Christmas? Ha, ha, I bet your humming it right now, trying to remember.
(Note, Here are new lyrics to the song! 12 Kylee rebounds, 11 points in final quarter, 10 assists from Dana, nine fouls on UK, eight UK miscues, seven lead changes, six is our ranking, five fabulous starters, four fouls on Jazzy, missed three from Howard, two horrible calls and a victory against UK !)
Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!
Jared
Good column today. We have scoring threats, no doubt. Maybe Diop gets that chance to start now? Your thoughts? She saved out bacon against UK.
ReplyDeleteHey Paulie, Cardinal Authority has a interview with Van Lith up at their site. I thought you had one in the works?
Blue Lou
No word. I got nothing. It is what it is.
DeletePaulie
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Eight maids a milking ! We actually heard that last night at my grandson's school XMAS recital.
ReplyDeleteDiop a starter? Maybe not just yet, but who knows in the world of Walz? I thought she should have been a starter all season but who do you bump in place of her? I would have her in there for Balogun.
Nick O
Learned a long time aago not to question Walz's coaching strategy. Stand back, let the man do his thing and enjoy the results. (He prefers to dance in March).
Deletepaulie
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Congratulations on the win. You got lucky that Rhyne's shot didn't drop. It was a frantic last play and I can't understand why Haines didn't go to the hoop.
ReplyDeleteI've been a UK WBB fan since the days of Mickie De Moss and before. At first, I was all for Mitchell but he cannot recruit "big" players and, if he gets lucky and gets one, he usually runs them off.
I think we need a coaching change. At first, I couldn't stand Walz, but, I've grown to really enjoy his style of basketball and his personality.
I watched the post-game interview. It seemed like Mitchell was on a "loop" same answers, just phrased differently. We had you on the ropes at the half and couldn't seal the deal.
Good luck the rest of the way. With FSU and NC State ahead, you're going to need it. As for us, it's third fiddle again behind South Carolina and Mississippi State. We probably lose to California, too.
Howard is the best player in the SEC but she cannot do it all herself.
Carol the Cat Fan
Thanks for stopping by! Don't be a stranger. I don't know if I'd give up on Mattie just yet. After all, 10-1 isn't a bad start and you have maybe one of the top five players in WBB.
DeletePaulie
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The real joke is three of WBB Top Five are Pac 12.
DeleteLike the Card themed 12 Days of Christmas. A couple of eggnog at Watson's XMAS party this Saturday night and I'll probably lead them singing it. Delores said I can't go dressed like Charlie Strong, so it's the Buddy the Elf costume for the fifth straight year.
The Real Joe Hill
I need pictures. Either you take them or I send Jared, dressed like Tinkerbell
Deletepaulie
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Hasn't ran Howard off, and she is a bonafide top player.
DeleteAnd yep, we got lucky that last shot didn't fall.
But maybe we don't need a missed shot if the fouls we're called consistent on both ends. They weren't.
Good time to mention Kylee is one block away from tying the all time blocks record held by Angel.
ReplyDeleteAnd after 11 games, 3 points and 15 rebounds away from averaging a 10 pt 10 rebound double double. She keeps going like she has been, that's teachable.
"reachable"
DeleteI agree,Kylee is a force down low on defense @ 6-5 & 7/8 inches. She's a good all around Defender & could be a force on the Offense to,if CJW ran more sets for her.
DeletePS E Balogun shots didn't fall watch out if she gets hot.I really like her length she a long 6-1.
ReplyDeleteGo Cards!!
Someone on the staff said, not too long ago, that Balogun has the potential to be the next Angel, if her defense improves. I like to look at the +/- line on the stat sheets each game. For Kentucky it read:
DeleteShook +8
Dunham +3
Evans +6
Balogun -11
Jones +6
Dixon -6
Konno +2
Robinson -8
Diop +5
For UK, interesting to note that Howard was a -1, and Roper +7.
paulie
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Hey Paulie, that's an interesting tidbit, don't guess those are available to the general public?
DeleteInterested in the season averages specifically.
Just a note, you had the Cards with 176 ? assists this year to the opponents 11. I only checked the boxscore for the frist five gaves but the total of the opp assist at that point was 25.
ReplyDeleteThat was for four games, not five, sorry.
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