Sunday Cardinal Couple - Gameday vs UNC

Gameday vs UNC

Chapel Hill, NC is the venue.  The Cards women's basketball team will be tangling with the Tarheels of North Carolina at 1pm today.

The Tarheels past three games have been a bit of a roller coaster, with a big win over Miami, 78-58 this past Thursday, a 14 point loss to Florida State last Sunday, and a 6 point upset win over then undefeated NC State the Thursday previous.  The Tarheels are 13-4 overall, with the loses coming to the previously mentioned Florida State, a mid-conference-pack Virginia Tech two weeks ago, and a couple of eye-raising non-conference loses to Yale and Alabama.

The win over NC State shows us what this team is really capable of, and what the Cards need to be prepared for.  They will bring a balanced attack, with three in double figures scoring totals against the Wolfpack, and another pair that came up just short.  Led by the senior squad of Shayla Bennett, 20 points; Taylor Koenen, 14 points and 11 rebounds; and Madinah Muhammad, 13 points, expect the Tar Heels to stay calm and collected in the face of Louisville fast pace of play and pressure defense.  Pace of play may still be a factor as UNC doesn't seem to go deep on their bench, only playing eight total against NC State, so there's a chance that UofL could just wear them down.  Look for runs towards the end of the game.

Will Vince venture over from Durham to Chapel Hill today? 

Carmichael Arena can be an intimidating facility to play in, and outside of the Commonwealth of
Kentucky, you won't find a more basketball crazy state than North Carolina.  1,100+ is a decent crowd for a game in Boston College, expect more like 2,500 for a big game Sunday matchup with the vast majority wearing baby blue.

Cardinal Couple Writer Emeritus David Watson threw down a bit of a hot take, but with really great points to consider about this game in Friday article's comments.  I will certainly echo some of his concerns with Bionca Dunham's availability, though she was dressed and potentially available for the Boston College game, so that does suggest that she could be available and able to contribute well against the Tar Heels as well.  Her presence on the boards is always big for the Cards.

Inconsistency has been the calling card for the Cards this year.  Coach Walz even hinted at it pre-season at the basketball luncheon when he said the team was at about a two on a one to ten preparedness scale when they would normally be at about a five.  We've seen the progression of this team over the course of the season so far, but they clearly aren't fully put together, yet.

Which team will show up?  The team that beat Oregon and dismantled Miami?  Or the team that struggled at UT Martin and lost to Ohio State?  Which Cardinals will step up?  Will this be a Jaz Jones game?  Will Dana Evans continue to pour in the three pointers?  Can Yaya Diop continue to spark the energy when she's on the court?  Will Kasa wither the UNC offense with her frenetic defense?  I'm hoping for all of the above, but we'll see at 1pm.

The game will be on The Deuce, ESPN2.  We get Pam Ward and LaChina Robinson for play by play and color, perhaps one of the best combo's in the game, in my opinion.  Of course, Nick and AJ are always an option on the radio, as well.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

What? They're talking about UofL women's sports again? 

The trio of Paulie, Case, and myself visited the spectacular NorthEast Regional Library branch again for the latest episode of the CCRH.  The audio issues are much improved, though I'm still not completely happy with where they are.

I have figured out how to monitor all of the different audio levels in my earbuds, but there's just enough delay in them that it makes it near impossible to participate in the conversation while listening to them to get levels adjusted.

Check out the latest episode below:

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JMcA