Engstler to Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 ENGSTLER ONE OF THE 15 ON LIST

("If the basketball was this small, I could dunk
every shot Hailey..."

Louisville senior forward Emily Engstler is one of the fifteen players named to the 2022 Naismith women's Defensive Player of the Year watch list 

She is one of four ACC women's basketball players on the list, along with Elissa Cunane (NC State), Elizabeth Kitley (Viginia Tech) and Lorela Cubaj (Georgia Tech)

Others on the list are Ailyah Boston (South Carolina), Angel Reese (Maryland), Ayoka Lee (Kansas State), Cameron Brink (Stanford), Jordyn Cambridge (Vanderbilt), NaLyssa Smith (Baylor), Nancy Mulkey (Washington), Que Morrison (Georgia), Rhyne Howard (Kentucky), Tamari Key (Tennessee) and Veronica Burton (Northwestern). 

Engstler leads the ACC with 2.7 steals per game and is tied for 29th in DI. She also has.7 blocks a game, tops for the Cards. She averages 8.4 rebounds a contest, tops on the team and has been Louisville's leading rebounder in 16 of their 18 games. Aijah Blackwell (Missouri) leads the nation in rebounding with 13.4 a game. Cards fans might remember she was a Louisville target a few years ago. 

The 2021-22 Louisville Cardinals squad is one that prides themselves on defense this season and is holding opponents to an average of 51.1 points a game. Louisville forces opponents to 20.9 turnovers a game and averages 10.9 steals a contest. The Cards average 21.9 points a game off turnovers and have 75 blocked shots this season, Engstler leading the way with 26 of them.

Another Cardinals player who gets it does on defense is Kasa Robinson -- and she also leads the Cards in assists this season, despite getting just 19.9 minutes a game. Jeff Walz also points out that he's proud of the defensive effort Hailey Van Lith has shown this year. 

Louisville has allowed just one opponent to score over 70 points this season...and it may come as a surprise that it was Syracuse (71), back on January 13th.  

Engstler also gets it done on the offensive side of the ball, averaging 11.0 points a game. That's third best on the team, behind Hailey Van Lith's 12.4 ppg and Kianna Smith's 11.6. 

Here's a few other numbers to toss at you, while we're doing digits today:

0 -- Zero losses for Louisville in the KFC YUM1 Center this season 

.720 -- Louisville's made Free Throw % this season

25 -- Most free throws made by the Cards in a game this season (Arizona) 

11 -- Most three-pointers made in a game by Louisville this season (vs. EKU). 

5 -- Number of times the Cards have scored 80 or more points this season.

5 -- Current AP poll ranking for Louisville

1 -- Number of juniors on the roster. Can you name who it is? 

2 -- Number of Cardinals on the roster from California (Ramani Parker, Kianna Smith) 

22 -- Highest number of points scored by a UofL player this season (Kianna Smith vs. EKU).

45 -- Highest jersey number on the Cards roster (Sydni Schetnan)  >

77849 -- Number of fans to watch Louisville iWBB n the 10 KFC YUM Center games. 

( "Great...another Jared pre-game report...") 

Jared will give you the preview on the Cards game against Florida State in tomorrow's article.

It's a Noles squad that has underperformed this season in the eyes of many, with a 3-4 conference record and just 9-8 overall. They can be dangerous, though, and beat Louisville last season in the Tallahassee game 68-59, one of UofL's four losses on the season. 

(The answer to the "who's the junior on the roster" question earlier in the article is Norika Konno)  

Have a Wonderful Wednesday and Go Cards !

paulie