Tuesday Cardinal Couple : Cards Wolny takes BIG EAST honors

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TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Amanda Zahui to Minnesota


-Alicja Wolny named BIG EAST Player of the Week


-BIG EAST Softball Tournament pairings


-UNC pulls off verbal coup in WBB


-Post-Derby ennui


LATE BREAKING UPDATE:


Amanda Zahui to Minnesota. 


Swedish center Amanda Zahui visited the United States recently to decide on where she wanted to attend college and play basketball. Louisville, Minnesota and Washington were the schools she was considering. She has chosen, and the choice is Minnesota. 


Zahui revealed that her final two were the Cards and the Gophers but picked Minnesota because she felt her playing time would come more quickly and be more

"gonna be a Gopher"


significant with the Gophers....instead of with the "more talented Louisville players." 

 She also indicated that "she felt at home right away with the surroundings and players at Minnesota and they accepted her as one of them immediately." 


Back to the drawing board for Coach Walz.


(Thanks to Jenny who broke the story and confirmed the information with her Swedish journalist contact.) 


Here is the translated link...but it reads like something the Swedish Chef from SESAME STREET might have come up with. Original is at:


http://lt.se/sport/basket/1.1649757-amanda-till-minnesota


Teige's center star Amanda Zahui has made its choice. In August, she goes to Minnesota to continue his basketball career. 


After SM-Gold went Amanda Zahui to the U.S. to visit the three schools - Minnesota, Louisville and Washington - that she was considering to start playing for the fall.


Now she has decided to Minnesota.


- It feels great. I'm happy with my choice. I velade bit between Minnesota and Louisville, but both have Louisville more great players so it would be tougher to get some playing time there. And above all I felt really that one of the girls on the team in Minnesota, right from the first minute I was there, says Amanda Zahui.


Amanda expects to move to the U.S. in late August. 


Robert Tate
rickard.pettersson@lt.se


(Whew, I think I need a drink after that one...)




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Louisville junior first baseman/designated hitter Alicja Wolny has been named the BIG EAST Softball Player of the Week after the 13th week of softball action. 


Wolny's numbers were impressive for the Cards 3-1 record last week:


-Batted .462 in 4 games


-Had a .533 on base average


-Registered six hits, scored four runs and had six RBI's


-Two home runs and a 1.000 slugging percentage


It's the second time Wolny has been named BIG EAST Player of the Week this season. Louisville swept St. John's on Saturday and Sunday to clinch the #1 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament. 


USF, who had been just a game behind the Cards, faltered at Syracuse over the weekend and dropped to a #4 seed. 


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The BIG EAST Softball Tournament pairings are set for the three days of action that'll take place beginning Thursday, May 10th in South Bend, IN. Louisville, as a #1 seed will face #8 seed UConn at 12:30 p.m. in the second game of the day. Louisville finished conference regular season play 20-2. The Huskies were 9-13 in the BIG EAST. Here's the rest of the first day games:


10 a.m. -- #4 USF (17-5) vs.#5 DePaul (14-8)


4 p.m. -- #3 Syracuse (17-5) vs. #6 St. John's (10-12)


6:30 p.m. -- #2 Notre Dame (16-3) vs. #7 Rutgers (9-13)

All first and second round games can be seen on BIG EAST TV.  


It's the second time since joining the BIG EAST that the Cards have won the regular season title. Louisville also gave head coach Sandy Pearsall her 500th win since taking the head coaching job and starting the softball program from ground up back in 2000. 


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UNC women's basketball pulled off a recruiting coup Saturday when four of the top 2013 recruiting targets called on the same day to verbal to Tar Heel head coach Sylvia Hatchell. One of them was Brownsburg, IN. native Stephanie Mavunga...who Louisville was courting. Mercedes Russell, the #1 prospect for 2013 has not verballed anywhere yet, despite pressure from Mavunga to do so. 


Here's a link from CARDINAL COUPLE writers Jenny and Sandy about the Mercedes timeline:


Mercedes Russell isn't close to making choice


The roster of 2013-14 at Chapel Hill has nineteen potential players if all the verbals hold up and the returning players come back. With the addition of these four, UNC actually has seven verbals for the class of 2013. 


Credit the hard work of UNC associate coach Trisha Stafford-Odom here. She left Duke in August of last year and obviously brought a lot of phone numbers and contacts with here. She did get Elizabeth Williams, the #1 recruit in the class of 2011 according to many, to Duke before her differences with Blue Devils head coach Joanne P. McCauley reached boiling point. Coach "P" must have a way with assistants, Samantha Williams left Cameron Indoor Stadium to hook up with Walz at Louisville.  


Thanks to CARDINAL COUPLE writer Jenny for the find and additional information on this subject. 


Here's a link to the verbal commits: 


Another FAB FIVE?



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Baffert finished second in the Derby

-- We all know that Union Rags was the Derby favorite, right? Not so fast, my friend...as Lee Corso would say. A late influx of money in the final minutes before the race actually made Bodemeister the post time favorite. A million dollars plus poured in during the last minute of wagering on the Bob Baffert trained 3 yr. old to edge him past "Ragsie".  


-- Bodemeister went off at $4.20 -1 odds to win. It sure looked like there was going to be a payout, too. Can you imagine the feeling the person or syndicate that threw down the massive amount of money had after seeing the "almost" win? 

-- The winner I'll Have Another was actually named because of owner J. Paul Reddam's fondness for a certain kind of cookie, not a request for another beverage at a local pub. 


-- Gotta love the fact that Derby winner I'll Have Another has already hopped a plane and flown to Pimilco Race Track, where the Preakness will be held on May 19th. Horses aren't usually shipped out so quickly after a major win like that. Less than 48 hours after receiving the roses, he's looking for Black-Eyed Susans. We like the "arrive early" theory. 

"Security? Sonja's in the lot five hours before kickoff!" 

Been doing it for years when it comes to Cardinal Football tailgating. Not 12 days in advance, mind you...but several hours before kickoff. Sometimes, you just got nothing else to do and people that you want to see...


-- Found this scary prediction at a website about horse-racing:


"The 138th running of the Kentucky Derby will have a longshot winner and I'm going with I'll Have Another. He'll come flying down the stretch to overtake the leader -- which will probably be Bodemeister. Finishing third, another late closer in Dullahan."

Nostradamus predictions...

This prophetic and exact order of the top-three finishers was written and posted on May 3rd, two
days before the Derby. 


Nostradamus, have you returned? 


And, if you have...whaddya thinking about the Preakness? 
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Softball, Basketball and the Big East

Softball takes two.

Amanda Zahui visits Louisville.

Big East Coach of the Year leaves St. Johns.

Softball headed to New Jersey and took care of business on Saturday, winning both, 6-3 and 6-1.  Taner Fowler had a week’s worth of play in just two games hitting 6-8 with 3 home runs on the day. 

Game one, 6-3

Taner Fowler went fence
three times Saturday.

The Cardinals took an early lead in this one with a Taner Fowler two-run homer in the second.   Seton Hall got one back in the bottom of the second, and the bottom of the third took the lead 3-2.     Watching my twitter feed, the softball Cards had me nervous in this one, not regaining the lead until the top of the 6^th with another Fowler home run, this one a solo shot, tying the game.  The Cards went on to score another 3 runs in the 6^th.  This proved enough offense for the game and the Cards sealed the victory.  Senior Tori Collins (20-1) got the win and sophomore Caralisa Connell got the save, her second on the year, holding the Seton Hall Pirates scoreless in the bottom two innings. 

Game two, 6-1

The Cardinals took a 4-0 lead in the top of the second, and never looked back.  The Pirates never threatened.  Fowler hit her third home run of the day, ninth of the season, in the top of the 3^rd bringing the score to 5-0.  The Pirates notched one in bottom of the third, which would prove to be the only run in the game for them.  The Cards scored once more in the 5^th, bringing the final score to 6-1. 

As Mark mentioned yesterday, Softball Cards return home for their final home stand of the season this Saturday against Georgetown.  Get down to Ulmer Stadium at 2:00 on Saturday for a double-header and/or 1:00 on Sunday.  The softball team is currently ranked 9^th in the country and should feel the fan support and love this weekend as they close at home for this fantastic season.  Currently, the Cardinals are 42-2, 13-2 Big East.  We’ll see you next weekend at Ulmer. 


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Amanda Zahui and Monny Niamke, both international basketball players will be visiting Louisville this upcoming week.   Cardinal Couple readers may remember Monny Niamke from recruiting news last summer. 

Niamke is from France and signed her NLOI to play with the Cardinals in 2011.  Due to academic issues she was ineligible to play last season and spent the year at Lindsay Wilson getting herself eligible, presumably.   Niamke played in 32 of 33 games on the season and had a FG% of .446, 3pt FG% of .351, FT% of .660.  Niamke averaged 3.8 rebounds/game, 7 blocks on the season, 52 steals and created 95 assists to 91 turnovers on the season. 

Amanda Zahui hails from Sweden.  Coach Walz reportedly was in Sweden a little over a month ago visiting Zahui.  Sounds like the visit paid off as Louisville is among 3 programs vying for her services.  Washington and Minnesota, along with Louisville will each get a visit from the Swede this upcoming week, as reported by Cardinal Couple a few days ago.  

Zahuia is a big-bodied 6’3.  Her body type looks tailor made for the Big East.  She looks to have the ability to clog up the lane defensively.  In an email exchange I had about two weeks ago with a Swedish sports columnist he suggested Zahui has a good shot, can shoot mid-range shots as well as from beyond the arc.  For a big body, she also shoots very well from the free throw line.  He went on to say  “although big, her best post moves are based on her being pretty quick and agile. She's quick around the rim, but she's not very good running up and down the floor.” 

Guestimates on my end are that Zahui will be on campus some time between Monday-Wednesday, for a 48-hour visit, before she heads off to Washington for her last of three visits. 

Cardinal fans, we should know about both of these young players in the next few weeks as the signing period ends May 16.


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Finally, Kim Barnes-Arico, most recent Big East Coach of the Year has left St. John’s to take a position with Michigan.  Barnes-Arico spent the last 10 years with the Red Storm culminating in finishing second in the Big East this year behind Notre Dame.  Barnes-Arico and her Red Storm also ended a 99 game home winning streak by Connecticut this past season.  She and her team finished the season with a loss in the Sweet Sixteen, the deepest post season run the Red Storm have ever had. 

This has to be a huge loss to the St. John’s faithful.  It definitely is a loss to the Big East.  Barnes-Arico was one of my favorite coaches in the Big East to watch.  I am sad to see her leaving, but happy that she is making a decision and change that is good for her and her family.   Michigan hit the jackpot with this hire, I believe.  Good luck in the Big 10, Coach.  We here at Cardinal Couple wish you well and much success!

Busy weekend for UofL women's sports

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FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Women's tennis wins in first round of BIG EAST Championships


-Lacrosse faces #2 Syracuse today 


-Louisville track host Lenny Lyles/Clark Wood Invitational


-WBB visitor? 


-Notinrwildestdremz to race


The #6 seed Louisville women's tennis team advanced out of first round action in Tampa, FL. Thursday by defeating #11 seed Pittsburgh 4-0. The Cards will advance to play #3 seed Syracuse today at noon. 


Mark Beckham was pleased with the Cardinal effort. 

"A great way to start the tournament. We were very efficient with how we played. We didn't spend any time on the court that wasn't necessary. It was a perfect preparation for Syracuse. Now we can concentrate on a very good Syracuse team." 


Julia Fellerhoff, Rebecca Shine, Mandy Brown, Manuela Velasquez, Sarah Miller and Amelia Harris all won their singles matches. In doubles, Fellerhoff/Brown, Shine/Velasquez and Harris/Miller swept the Panthers.


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Lacrosse hosts #2 Pitt today at the Louisville Lacrosse Stadium at 5 p.m. The match will be shown on WHAS-TV (11.2, Insight 432, Comcast 207). It is the final weekend of regular season lacrosse before BIG EAST Tournament play begins. Louisville will also play Connecticut on Sunday. 

The Cards (3-10, 1-5) have their work cut out for them against the Orange. Syracuse (11-2, 4-0) is on a ten-game winning streak and is fourth in the nation in scoring offense and tenth in scoring defense. 


Louisville's Nikki Boltja is third in the nation in goals per game (3.54). Last time out, Louisville lost a close one at Villanova 9-8 in overtime....the Wildcats scoring the winner as time ran out in the extra session. 


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Louisville will host the Lenny Lyles/Clark Wood track and field invitational Friday at Cardinal Park. Field events begin at 10:30 a.m. and running events scheduled to start at 3 p.m. A total of 33 Cardinal track and field women will participate in 16 events tomorrow...many of them taking part in multiple track and field contest. 


Look for the Cardinals to do well in the throwing events and  relays. 


You can follow live results at the UofL official sports website. www.UofLsports.com


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David Hein of HeinNews is reporting that 6'3" Swedish basketball star Amanda Zahui has listed Louisville as one of her three potential schools for the 2012-2013 season. Hein reports that she is going to be visiting Louisville over the weekend as well. You can read his article at the link below. 


Amanda Zahui to visit three schools, decision soon

CARDINAL COUPLE'S Jenny O' Bryan has been all over this story since we discovered that Coach Walz was making a recruiting trip to Sweden and her research led to a random e-mail by us to Hein...who e-mailed back, followed up on our questions and wrote an article about the tall Swede. 


Hein writes about international basketball and other topics. He's worth a read. Good coverage on the international hoops scene.


We've dropped a teaser or two about this over the past few days but wanted to wait for some actual confirmation before breaking the news. 


6'3" isn't bad. Take it when you can get it if there's talent there, Coach. 


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Finally, we bring you this heart-warming and touching story of a horse overcoming the worst of it to get to the track and run. Horse-racing fan or not, we think you'll like this story about Notinrwildestdremz...who is a winner no matter how the race goes at Aqueduct. Link below.


Horse overcomes odds to make it to the track


( Update on NOTINRWILDESTDREMZ...got scratched before the 2nd at Aqueduct Sunday after getting out of control in the gate at post time. The owners will try her at Belmont next.) 


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