WBB Wins 93-62 -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Ball State No Match in Battle of Cardinals

Louisville women's basketball is running out of games in 2025. After last night, they have just three remaining before they turn the calendar over, and the non-conference schedule is winding down as well. The Cards took on Ball State last night, and they'll hit the road to face North Carolina this weekend. After that, there is one more home game against EKU and a neutral site matchup against Tennessee before the Cards move into the proper conference schedule. Facing a somewhat more difficult opponent last night than they have seen in some of their home games of late (excluding South Carolina), Louisville handed Ball State their third loss of the year with a strong 31-point victory. 

Louisville wasted no time in this one, jumping out to a 21-12 lead after the first quarter. The Cards shot just 35% from the field in the first and made just 1-7 three-pointers, but six free throws helped them extend that lead over Ball State. The two teams played fairly close early on, with Ball State having multiple chances to take the lead, but after a pair of free throws moved Louisville from a 6-5 lead to an 8-5 lead, Ball State would not meaningfully reduce the deficit for the remainder of the game. The Cards ended the quarter on an extended 15-7 run and that was pretty much that. 

Louisville shot much better in the second quarter, making 5-8 threes and shooting 60% (12-20) from the floor overall. As a result, they won the quarter 29-13, extending the large lead by even more at the half and setting themselves up to cruise through the second half. The Cards had a chance to break 100 in this game, but the shooting cooled off slightly in the third quarter and some missed free throws in the fourth kept them from running it up. 

All in all, UofL shot 48.5% in the second half and went 36.4% from three. That was a slightly better in overall field goal percentage than the whole game (47.9%) but slightly worse from three (38.5%). Louisville scored a whopping 42 points in the paint, had 17 second chance points, and picked up 50 of their 93 from the bench. Louisville mostly cruised in the second half, winning the half by just six. But when that ultimately contributes to a 31-point victory and you were at the end of your bench for most of the fourth, it's not all bad. The Cards scored at least 20 points in every quarter. 

The Cards were led by a big night from Skylar Jones, who finished with 20 points in 18 minutes and also contributed seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Her seven rebounds were second to Anaya Hardy's ten, as Hardy picked up yet another double-double by scoring 12 points. Mackenly Randolph also had 12, and Laura Ziegler had a big night, taking advantage at the free throw line especially, to score 15 points. Ziegler was 6-6 from the stripe. It was a quiet night for two players we don't usually say that about, as Taj Roberts scored just four, and Elif Istanbulluoglu had no points on 0-3 shooting in 20 minutes. Incredibly, it was Elif who kept it from being another night in which everyone who played scored. 

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Imari Berry and Peyton Bradley, who both had some of their best games of the year, scoring ten and eight points respectively. Berry also had a rebound, two steals, and three assists, while Bradley added two assists. Overall, the Cards assisted on 14 of 35 made baskets, which isn't great, but they also had 15 turnovers, so the offense could have used some cleaning up. Louisville also didn't force a ton of turnovers, as Ball State also finished with 15, but the visiting Cardinals couldn't find the bottom of the net. Ball State went just 35.6% from the field and 21.1% from three point land. Add in a sub-70% night from the free throw line and it was just an unfortunate night all around. Ball State went 0-9 from beyond the arc in the first half. 

The FRED Report

F - Free Throws: Louisville was kind of back and forth at the free throw line last night. They went 6-6 in the first and 6-7 in the third, but they took no free throws in the second and went 1-4 in the fourth. They finished 13-17 (76.5%), which is good for a lowercase 'f' 

R - Rebounds: The Cards had 45 total rebounds and scored 17 second chance points. That is pretty good, but they only won the rebounding battle (and points in the paint battle) by nine. I initially felt like Louisville should have a bigger advantage here, but they had 25% more rebounds than their opponent, so that seems worthy of a capital 'R'. 

E - Effort/Execution: The Cards played well throughout and didn't lose focus near the end, but they should have been a bit cleaner. Louisville sent Ball State to the line 23 times, and they committed 15 turnovers, giving up 17 points off those turnovers. I'm going to award a lowercase 'e' because the shooting night is too hard to ignore, despite the turnovers. 

D - Defense: Louisville forced only the same amount of turnovers as they committed, but they converted that into more points (22) and they picked up 10 steals. They also kept Ball State from getting clean looks and saddled them with the terrible shooting. I'm going capital 'D'. 

That gives Louisville a final tally of f-R-e-D, which will probably get it done most nights. There will be games in which the offense isn't working quite as well as it did last night, so more turnovers forced and fewer turnovers committed would be nice, but we'll take what we can get. 

Louisville is next in action on Sunday against UNC. The Tarheels are enjoying another strong start to the season as they are 9-2. Their losses are to #3 UCLA in Las Vegas and #2 Texas in Austin. That said, they've played basically no one else, and their best win is an eight-point win over Kansas State in Cancun on Black Friday. The Heels beat Boston University 82-40 on Sunday and have a full week off before facing the Cards. We'll see what Coach Jeff Walz can do to motivate his team in a big road test early in the conference slate. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Cards Crush Panthers -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Elif Scores Career High in 91-38 Win

A three-pointer by Tiny Lewis cut the Eastern Illinois deficit to one at 13-12 with 3:27 remaining in the first quarter. The Panthers had held close to Louisville for the first portion of the opening stanza, but that would be the end of that. Louisville closed the first on an 8-0 run to win the quarter by nine and won each subsequent quarter by no fewer than 13 points. Louisville's offense was largely consistent quarter-to-quarter (21, 26, 22, 22), while the defense held EIU to fewer points each quarter (12, 11, 9, 6). All in all, it was an expected thumping, as the loss moved Eastern Illinois to 0-6 on the season and the win took the Cards to 5-2. 

After the first six minutes or so, Louisville was never really troubled in this one. It might even be fair to say that they weren't particularly troubled at the beginning, despite the surprisingly close score. Once the Cards settled in, they had it fairly well under control. Walz was able to clear the bench and play 12 players, and, for the second time this season, every player that saw the floor scored a point. What's more, every player scored a field goal. The Cards were led by Taj Roberts, who scored 13, while Elif Istanbulluoglu and Mackenly Randolph tied at second with 12. The 12 points were a career high for Elif, who added six rebounds, an assist, two blocks, and two steals. The total was also Randolph's season high, and it missed her career high by one point (13 against Duke last season). 

Reagan Bender also had a nice night. Her career high is also 13, and she only scored eight in last night's game, but she added five rebounds, four assists, and five steals. The phrasing ends up coming off as a bit of a joke, but being halfway to a quadruple-double is nothing to scoff at. Bender did all this in a career-high night in minutes, as she led the team with 24. In addition to minutes, last night set career highs in field goal attempts, makes, rebounds, assists, and steals. Anaya Hardy had another double-double in 21 minutes, putting up 12 rebounds to go along with 11 points. She also had two steals. 

All in all, there isn't a whole lot more to say. Eastern Illinois is not a good team, so winning by 50+ points shouldn't be a great surprise. Getting a solid performance from everyone is quite nice, though, and you look for that in games like last night's. That said, the team wasn't as locked in as they could have been, which we'll cover up next in The FRED Report, but they still had an enjoyable Black Friday and will be set up for another big day today. 

The FRED Report

F-Free Throws: If there was one spot Louisville came up short (other than turnovers), it was free throws. The Cards got to the line quite a bit, earning 25 attempts, but they hit on just 17 of those. Louisville had no perfect quarters, and Taj Roberts went 0-2 at the stripe. Those last two stats are just icing on the bad cake, since a 68% qualifies for no letter all on its own. 

R-Rebounds: Louisville may not have had the tallest player on the floor (EIU had someone at 6'10"), but the Cards were the bigger and more physical team on average. They showed it, cleaning up 46 rebounds, compared to 34 for the Panthers. Louisville had 20 offensive rebounds and scored 19 second chance points. They held EIU to just nine o-boards. Capital 'R'. 

E-Effort/Execution: The final point total is nice. It's hard to score 91 points, though maybe not incredibly difficult when the opponent gives you as many chances as EIU did. Still, Louisville shot 46% from the floor and 35% from three. They assisted on 20 of their 33 makes. The big issue here is the turnovers. Louisville had 15, and I can't give a capital letter for that. Lowercase 'e'. 

D-Defense: Louisville's defense, as I mentioned earlier, got stingier as the game went on. They allowed just 38 points, fewer than ten per quarter, and they picked up 17 steals. They also had three blocks and forced a total of 31 turnovers. Yeah, I'm gonna go with a capital 'D'.

If you're going to have an off night at the free throw line, it's best to do it when you win by a million points, I suppose, but the turnovers were unfortunate. Louisville finishes with a final tally of _-R-e-D. Daryl will love that, since her favorite Louisville chant is "Go Big Red." (Sarcasm very much intended.) The Cards will be back in action today when they take on East Tennessee State. Today's game will be at 3:30, and it will be held in Knights Hall on Bellarmine's campus. Because it's at Bellarmine and not hosted by UofL, this game will be on ESPN+ instead of ACCNX. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Cards Ground Eagles 96-49 -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Louisville Nearly Doubles Up Morehead State

Louisville brought in a blue team from Kentucky in their final tune-up before they face the blue team from Kentucky on Saturday. In the end, Louisville dominated Morehead State, finishing with a season-high 96 points and seeing seven players post double-figures in scoring. That marks the most in a game in almost exactly two years, as eight scored double-digits against Bellarmine on November 16, 2023 (thanks for that stat, Matt). The Cards led nearly wire-to-wire, and despite letting off the gas a bit in the fourth, won all four quarters, on route to a 96-49 victory. 

Very early on, it looked like the Cards might suffer from the same sluggish start that has plagued them in most games this season. Morehead State hung around and led 7-6 after three minutes. However, that was pretty much the end of that. Louisville went on a 13-0 run to snatch a big lead and then finished the quarter on a 10-0 run to make it even bigger. Overall, they won the last seven minutes of the first quarter 23-3 and won the quarter 29-10. The Cards went 12-17 from the floor in the opening stanza.

Louisville also scored the first six points of the second quarter, pushing their lead to 25 and putting the game firmly out of reach. It was mostly academic after that point, with the Cards scoring basically at will until the fourth quarter. Coach Jeff Walz played eleven players in this one, and each player scored. Taj Roberts saw the most time on the floor with 27 minutes, but the next three highest minutes earners came off the bench. Everyone played double-digit minutes, bar Mackenly Randolph, who saw only seven minutes as a starter. Of the seven in double figures, four scored 13 points to lead all players, with two starting and two coming off the bench. 

Louisville scored 85 points in the first three quarters of the game. Pretty good, if you ask me, but a bit d
isappointing that they couldn't break 100. Tough thing to be upset about. The Cards finished 33-61 from the floor (54.1%) and 10-26 from three (38.5%), but if you exclude the fourth quarter, they shot 28-45 (62.2%) and 9-16 (56.2%) before garbage time. Not too shabby. Reagan Bender, one of the players who scored 13, led the team with three made three-pointers. She was 3-4 from the floor (all from beyond the arc) and went 4-4 from the free throw line.

Also scoring 13 points were Roberts, Laura Ziegler, and Imari Berry. Anaya Hardy was close behind at 12, and Elif Istanbulluoglu and Reyna Scott rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11 apiece. Hardy also led the team in rebounding, posting a double-double with 13 rebounds. Scott and Berry tied for the team lead with four assists, as Louisville assisted on 22 of 33 made baskets. 

The FRED Report

F-Free Throws: Louisville shot 20-23 from the free throw line which is good for 87%. All three misses came from post players, with seven players making all of their free throw attempts. I think 90% is supposed to be the cutoff for a capital F, though, so we'll stick with a lowercase'f', but I do so begrudgingly. 

R-Rebounds: The Cards put a palindrome on Morehead in the rebounding category, winning the battle on the boards 42-24. That was largely to be expected, given the difference in talent and athleticism, but it's still important to get it done. Louisville allowed eight offensive rebounds, but they had 12 of their own. While the Cards could only score nine second chance points on those rebounds, they did manage to keep MSU to just two. Plus, Hardy snagging more than half of MSU's total rebounds by herself is fun. Capital 'R'.

E-Effort/Execution: Louisville fell off a bit in the fourth, but that was largely garbage time for the Cards. They still managed to win the quarter, and I'm certain that Skylar Jones, Peyton Bradley, and Rebekah Graves would have preferred to do better than 1-15 from the floor. The Cards had just 11 turnovers, with a couple of those coming on offensive fouls, and I already mentioned their 22 assists. A 2:1 ATO is quite good, and they did it with a 66% assist rate. Add in the shooting percentages, and the big scoring runs, and I'll say they executed well with high effort. Capital 'E'.

D-Defense: The Cards gave up fewer than 50 points. They held the Eagles to 35.3% shooting, allowing just 7-27 from beyond the arc. They did send Morehead State to the line a few too many times, giving up 17 free throw attempts, but MSU couldn't hit the broadside of a barn, going 6-17 from the stripe. Louisville had 10 steals as part of their 18 forced turnovers, though they weren't able to pick up a block despite the size advantage. It was still a strong defensive performance, leading to Louisville's first true blowout win of the year. (They pulled away from NKU late, but it was close for quite a while.) I'll award a capital 'D' here, because I'm not sure how to award much else.

That gives a final tally of f-R-E-D, which is just about as good as you can do. The lowercase 'f' is a bit misleading when Louisville won the free throw battle by 14 points, but it's nice to have places to improve. 

The Cards have a relatively short turnaround this week, with a Saturday game instead of Sunday on the calendar. Louisville will host Kentucky in the fifth Battle of the Bluegrass of the month of November. Louisville is 4-0 in the four so far (M/W swim & dive, MBB, WSOC) and football will play the sixth and final next week. UK is a couple of spots ahead of the Cards in the latest polls, and they sit at 6-0 so far. UK hasn't had much competition, but they haven't struggled to blow teams out. Their closest margin of victory was a 26-point win over Morehead State in the season opener. Their 75 points in that game was their fewest in a game so far, and they're averaging an 84-44 victory. UK's latest game was a 76-35 crushing of Purdue on Tuesday. 

Saturday's game will be UK's third true road game of the season, as they have played at Buffalo and Marshall this year. The Yum! Center should be a much more hostile environment to walk into, but Louisville will need to bring their A-game against the Cats. Tipoff is at 2PM on Saturday, and the game will be on The CW. 

POSTGAME WITH COACH WALZ

POSTGAME WITH HARDY & ISTANBULLUOGLU

Women's Soccer in NCAA Second Round

After last week's thriller against UK, Louisville women's soccer closed up shop at Lynn Stadium and hit the road. The Cards will take on Kansas this afternoon in Durham, North Carolina, with the winner set to face the winner of #2 Duke vs #7 UCF. It has been all chalk in the quadrant so far, but #6 Louisville will look to spring the first upset when they take on the #3 Jayhawks. 

Kansas went 15-5-3 this season with a 6-4-1 record in the Big 12. Despite their seeding, Kansas doesn't have a super strong resume. Prior to the Big 12 Tournament, they were 0-3-2 against teams ranked at the time, with both draws coming in Lawrence against FSU and West Virginia. They won a pair of ranked games in that Big 12 Tourney, thumping WVU 4-0 and then getting revenge on #11 Colorado for an earlier loss 2-1, before falling to BYU 1-0. 

Kansas defeated California Baptist 3-1 last Friday to advance. Today's match is at 4PM and will be available for streaming on ESPN+. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Here comes Anaya, Lousville WBB fans -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 6'4" ANAYA HARDY WILL GIVE CARDS WBB HOPS

We all love the dunk in basketbll, right? But to see it in the women's game is a surprise...a pleasant one, mind you, but not seen it very often. 

Well...look at this: 

Anaya Hardy dunk

She is 6'4" Anaya Hardy and will be e freshman this season for Jeff Walz and the Louissville Cards WBB squad. She hails out of Renaissance High School in Detroit. She was A.P. first team All-State in Michgan her senior year and scored 28 poinys and had 12 rebounds in Renaissance's Detriot Public School's Championship game. 

She joins the #6 ranked recruiting class ni 2024.She'll be a scorer, but that class has some pretty prolific high school scorers already in Imari Berry, Mackeniy Randolph, and Taj-Avant Roberts. 

She picked UofL over Michigan and Syracuse. 

She'll battle for front line playing time with Cards returnees Olivia Cochran, Nyla Harris Elif Istanbulloglu, fellow freshman Isla Juffermans and redshirt Eseosa Imfifidon. 

It should be a fun team to watch and Anaya will hopefully escape Jeff Walz's penchant for rarely playing freshmen.

Louisville is ranked #12 in ESPN' "Way-Too Early" poll for the 2024 season.

paulie

WBB Named 6th Ranked Recruiting Class -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Louisville has 6th Ranked Recruiting Class

Imari Berry, photo courtesy of GoCards

Jeff Walz is working his magic again. While we already knew most of the freshmen planning to join Louisville women's basketball next season, the ESPN recruiting rankings put the Cards as the sixth-best in the country.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Walz and Co have focused more on the transfer portal with players such as Kianna Smith, Emily Engstler, Morgan Jones, Chrislyn "CC" Carr, Kiki Jefferson, and many more. The 2021-2022 season saw transfer Engstler and Chelsie Hall play a key role in helping Louisville get to its fourth Final Four in program history. As the game has changed, so has Walz.

Mackenly Randolph, photo courtesy of GoCards

But Jeff Walz is also known for his ability to recruit talented freshmen and develop them into top-tier players that make a name for themselves in the pros. Some of the four-year players recruited by Walzz that we have seen have major success at Louisville and beyond include Becky Burke, Mo Reid, Asia Taylor, Sara Hammond, Myisha Hines-Allen, AD Durr, Sam Fuehring, Jazmine Jones, and Dana Evans. This doesn't include players at Louisville prior to the Walz Era or players who either transferred in or out. See where I'm going with this?

The bulk of Walz's success has come with the recruitment and development of players. Adding a transfer or two can certainly help round out a roster, but his bread and butter has always been the long term players. It comes as no surprise that Walz has scratched the idea of stocking up on as many talented transfers as possible to go back to what has been successful for him, especially after a first round loss in the NCAA Tournament this past season.

Taj Avant-Roberts, photo courtesy of GoCards

The incoming freshmen class for the 2024-2025 season is arguably one of his best ever. The confirmed incoming players include:

Imari Berry, guard (ESPN #19)- Berry is a do-it-all guard that withdrew her commitment from Clemson following the coaching change and switched to Louisville,

Mackenly Randolph, forward (ESPN #23)- Randolph is the daughter of former NBA player Zach Randolph and a small forward that has shown signs of strong rebounding skills.

Reagan Bender, photo courtesy of Go Cards

Taj Avant-Roberts, guard (ESPN #24)- Avant-Roberts was a point guard for much of her high school career, but has recently developed her three-point shooting to make her a dual-threat scorer.

Izela Arenas, guard (ESPN #88). Arenas is the daughter of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas. She was named "Queen of the Court" after winning a one-on-one showcase held in Atlanta last summer.

Anaya Hardy,photo courtesy of X.com

Reagan Bender, guard. Bender is a guard from the local Sacred Heart Academy (high school) known for her three-point shooting and helped the Valkyries to four straight state titles.

Isla Juffermans, forward- Juffermans is a bit more unknown compared to the others, due to her being the only international player on this list. The Aussie native is a true post player that can step into the role of either a forward or a center.

Izela Arenas, photo courtesy of Louisville Report

Anaya Hardy, forward- Hardy was a walking double-double in her high school days and showed improvements with her blocking during her summer stint in the Under Armour Association circuit.

Adding this star-studded lineup to an experienced crew of Oliva Cochran (fifth year), Merissah Russell (fifth year), Jayda Curry (senior), and Nyla Harris (junior) puts Louisville into an immediate position for success. We can't wait to see how the Cards fare next season.

Isla Juffermans, photo courtesy of Instagram

Happy Monday and Go Cards!

Jared

WBB SIGNS 4 FOR 2024 -- COCHRAN ON WOODEN AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 4 In Early Signing Period for Cards WBB

The Cards WBB have four in the 2024 early signing period class. 

5'9" guard Izela Arenas, 5'10" guard Tajianna Avant-Roberts, 6'4" forward Isla Juffermans and 6'4" forward Anaya Hardy have announced UofL as their college choices. And, the Cards might not be through with recruiting, either. With only six of the current roster (as far as we can tell) able to come back and play next season, Walz could add a couple more in the regular signing period. 

What he and the Cards have landed so far, though, look very impressive. 

Arenas comes in from Sierra Canyon (CA) who consistantly has powerhouse squads in California. Arenas is a four star prospect and ranked 93rd overall by ESPN HoopGurlz. Walz identifies her "as a scorer, great facilitator on the fast break, proficient from the three-point line and her toughness and grit are unmatched". She chose UofL over Oregon, Arizona and Iowa State (and others). 

Avant-Roberts is a five-star prospect, ranked 25th overall by ESPN HoopGurlz. Walz on Avant-Roberts: "Taj is one of the best guards in the country. She helped err club win the Nike National Championships this summer. She had great size, her range is unlimited on the perimeter and her length and agility will be aid in being a menace on the defensive side of the ball." The Cards beat out Kentucky, Duke, Cal and Virginia Tech for her services. 

Hardy comes out of Detriot Renaissance H.S. and led them to the state semifinals with a 24-2 record. Per Walz:  "Anaya is full of potential and athletic ability. She thrives in the up-tempo pace, loves to rebound and get out on transition. She has a long frame which adds to her ability to alter and block shots on the defensive side of the ball." She picked the Cards over Michigan, Michigan St and Syracuse. 

Juffermans is out of Coffs Harbor, Australia and has an impressive production record with the Aussie National teams. She was named MVP of the 2022 FIBA Under 18 Asian Championships. "She brings a wealth of experience versus top-flight talent across the globe. She is a very efficient scorer with her back to the basket and will provide us with a true low post game." -- Jeff Walz. 

OLIVIA COCHRAN ON WOODEN AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST

Yeah, I know, the season is already underway, sio preseason awards seem a bit tardy, but UofL's Olivia Cochran is one of 50 on the first release of contenders for Wooden award. 

And, she has started the season quite impressively. At Cincinnati, she posted 10 rebounds and seven points in the Cards win. In the contest against DePaul, "O" went for 21 points and five rebounds leading the Cards to the victory over DePaul.. 

The list drops to 15 shortly before the NCAA Tournament begins and a final ballot of 10 is presented to voters. 

Last year's winner Caitlin Clark is, of course, back and on the list and Angel Reese and Liz Kitely are considered up there in the top 10. Paige Bueckers returns for UConn, Kamilla Cardoso has gotten off to a huge start at South Carolina and some will make an argument for a little blonde-haired girl in her first season at LSU. 

This should be a fun race to watch, and a fun season of DI hoops! 

paulie

WBB getting 2024 commits, interest and extending offers -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

THREE TO FOLLOW IN FUTURE CLASSES FOR CARDS WBB

Anaya Hardy

While we're all still abuzz about the 2023-2024 Cards WBB appearance in the Globl Jam, let's add to the out-of-season hoops hysteria and talk about three high schoolers that have drawn the coaches interest in the class of 2024 and beyond. 

We'll start with Anaya Hardy. She's a 6'4" front-liner who hails from Detroit and Renaissance High School in the "motor city". She has committed to come to play her collegiate ball and be a student-athlete at UofL. She chose the Cards over Michigan and Syracuse for her services. She's the first commit for the 2024 WBB class at Louisville. 

She's busy this summer playing with the Michigan Storm tis summer in the Under Armour circuit. As a junior, she average a double-double for her high school squad, that went 24-2 and made it to the finals of the state tournament. 

Jaloni Cambridge

Jaloni Cambrdge is a 5'6" guard that has Louisville on her "final seven" list. She was in town recently playing in the Under Armour event. She's not focusing on college choice right now,, though, according to  her. She's currently channeling her time and efforts toward her AAU squad. She's also transferring to Montverde Academy, in Florida, for her senior year after playing as a junior at the Ensworth School in Nashville. 

There are sources out there that are calling Cambridge the best overall prospect in the Class of 2024. Check her out on YouTube or Twitter, She's the real deal at guard. She scored 41 points in Ensworth's loss in the Tennessee Stare Finals last season in Class AA. 

Bella Ragone

Finally, let's take a look at Bella Ragone.  She just picked up an offer from the Louisville women's basketball squad. She's in the 2026 class and attends Mill Creek H.S. in Georgia. She's the #1 prospect in the state in the 2026 class. 

She was here, too, for that Under Armour Tournament and  she's listed as a 6'2" wing. LSU and Northwestern also recently offered her. 

She'll certainly be one to keep an eye on as she goes through her next few years in high school.

Oh, if the name Ragone rings a bell, her dad Dave was a former UofL quarterback who s now the offensive coordinator with the Atlanta Falcons. Her mom, who was Marju Sober during her time at UofL, was a star Cardinals basketball player and was C-USA Player of the Week on three different occasions back in 2000. 

Whether it's getting the best out of high school, or getting the best out of the transfer portal, the coaches at UofL WBB are working hard to continue and bring in the best and most talented. 

paulie