JENKINS BUZZER-BEATER GIVES VILLANOVA MEN'S TITLE
As a rule, we don't do a lot of men's sports here at CARDINAL COUPLE. There are more than enough qualified and highly knowledgeable sports journalists out there who cover that area quite well. The finish of the NCAA Men's Championship Game for college basketball last night, though bears a little coverage and commentary today.
Two three-pointers in the final 4.7 seconds. A North Carolina team that clawed back from a 10-point deficit with under five minutes to play...only to get the dagger with less than a second to go. Kris Jenkins with the winner...who learned how to shoot a basketball from his mom. She wouldn't let him practice distance shots until the eighth grade. Marcus Page's lunging-forward, improbable three to tie the game.
Villanova 77 - UNC 74. If the end of that one didn't awaken the spirit, competitiveness and mixed emotions in you...call your doctor for a check-up to see if you still have a pulse.
Was it the best final five seconds in the history of NCAA men's basketball? Only you can decide that in your own mind, I guess...I still like the buzzer beater Lorenzo Charles stuck in when NC State defeated Houston back in 1983 over it...but it was simply incredible.
I almost turned it off when 'Nova had the ten-point lead late in the contest. It was late, my eyes heavy with sleep...but I hung on. Roy Williams is probably still incredulous. Jay Wright...he of the no-emotion school of winning...probably considers himself one of the luckiest men alive today after seeing the seemingly insurmountable lead vanquish.
March Madness evolving into April Awesomeness. Will we see anything like it tonight when underdog Syracuse faces mighty UConn in the NCAA Women's Championship Game? Indianapolis should be rocking tonight as David goes forth to try and slay women's college basketball's Goliath.
You just never know this time of year...
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ROWING TAKES TWO IN ACC/BIG 10 CHALLENGE
The University of Louisville rowing team took two of the six events in the ACC/BIG 10 Challenge held over the weekend at Lake Lemon in Bloomington, IN.
Outnumbered by Indiana and Iowa, the Cards captured the Second Varsity +4 and Third Varsity +4 races and finished a close second in the Third Varsity/Novice +8 and Varsity +4 events.
Louisville's Second Varsity +4 actually turned in a better time the the Varsity +4 by over 2 seconds while beating the Indiana squad by over 8 seconds. Third Varsity rowed their way to a 9 second win over Iowa...showing the strong depth the Cards possess on their roster.
Up next, the Cards will stroke down to Clemson for the Clemson Invitational on April 16-17th.
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WORDS WITH WALZ
We'll be dropping by the SAC Center later this morning to get some words from Louisville WBB head coach Jeff Walz for our Wednesday column.
Coach has been a busy guy since the NCAA Tournament ended for the Cards...catching up with recruiting, individual instructions and his family.
Always great to catch up with Coach. With "Q" and Geno both being on the Walz buddy list, we'll see if we can find out if he has a favorite tonight in the NCAA WBB Final or if he's even going to watch.
paulie
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CARDS VS. SPARTANS ON DEC. 3RD.
Louisville WBB will head to East Lansing, MI. to face Suzy Merchant's Michigan State Spartans in the BIG 10/ACC Challenge on Thursday, Dec. 3rd the leagues announced yesterday.
Last year in the Cards first appearance in the event they blew out Lisa Bluder and the Iowa Hawkeyes 86-52 in Iowa City, IA that was a rematch of a 2014 NCAA Tournament game.
Louisville has faced "Spartie" twice in the past, taking down MSU in the 2012 first round of the NCAA Tournament 67-55 and losing 82-73 in the 1990-91 season.
Last season, MSU went 16-15 overall and posted a 7-11 Big 10 record. They do return honorable mention All-American Aerial Powers, who averaged 21.9 ppg for Merchant.
All told, 14 games will be played over two days between the ACC and Big 10. The other matchups are:
Dec 2
Georgia Tech @ Indiana Illinois @ Miami
Northwestern @ UNC Ohio St. @ Notre Dame
Syracuse @ Maryland Iowa @ Virginia
Wisconsin @ Wake Forest
Dec 3
Boston College @ Purdue Minnesota @ Duke
Rutgers @ Florida State NC State @ Nebraska
Pittsburgh @ Michigan Virginia Tech @ Penn State
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VOLLEYBALL ADDS KALI EAKEN
Anne Kordes announced Wednesday that redshirt freshman setter Kali Eaken is transferring to Louisville from Kansas State.
Eaken sat out last season and will have four years of eligibility for the VolleyCards.
She was recruited by Kordes when she was in high school and was a three-time Kansas All-State selection. She was named 2013-14 Gatorade Kansas Volleyball Player of the Year and 2013-14 First Team Under Armour All-American.
She'll add depth to a position that Katie George held last season. Lyndsay Palmer, a transfer from Gonzaga is also listed as a setter on the 2015 roster. The duo are in their last year of eligibility.
Eaken is also solid in the classroom...being named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll in the fall of 2014.
paulie
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Villanova 77 - UNC 74. If the end of that one didn't awaken the spirit, competitiveness and mixed emotions in you...call your doctor for a check-up to see if you still have a pulse. 
