Making the most of a second chance -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 FORMER CARD LINDSEY DUVALL HAVING SUCCESS AT NKU

With Louisville WBB on a COVID pause, not much to report on the Cardinal crew these days -- so I thought I might do a "feel good" story this Monday. After all, it is the holiday season, we report on 'the joy and excitement' of things and the age-old philosophy of "once a Card, always a Card" carries credible veracity in a lot of circles. 

Consider the story of Lindsey Duvall. 

You remember "Lil Duv", right? She was a Miss Kentucky in GBB back in 2017. Decided on Louisville after originally thinking "maybe UK" announcing her desire to be a Cat but then changing her mind and committing to Louisville. A 5'8" shooting guard, ostensibly -- for Chris Stallings at Bullitt East High School, but mostly played as a "4" for the Mt. Washington school.  A definitive three point threat and team player. Knee injuries, yes, they were a part of it as well. Six operations before she stepped on the court as a Cardinal. Having to sit out her freshman year because of knee trouble in 2017-18. 

I always wondered how'd she perform on the DI level, given 25-30 minutes a game  She never got that chance at Louisville, part of a very deep and talented roster that went 60-8 in the two years she did see action for the Cards, mostly in a reserve role.  Duvall was good, no doubt about it, but others were better and the scenario eventually came to the question of deciding whether to be a reserve or a starter somewhere. College time is limited. Players want to be productive -- to play. 

She chose to seek playing time elsewhere. She turned to NKU and Carmyn Whitaker, a coach she'd known since the seventh grade. In some circles, it's thought that when Whitaker left UK as an assistant coach to take the NKU head coaching job, that was the deciding factor for Duvall to switch commitments from UK to UofL.  When Duvall went looking for a new school, Whitaker made no promises other that she'd be given a chance to earn playing time and try competition on a slightly less difficult and competitive level that the ACC. The Horizon League. A mid-major in the scheme of DI ball, but, a Kentucky university that has a loyal fan base, is less that two hours from her home and had six or seven players she was familiar with from those high school days. 

She worked hard during the COVID summer, learned the system and she and her teammates began the season against an Ohio-based slate of schools in Cincinnati, Akron, Bowling Green and Ohio St. All on the road except for Bowling Green. All losses for NKU, but, Duvall a bright spot for the Norse in a reserve role -- with 11.25 points-per-game and nine rebounds in about 26 minutes a game. Nearly a double-double -- coming off the bench. 

Whitaker consulted with another "newbie" -- assistant coach Anthony Epps. Yes, that Epps -- the UK star. He had coached against Duvall when he was at Campbellsville High School. He knew the talent within. They gave Duvall the start in the opener of Horizon League play -- against Pittsburgh-based Robert Morris, and Duvall responded with 21 points, four threes, 13 rebound in 27 minutes in a lopsided win for the Norse. If there were sightings and reportings of a new star in the sky over Highland Heights, KY -- it was probably Duvall's ascension into stardom. 

The Horizon League is doing things a bit differently in 2020. (Aren't we all?)  So far, they are pitting opponents against each other back-to-back on consecutive days. So, the next day, another NKU win and a 12-point effort from Duvall. 

Saturday and Sunday found NKU at Purdue-Ft. Wayne, home of  one of Cardinal Couple's favorite mascots -- Don the Mastodon. Lindsey found Fort Wayne to her liking, in the two NKU wins over "Don's Gang" -- she put up 38 points in her 56 minutes of  time and shot 50% (6-12) from three-point range. 

We are proud of her at Cardinal Couple. She remains one of my favorite interviews of a high school Cardinal prospect. Shoot,, I've even walked around Lindsey Duvall Park in Mt. Washington to get a little exercise. 

For Lindsey, the second chance is paying big dividends. Sometimes...those second chances do. If Lil Duv is happy and productive in her new surroundings, then I'm happy for her.  I can remember her high school coach, Chris Stallings, telling me that he'd never had a harder-working player in his coaching career. He said something to the effect of "you might beat her, but you'll never out-work her." That persistence of hard work is finally paying off for Lindsey. and NKU. And, it's a beautiful thing to see.

If anyone deserved a break, a second chance -- it's certainly been Lindsey,.. after all she's been through. 

May the good days continue. 

paulie

Chris Stallings Interview -- Portal and Verbal News -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

CHRIS STALLINGS INTERVIEW

Today I catch up with the 2020 Kentucky Girls High School Coach of the Year Chris Stallings and the magical run his Bullitt East Lady Chargers girls basketball team went on  in the 2019-20 season. 

Our interview covers the players, the moments, the past, the future and Chris's health. It is a chat you definitely don't want to miss. 

My thanks to my ol' buddy Chris for his insight and willingness to do this. He (and I) look forward to the day when the student-athletes can gather together as a group again and practice and play.  I know you, the reader, look forward to these days as well. 

We hope you enjoy the interview. Click the link below to hear it. 

LINK:  CHRIS STALLINGS INTERVIEW

INTO THE PORTAL ONCE MORE

We got news yesterday that a second UofL women's basketball player has entered the transfer portal.

Seygan Robins, a sophomore guard from Mercer County High School (Harrodsburg, KY) is testing the waters to see if she can find a place where she can get more playing time. The 5'10" guard played in 26 games as a freshman for the Cards in the 2018-19 season, averaging 1.6 points and 0.8 assists. In the 2019-20 season, she appeared in two contests before a foot injury necessitated a redshirt for her. 

Robins was the Kentucky Girls Basketball Player of the Year with Mercer County in the 2018 season. she finished her high school career with over 2500 points, 800 assists and 500 steals.

Jeff Walz says of Seygan: 

"She wanted the opportunity to play more. Same thing as Lindsey Duvall. She'll still have a scholarship here if she doesn't find the fit." 

We will miss her style and smile and wish her the things she seeks as she moves on to the next stage of her collegiate student-athlete journey. 

NEW VERBAL

Sydni Schetnan, a 6'5" post from Sioux Falls, SD is the latest 2021 verbal commit to the University of Louisville women's basketball and volleyball squads. The duo sports star attended Washington High School in Sioux Falls. It seems the Cards have had their eye on her for quite some time. Beginning with Volleyball.  Sydni Schetnan has long been a target for the Louisville volleyball program, having played for Cardinal associate head coach Dan Meske, formerly of Augustana University, when she was 13.

This summer, however, the Washington High standout also began drawing interest for her basketball prowess, having caught the attention of multiple college coaches (including the Cardinals) during an AAU tournament. Not only did that event springboard her basketball recruitment, it also ignited her interest in the sport.

"I started to really like basketball a lot (over the summer)," Schetnan said. "By the end of this basketball season, it was super hard to choose if I wanted to do one or the other."

At Louisville, she'll be able to do both. 

paulie

Lindsey Duvall gets park named after her -- Lacrosse in ACC Today -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

2017 MISS BASKETBALL HONORED WITH MT. WASHINGTON PARK NAMING

Chris Stallings is one of those guys who you like as soon as you meet him. The Bullitt East head girls basketball coach has spent countless hours working with and developing the basketball skills of hundreds of basketball players in the Mt. Washington and Bullitt County area. He does it with a smile and encouragement. When a person loves what they do, it comes very easy and effortlessly. There's pride there. 

Ironically, one of the first times I met him, he was wearing a UConn women's basketball t-shirt. That's unique enough in Mt. Washington...but the fact that he had his star player Lindsey Duvall headed to Louisville to play for Jeff Walz in the fall of 2017 was enough  cause for me to do a double take and wonder if something was afoot and Geno had gotten to the affable skipper of the Chargers. Stallings relieved my fears instantly.

"It's just the first shirt I grabbed and put on this morning. I talked to my athletic apparel supplier this morning. There's a lot of red and black stuff on the way." 

Stallings relates this story about Duvall: 

"We do things a little differently here at Bullitt East. At halftime of games, we let the kids in the stands take the court and shoot baskets. Lindsey's older sister played for me her at Bullitt East and Lindsey would get out there when she was in the second or third grade and hoop it up. You could tell at that age, she was sticking with it and she was going to be a player. She was going to be something special. I'd tell folks that they had to watch that little girl out there and they stay in the stands and watch her shoot...not go to the concession stand. That's the beauty here. You get to see them early on. They go to the camps, middle school and end up playing ball for me here."

Mt. Washington has gotten larger over the years. From a small, sleepy town with a two-lane Main Street...hardware store, funeral home, Dairy Queen (which was a Burger Queen way back when) a Baptist church, several locally owned businesses and restaurants and surplus store to a thriving, small community with major shopping malls, a bypass around the main street and huge high school that sits right off the bypass. Where Bardstown Road meets Hwy 44. But, it still has a small town feel. Kids still run the court at halftime. Coach still shakes your hand and treats you like your kin. When people ask you how you're doing, it's a sincere and honest inquiry. A part of America I do love so. 

Duvall grew up also. She starred at Bullitt Central and was heavily recruited by both Kentucky and Louisville. She was always in a particular park shooting baskets whenever the weather allowed and she wasn't in the gym practicing her craft. Staying to watch Coach's son play baseball in that same park when she had exhausted herself after hours of dribbling, shooting and rebounding. You could say it was one of her homes away from home. 

And now it's named after her. 

The Mount Washington mayor and city council made it so. Stallings hasn't come out publicly and talked about his involvement in the naming...but one could probably correctly surmise that he was an integral part of the idea and it's rise to fruition. 

Duvall enters her red-shirt freshman season at UofL after sitting out last year due to some knee issues. She had a tumorous growth removed from her left knee while in high school but some remaining fragmentation needed to be cleaned out that was causing pain during her freshman year on the Cardinal roster. She recovered nicely and probably could have played for the Cards around the beginning of ACC season in 2017-18 but chose to continue to learn and develop without wasting a year of eligibility. Oh, the things she saw! The memories made and places visited. A year wiser and ready to go, she'll ply her trade for a team that was one missed foul call and one tip-in attempt that barely rolled out from a NCAA Championship game against a foe already twice beaten earlier in the year. 

There will be cookouts and pickup basketball games in Lindsey Duvall Park this summer. Elderly people out for a stroll or walking their dogs. Children playing tag or attempting to fly kites or playing catch. Baseball games and cheering. 

There just might also be the next Lindsey Duvall. A young girl, time after time, throwing a round orb at a round rim. Practicing the dribble so the other kids won't steal the ball from her. Perfecting the shot. Scraping a knee occasionally and contesting a foul during a one-on-one or pickup game. Maybe even Lindsey herself will drive by, stop the car and watch for awhile. Maybe hear that little girl yell out to another young girl:

 "I'm Lindsey, you're Asia and I'm going to hit this jumper to beat Notre Dame!"

Legends. Dreams. Hometown heroes. It's what America is made of. How many of us spent time in the backyard, or at a small park or parking lot throwing an old, worn-out rubber basketball at a rim with no net. In barely-above freezing weather. When it was so hot that the sweat from your head rolled into your eyes and made the basket blurry. When you challenged the kid who always beat you to just one more game of "21'...even though the light was fading from the sky. 

Lindsey's honor is an honor, in a way, to all those kids and adults out there who ignored the call for supper, in order to get a few more shots up. Who played against every kind of competition available. Who played for love of game and the thrill of seeing that long or contested shot drop through the rim. 

I'd like to think that a decade or so from now...a young mother takes her child for an afternoon walk and the child looks up and says: "Mommy, your name is on that gate overhead!" Knowing Lindsey, she's smile and tell her young charge: "C'mon, now. We need to get to the court so you can shoot the basketball." 


LACROSSE ENTERS ACC TOURNAMENT PLAY TODAY.

The Louisville Lacrosse team has safely arrived in Durham, NC and is preparing for their first game of the ACC Lacrosse Tournament. A tall order, indeed, in front of Scott Teeter's LAXERS...facing #2 in the nation and #1 in the ACC Boston College for an 11 a.m. contest this morning.

The Cards need a win today, and most likely need to win the ACC Tournament to get into the NCAA Tournament. They have two players that received second-team All-ACC Honors yesterday in freshman Caroline Blalock and Emily Howell.

Boston College placed (4) on the All-ACC first team. 

Today's action will be shown on Fox Sports South. Here's hoping the LAXCards can get off to a great start and hold on to the lead as time expires. An upset in the brewing? We'll know around 1 p.m.this afternoon. 

Have a tremendous Thursday. 

"Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana." 


paulie
xxxxx

Lindsey, Dana, Golf and Lacrosse -- Wednesday Cardinal Couple

DUVALL, BULLITT EAST ADVANCE IN DISTRICT

Bullitt East senior and future Louisville Cardinal women's basketball player Lindsey Duvall had ten first half points and a couple of threes in the Chargers 72-23 win over Jeffersontown in 24th. District action Tuesday night in Mt. Washington. 

The Chargers vs. Chargers match-up belonged to the Mt. Washington version from the start...Bullitt East pulling out to a 26-11 first period advantage and holding a 45-18 lead at the half. Duvall was impressive in the limited minutes she had in the romp...Coach Chris Stallings went to the reserves with 4:23 left in the second period and for most of the second half and the game had a continuous clock for most of the final 16 minutes. 

Bullitt East led 56-21 after three and kept the defensive pressure rolling in the final period. J-Town was limited to just five second half points and Stallings "played them all"  in the 49-point win. 

Bullitt East will face Mercy Academy Thursday night for the district title and advance to the Sixth Region Tournament. The Jaguars disposed of Fern Creek in the second game at Bullitt East 98-74.  With their first post-regular season test successfully completed, the Chargers now look ahead to a game against an opponent that they must successfully rebound against and play aggressive defense for 32 minutes. The Chargers won the regular season contest 70-66. 

I had the chance to attend the game and had a great time! The fun and down-home feel of high school hoops is one that makes you realize that it's all about the school, the kids and the game. From the booster club grilling burgers and rib-eye steaks in the parking lot, the 50//50 raffle in the stands...the pep band in the southeast corner of the wooden bleachers and friendly people greeting you like your some sort of celebrity or something...my two hours in Mt. Washington made me remember why I got into this website to begin with. The joy and excitement of athletics. Hometown fans cheering for kids they watched grow up, go to church with and see at the local grocery or department store. 

The "wise-guys" sitting on the edge of the stage. The referees thanking the little girls and fans who retrieve the out-of-bounds balls. Doing post-game interviews in the locker-room hallway to escape the frenetic back-ground noise of the fans in the bleachers getting pumped up for the next contest. Walking over to the scorer's table at halftime to get stats out of the official score-book. Thinking back to memories of many years ago when I ran the hardwood and battled those boards.

I do love it so. 

I was able to get a fan's perspective on the game, Lindsey Duvall and Louisville sports from Karen Walsh....who was there to watch the Mercy Academy game as well (her daughter plays for Mercy) and she graciously shared a couple of stories with me. Hear the audio below: 

PAULIE CHATS UP BASKETBALL FAN KAREN WALSH


I also caught up with Coach Stallings and Lindsey after the game and conducted a post-game interview with both. That link is below: 

CHRIS STALLINGS AND LINDSEY DUVALL INTERVIEW


Heartfelt and extended thanks to the fine folks at Bullitt East who made my visit very enjoyable. Best of luck to Lindsey and her squad as they look to advance to the Sweet Sixteen and beyond.

And, the rib-eye sandwich I bought as leaving was delicious and gone by the time I reached Fern Creek.

Should have got two...


DANA EVANS ONE OF FIVE NAISMITH FINALIST

One of the questions I meant to ask (but forgot) of Lindsey Duvall was her impressions on fellow 2017 Louisville commit Dana Evans being selected one of the five finalists for the Naismith High School Girls Trophy. The winner will be announced in early March. 

The 5'9" point guard from West Side High School, Gary, IN has some very impressive company on that list with her. The other four: 

Rellah Boothe F (Texas commit)
Anastasia Hayes PG (Tennessee commit) 
Megan Walker W (Connecticut commit) 
Evina Westbrook G (Tennessee commit) 

Best of luck to Dana as that decision day draws near...


WOMEN'S GOLF TAKES THIRD IN CENTRAL DISTRICT INVITATIONAL

In their first spring meet of 2017, Louisville women's golf finished third in the Central District Invitational in Port St. Lucie, FL. 

Freshman Lauren Hartlage ended up fourth in the scoring for Louisville. The Cards finished behind Furman and Memphis in the tournament. Molly Skapik tied for 12th and Louise Oxner tied for 14th.  

The Cards head to the Hurricane Invitational next at the Biltmore Golf Course in Coral Gables. Let's hope the name of the event doesn't mirror the weather they have to play in...


LACROSSE HOSTS VANDY TODAY


3 p.m. is the start time for Louisville Lacrosse's match against Vanderbilt today at the Louisville Lacrosse Stadium. The Cards (3-1) enter the event after a 11-10 triple overtime loss to Denver over the weekend. 

Vandy (1-0) took their season opener over Kennesaw State 17-5. 

Louisville leads the series 5-2...the Cards won last year in Nashville 15-5. Meghan Siverson leads Louisville with 16 goals and McKayla Conti has found the net 12 times this season. Hannah Koloski, the speed merchant from Lakeville, MN has 11 goals for the Cards. 

It's a beautiful day to be outside and excellent chance to watch a little Lacrosse. These two have built up a bit of a rivalry over the last couple years...so come on out and catch the contest. 

We talked about it on Paulie on Howie Lindsey's LOUISVILLE FIRST 2-21-17


paulie
xxxxx

Robins Rockin' As Mercer County Girls Basketball Rolls Along -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

2018 LOUISVILLE WBB VERBAL AVERAGING 22.6 PPG EARLY FOR MERCER COUNTY. 

( Some of the information and some of the photos for the article are courtesy of Jeremy Schneider of the Advocate Messenger - Danville, KY. Nice work, Jeremy! ) 

Mercer County girls head basketball coach Chris Souder knows he's got a top-five powerhouse down in Harrodsburg, KY with his 2016-17 squad. As impressive as that is...he's thinking that there might be a lot more ahead. 

"We're nowhere near where we need to be and could be. We will get better and that's scary. The sky's the limit, but it's going to get pretty tough"  Souder commented after his squads' 90-54 win over Danville Monday night. 

For Danville, it may have felt like the sky was falling...Souder's Titans jumped out to a 26-12 first period lead and advanced that to 45-25 at the halftime break. 

Helping lead the charge was 5'9" junior guard Seygan Robins...who poured in three trifectas and 13 of her 26 points in the opening stanza. Robins and her Titans have had three contests in the young season. After a 76-65 close loss vs. D-1 laden Hamilton Heights (TN) Christian Academy, the Titans have won their next two...downing Mason County 78-51 in addition to Danville. 

Just how tough and talented is Hamilton Heights? Four of their 2017 players have already committed to D-I programs -- (Nickeil Alexander-Walker to Virginia Tech, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Kentucky, Amber Hunt to Alabama St. and Therren Shelton-Szmidt to Middle Tennessee.) A fifth star, junior Elizabeth Balogun, is on the list of many of the top DI programs...including Louisville, Kentucky and Indiana.  

Robins is averaging 22.6 ppg so far this season and is a key component in Mercer's stifling defense...that can go from zone to man and not lose anything. She's also one of the main bombardiers from the stratosphere on a squad that also includes twins Faith and Lexy Lake (committed to Southeast Missouri) and 6'1" forward Emmy Souder...who is Coach Souder's niece...as is Robins. 

Keeping it in the family has worked over the last couple of seasons for "Uncle Chris" and Robins started catching schools' eyes and attention as a seventh-grader. Her choice came down to either Louisville or Kentucky and she was clear on why she chose the Cardinals: 

"It was definitely a combination of things. I've always really loved the coaching staff at Louisville and it's a wonderful family environment that just made me feel at home. The players are really comforting and inviting." 

How much was she influenced (or influence) friend and Kentucky Premier teammate and 2017 UofL commit Lindsey Duvall from Bullitt East we'll probably never know...but Coach Souder and Bullitt East skipper Chris Stallings have been friends for years and promote a family atmosphere in their programs. Both schools have that small-town feel and atmosphere...Bullitt East about 15 miles out of Louisville and Mercer County about an hour's drive away from the KFC YUM! Center. Duvall changed her commitment to Louisville over Kentucky in late July...about two weeks after Robins said "yes" to the Cards. 

Jeff Walz has had a pattern of having a local or state-area player or two on his roster since he arrived at Louisville. Candyce Bingham, Monique Reid, Tia Gibbs, Nita Slaughter, Sara Hammond, Shelby Harper and now Jessica Laemmle are names near and dear to Cardinal women's basketball fans. Duvall and Robins will keep that tradition alive and you can expect that they'll also bring a large contingent of fans up US 127 or US 150 to the KFC YUM! Center to watch their hometown heroes. 

It's been mentioned to us here in the past that UK and Matthew Mitchell do a better job of recruiting the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A scan of this year's UK roster includes six players from Kentucky, so that may bear out as accurate. How many final fours (or even Sweet Sixteens?) has Mitchell been to, though? And part of that Kentucky immigration occurred because of the clearance sale, all-items-must-go Mitchell move over the summer. 

Home-grown isn't always best, although we do believe here at Cardinal Couple that Duvall and Robins are "cream of the crop" and will make several Final Four excursions in their time at Louisville. 

Guards with motors that run all day at high speed. It's a Walz trademark. Witness Briahanna Jackson and Asia Durr on the current team. Plus Jazmine Jones, Taylor Johnson, Jessica Laemmle and Sydney Zambrotta. Duvall and Robins are from that same sorority. We can't put either in our "Attack Yorkie" classification...since they are both over 5'6"...but they easily qualify for the "Six or less and creating a mess sparkplugs". 

Mercer County entertains 46th. District foe East Jessamine tonight at 6 p.m. It's a pretty easy drive from Louisville if you want to catch the game. 

paulie
xxxxx

Worrell swims today, tomorrow in Olympics. -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

KELSI WHIRL IN 100 FLY TODAY

The opening ceremonies for the 2016 Summer Olympics took place last night and Louisville/USA swimmer Kelsi Worrell jumps into the pool today to compete in the 100 Fly qualifications. 


She's scheduled to take place in the 100m heats around 12:30 this afternoon. The semifinals are scheduled for 9:14 p.m. and the finals tomorrow around 9 p.m. All times are Eastern. 

She's the only Louisville swimmer of the seven scheduled to compete today...

Good luck to KelsiWhirl! 

ANGEL, USA WOMEN'S HOOPS START SUNDAY


Louisville star Angel McCoughtry and her USA WBB teammates will take to the court on Sunday for the first game in Pool B play...they'll face Senegal at 11 a.m. They have China, Canada, Serbia, Spain also in their group and will play each squad once to determine the pool winner. 

Want to scout the competition? China and Canada square off at 1:15 p.m.today. Serbia and Spain take the court Sunday at 1:15. 

RADIO TODAY

We have a great show lined up for you today on THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR! The Jeff Walz press conference with Cortnee Walton and Myisha Hines-Allen and our interview with Bullitt East star Lindsey Duvall and her coach Chris Stallings. 

11 a.m. WCHQ 100.9 and streaming live on the Internet at www.crescenthillradio.com Please join us.

LINK: www.crescenthillradio.com

paulie
xxxxx

Lindsey Duvall & Chris Stallings Interview -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

BULLITT EAST SENIOR FOCUSED AND READY FOR SENIOR SEASON AND BEYOND

For just a minute, I wondered what I'd gotten myself into. Waiting to talk with Bullitt East head girls basketball coach Chris Stallings, I did a double take when he introduced himself to me. 


He was wearing a UConn women's basketball t-shirt. 

Was I on the brink of finding out something new in the recruitment of the talented Mt. Washington senior? Was Geno or Chris Dailey about to pop around the corner grinning in glee? 

No worries. All is well. 

"It's just what I put on this morning. I talked to our athletic apparel supplier this morning. There's a lot of red and black stuff on the way." Stallings related. 

It appeared to be an easy give-and-take between Stallings and Duvall when they sit down to do an interview. They sometimes finish each other's sentences. One will nod in approval after the other makes a statement. It's been going on a long time. Lindsey started playing basketball at the age of four. It wasn't too long after that Coach Stallings noticed. 

"At halftime of our games, in between games...we let the kids there go out and shoot on the floor. I started watched Lindsey...maybe in the second or third grade...her older sister played for me, you could tell at an early age she was sticking with it and she was going to be a player. She wasn't afraid of anything. A lot of people wouldn't go to the concession stand, they'd stay in the stands and watch her on the court. I'd tell people 'You gotta watch this little girl out there'. That's the beauty here...I've watched kids grow up and go through our varsity program...our summer camps. For me it's rewarding. I can help them move on." 

Lindsey noticed a pain on the side of her knee last summer. There was also a big bump. It started out as an occasional thing. By October, it became constant. As she tells it:

"So I went to the doctor and they found a benign tumor. Basically, it was eating my bone away. So, they went in and got it out. At first we didn't know if it was benign or not. That was the scary part. There were some sleepless nights."

Even though Duvall was siding with UK verbally at the time, there was a constant caller. Coach Stallings reveals:

"Coach Walz was calling me. Checking on how she was doing. How she was handling things emotionally, mentally. He was concerned as a person, not just as a coach. That really meant a lot. It showed the care and compassion of the man, the program and it's culture." 

There is work to be done. Walz, Stallings and Duvall all agree that she needs to work on the pull-up, mid-range jumper. She has taken that to task. One area where it appears she is "good-to-go" is free-throw shooting. She's a 80% plus shooter in her career. She's made almost 100 in a row in practice. She shoots them with her eyes closed and hits them. 

A great and revealing interview on Thursday with the two. You can hear the entire interview on THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR Saturday at 11 a.m. On WCHQ 100.9 FM locally and on the internet for all at www.crescenthillradio.com


paulie
xxxxx



  

WBB non-conference schedule out--USA Basektball "roughing it" in Rio...Walz, Stallings and Duvall later this week -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

THIS JUST IN...

Louisville WBB has released their 2016-17 non-conference schedule. It may just be the toughest in Cards WBB history. 

Fri. Nov. 11th.       at UT Martin
Sun. Nov. 13th.     vs. Belmont
Wed. Nov 16th.    at Middle Tennessee St. 
Sat. Nov. 19th.       vs. Bowling Green
Sun. Nov. 20th.      vs. Lafayette
Mon. Nov 21st.      vs. Chattanooga
Sun. Nov 27th.       vs. South Carolina (Springfield MA.)
Thu. Dec. 1st.        vs. Maryland 
Sun. Dec 4th.         vs. Kentucky
Sun. Dec. 11th.      vs. Western Ky
Wed. Dec.14th.      vs. South Dakota St.
Fri. Dec. 16th.        vs. Charleston
Sun. Dec. 18th.      vs. Evansville
Wed. Dec. 21st.     at Vanderbilt
Sun. Jan. 22nd.     at South Florida


SILVER CLOUD LUXURY LINER TO HOUSE USA HOOPS IN RIO

Worried that Angel won't get her rest in the hot tropical nights at the Olympic Village in Rio? Unless she's gone ashore to participate in a multicultural conga line sortie and appetizer buffet...fear not. She and her teammates...plus the men's team will be lodging on the Silver Cloud luxury liner near the Maua pier. 

When they play, a limousine large enough to hold the entire squad will meet them at the pier to take them to the arena. Escorted by armored cars and security patrols. The only thing missing is a red carpet and brilliant spotlight.

And that's just for practice. Allen Iverson would be so proud.

"Make up my bed, don't touch ANY of my stuff..." 

Opulent flash or well-planned necessity? Or "pony up the benjamins rest of world this is how we roll"?  Did you really expect Kyrie Irving and DeMarcus Cousins to share a room, sink and toilet? Brit Griner on a twin mattress? After all, these are professionals. Spirit of comradeship and exchanging cultural views?

*Meh* 

Let's play ball, win the gold and go home. 

Australia's Andrew Bogut is a bit disturbed about the village. He assembled his own shower curtain so he wouldn't flood his dorm room. He complains too much. The guy signed a 3 year, $36 million dollar contract to play in the NBA. Go downtown and rent a couple of floors at one of the luxury hotels, Bogie.

We're not sure what the accommodations are like where Joao DeLuca and Kelsi Worrell are staying. Maybe someone will tweet a picture. Chances are, neither would complain, though. Happy to be here and don't wake me if I'm dreaming. I heard Michael Phelps is carrying the USA flag. That's a great honor...but do you really want a swimmer...who might be needing arm strength in their event...doing that? 

Finally, it looks like the Brazilian government and public safety offices wants to get a basic point across. After all, there are a lot of different nations and customs here. Guys....that big, white shiny thing in the washroom has a purpose. Use it. It is not just something we tossed on the wall for decorative purposes. 

I wonder why the U.S. Olympic Committee didn't rent a fleet of Silver Cloud's for the entire delegation? They probably could have asked a few of the NBA guys to pony up a few bucks if they needed help financially. Maybe Donald Trump would have chipped in a couple of dollars...he's been needing some positive press lately. Hillary could have asked Warren Buffett to pick up the bill on a floater or two. 

The Olympics are approaching. Make sure the anchor is down on the rowboat, Skipper...here comes the stat crew for archery.

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LATER THIS WEEK

We'll have some nice opportunities later this week here at the ol' Couple. (Not that every day isn't a divine blessing...). 

Jeff Walz has called a press conference (with selected players available for media questions) today at 2 p.m. Guess I'll hobble down there and get a few words recorded. Walz's pressers are always a great deal of fun and we get to learn stuff. We'll review the afternoon with Jeff in the Thursday CARDINAL COUPLE edition. 

Knowledge is good. 

Also, I'll be headed to Mt. Washington Thursday to chat up Bullitt East girls basketball coach Chris Stallings and one of his players. Lindsey Duvall. You may of heard of her. She's pretty good and headed to Louisville. We'll have that in the Friday Cardinal Couple edition and all the audio I get from both days will be played in entirety on our Saturday radio show THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR. 

Stallings tells me he's a better interview than Chris Souder (Mercer County girls coach). The guys are good friends.

Heh, heh. He's never faced the Paulie and the TASCAM DR-05 Linear PCM Recorder. 

paulie
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