ACC Freshman of the Week -- Schedule Change -- Eyes of the Media -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Hailey Van Lith Named ACC Freshman of the Week

Freshman sensation Hailey Van Lith was named ACC Freshman of the Week for the first week of basketball. Van Lith is coming off back-to-back solid performances in her first two games as a Cardinal.  She averaged 16.5 points per game and 9.5 rebounds per game.  She also shot 52% from the floor while going 6-for-12 from three-point range.

In the win against EKU, Van Lith posted a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds.

HVL is the first Louisville player since February 2016 to win ACC Freshman of the Week.  Asia Durr took the honors back then.

I suspect we will see plenty more honors this season for Van Lith.

UofL WBB Changes Schedule

What a surprise... another schedule change.  This time, it's a good one.  Instead of another team dropping from the schedule we see the addition of another.

DePaul will play the Cards on Dec. 4 in the Mohegan Sun Arena at 6:30 p.m.  The Blue Demons replace UConn on the schedule. DePaul holds the all-time record between the two former Big East foes, 17-15.  They also won the most recent match-up in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2016.

The Blue Demons are 1-1 to begin the 2020-21 season. They brought in a strong Texas A&M squad Saturday and fell 93-91. Texas A&M has former Cardinal Ciera Johnson on their roster. She had eight points and 12 boards for the Aggies in their win. 

Last night, DePaul hosted Chicago State. We tease occasionall about the "fake state" schools but last night's game was no laughing matter, they fell 128-66 to Doug Bruno's bunch. It was a all-time high in points scored for the Blue Demons. 

A Home Game in the Eyes of the Media

Paulie and I drop little hints of what it's like being media at women's basketball games on occasion.  However, we never really gave a full breakdown of what goes on.

So grab some popcorn, sit back, relax, and prepare to be jealous of our luxurious lifestyle.

THE WAY IT WAS

Most of us usually arrive about 90 minutes prior to kickoff. Parking for media is in the Witherspoon parking garage east of the stadium.  The walk typically isn't bad unless the weather is extremely cold.

Paulie got granted permission to park under the KFC YUM! Center this year. Age comes with some benefits, I suppose. Sonja is usually with him, she seems to be more popular than him with the KFC YUM! personnel and UofL staffers. 

We enter on the east side of the stadium (the Media Entrance)  below the Second Street Bridge.  Like everyone else, we go through metal detectors and bag checks.  We have more leeway with our bags because we carry equipment such as computers, tablets, and cameras If we do not already have a season credential with us we are able to pick up game passes just past security.

There is a spacious media area filled with tables, chairs, and counters.  It's easy to spread out to put our equipment down.  There is a buffet with freshly cooked food for us to enjoy and drinks galore. That buffet isn't present this year, though, due to gathering concerns. Paulie and I both head out to the floor somewhere between 30-45 minutes before tipoff.  We like to make our rounds to talk to people.  Being a social butterfly has its perks, but you also have to account for the time it may take to get there.

Floor seats are nice in terms of seeing things up close and hearing what goes on on the court.  However, it's impossible to see everything going on on the court at any given moment. Halftime is a chance for us to go back to the media room to grab cookies and more drinks and stretch our legs. I should point out that it's soft drinks or water. Media isn't allowed alcoholic beverages at their game day stations.

At the end of the game we make our way to the room where press conferences are held.  In normal times, there's a few rows of seats with all the news crews set up in the back with their video cameras.  On any given night we may see from a half dozen people up to 30 (for big games) fill the room where the coaches and select players make their way out to answer questions. Paulie will sometimes stop to talk to a player or two on his way back to the media room. He and Jess Laemmle used bumped firsts and he and Dana have been known to exchange a few comments as she heads to her corner to sign autographs. 

Paulie usually heads home after the press conferences while I stick around trying to upload videos and edit photos, which usually extends late into the night or next day.

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This season is way different.

I show up 50-60 minutes before tipoff.  From the moment I enter the building to the moment I exit a mask is required. Security remains the same, but the media room is vastly different.  There's fewer tables and chairs are spread out.  There are very few of us inside the media room this year.

Unlike past years, there is no buffet and drinks are limited to when a staff member is there pouring them for us. We are restricted where we can walk to and all non-photographers have to sit in the upper level overflow media.  This season, Paulie and Sonya are part of a very limited media crew that now sits in the overflow media seating....high up in Sec. 119. 

I am still on the floor where I normally sit, just mostly by myself.  Taris Smith is one of the GoCards photographers who will be at the games this year.  Opposing teams may bring a photographer.  Otherwise, I am the only other one out there.

It is going to be a weird season, but what's new? Welcome to 2020.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Asia Taylor impressive in opening Mystics exhibition...Ciera Johnson to Texas A&M -- Wednesday CARDINAL COUPLE

TAYLOR'S 13 LEAD WASHINGTON OVER INDIANA

Louisville grad Asia Taylor totaled 13 points in almost 18 minutes yesterday for the WNBA Washington Mystics in their first exhibition game of the season...a 88-68 win over the Indiana Fever in Indianapolis yesterday afternoon. 

The free agent, who most recently played for the Sydney Flames in Australia, was 4 for 11 from the floor...hit 5-6 from the free throw stripe and gather four rebounds. Taylor, who did nit start, was one of five Mystics in double figures...Elena Della Donne and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough added 12 points each. 

A nice return to "the Big Dance"...where Taylor has been twice before. She began with the Minnesota Lynx after her 2013 senior season at Louisville...playing in 22 games in 2014 and spent 2016 playing four games for the Connecticut Sun late in the season. 

The Mystics final preseason game will be Monday, May 8th when they face the Lynx in Washington. 


CIERA JOHNSON TO TEXAS A&M 

The Tweets started yesterday evening. 

"Proud to call myself an Aggie" 

And, so...we know the destination of two of the three transfers from the University of Louisville women's basketball program this spring. Earlier, we learned that Jonesie was headed to Georgetown (D.C.) 

Looking at A&M, where Johnson will be eligible starting in the 2018-19 season...they currently have three players 6'2" or taller...but all will be graduated by the time Johnson hits the court. 

Hopefully, a good fit on Gary Blair's squad for the Duncanville, TX native. Texas A&M was one of five school that made the final cut before Johnson became a Card...Notre Dame, South Carolina and Duke also on that list. 

Best of luck to Ciera on this new opportunity. 


LATER THIS WEEK

Case Hoskins will be handling the Friday write-up and Worldwide Jeff McAdams doing Saturday as Paulie gets into full Oaks and Derby mode. I'll be appearing on our Saturday radio show via phone with the lads as well. 

I'll have my annual Oaks and Derby picks over at: 

LINK: HANDICAPPING HEROES

This is my secondary website and we look at horse racing there, plus a radio show that follows The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour on Saturdays. The handicappers do pretty well. They keep me around for entertainment, I'm pretty sure...but I did pretty well on Oaks and Derby Day last year. 

I hope the Handicappers jump in as well. It's a busy time of year for them.


paulie

Louisville Softball drops two to Noles...More on the transfers -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

CARDS SWEPT BY FSU

#2/3 Florida State took two against the Louisville Softball team on Sunday. The Noles were dominant in the opener, run-ruling the Cards 11-0 in the first and then coming back to win the second 4-3 in ten innings. 

The less said about the first contest the better. FSU jumped out to a 5-0 first inning lead that Louisville contributed to with four errors. Three Seminole singles and a walk also contributed to the early hole that the Cards dug for themselves. 

Maryssa Becker and the Cards did settle down in the circle and on the field for a couple of innings after that but couldn't find any batting success against FSU hurler Jessica Burroughs. FSU added three runs in the top of the fourth and three more in the top of the fifth to hold the 11-0 lead as UofL approached the plate in the bottom of the fifth. Burroughs was three outs away from a no-hitter and got two of those before Morgan Meyer connected on a double to bust up the attempt. 

Coach Pearsall on the run-rule: 

"We started off on a bad note, with an error, and...unfortunately, that set the tone for us. That first inning hurt us. After that, we settled down but you can't make those kinds of mistakes against a team like Florida State. We knew they were going to hit the ball...so we can't give them runs." 

The second contest was a pitcher duel that was a battle of the Megan's. The Cards' Megan Hensley FSU's Megan King kept the zeroes piling up until Louisville broke through in the bottom of the sixth. Singles by Meyer and Jordan McNary and an error that allowed Caitlin Ferguson to reach first loaded the bases for Becker. She responded with a 2 RBI single to give Louisville the lead. 

FSU would not be denied and countered with two in the top of the seventh. Louisville went down in order to bring on bonus softball. After a scoreless eighth, the Noles Carsyn Gordon blasted a shot to left center to make it 3-2. The Cards used a double play to get out of danger and tied it back up in the bottom of the ninth when Nicole Pufahl singled and eventually scored on an Alison "Mike, Mike, Mike" Szydlowski single.

Louisville was in a great position to win the contest as the inning went on when Meyer reached on a two-out error to seemingly load the bases...but Szydlowski was caught in a rundown between third and home and the final out was recorded when she tried to slide into home. 

The Noles put together two hits to regain the lead at 4-3 in the top of the tenth. Louisville would counter with runners at first and third with two outs but could not push across the tying run. 

Sandy Pearsall was proud of Hensley's effort: 

" This was Megan's best effort since she returned from her injury. I was pleased that she was able to throw that many innings today and thought she did a good job. The outcome was not what we wanted...but we fought and dug and kept coming back." 

The two squads will complete the series tonight at Ulmer with a first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m. ESPNU will provide coverage. 


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CARDINAL TRANSFERS 

We've received a lot of e-mails, messages and phone calls about the three transfers from the Louisville women's basketball squad over the weekend. People wanting to know "What's the real story behind Mariya Moore leaving?"... "Why would she want to go with one year left?"..."Why is Ciera Johnson going when it looked like she was going to be the starting center for next year?..."Will there be more transfers?" 

And so on and so forth...

Most everyone seemed to think that it was a good move for Brianna Jones "Jonesey" to go to a place where she could get more playing time. Cardinal fans will miss that bright smile and she seemed to be a great teammate to all. Here's hoping she can find the time she desires at Georgetown and she lights up the Big East. She goes to a roster that currently listed eight players for 2017-18 and five of them are seniors. So, after sitting a year, she'll have a shot to compete for a starting role on a squad that just might need some quality, experienced players. 

The Ciera Johnson situation stemmed from her desire to play closer to her family after trying a season away from them. She's has a great family and will be missed...but players make decisions and hers was to try her fortunes hopefully somewhere in the Lone Star State. The Duncanville, TX center had some bright moments for the Cards...in my personal opinion, though...and mirroring what some of you have mentioned to me...she could stand to lose a few pounds and develop better hands. We're not exactly sure which schools Ciera will be contacted by or will contact. If she's is Big 12 bound...she'll need to use that season of sitting to get ready for some very tough post-players in the conference. 

Mariya Moore was the first to announce and was the one who, by far, caught the vast majority by surprise. Mariya expressed a desire to play her final season closer to her home in Hercules, California (a suburb of San Francisco) where her parents could make more games.  The decision to leave after three successful seasons as a Cardinal had to be a hard one...but college is a time where a student-athlete has a limited window to acquire a degree and perform. Moore's decision also coincides with her younger sister (Minyan) and her decision to leave USC. Is there a plan for them to play together somewhere? Is it because of the coaching change at USC? California or maybe even the University of San Francisco would appear to be logical possibilities if this was the motive and driving factor. As far as any other reasons for Mariya leaving...we won't play conspiracy theorists here. 

As we have stated before, the success of a unit depends on its core and unity. The Cards will have plenty of strengths on their (as of now) 12 player roster. Some of you have even started discussing starting line-ups for 2017-18. We won't go there just yet. Coach Walz and staff still have Hines-Allen, Durr, Shook, Jazz Jones, Fuehring, Carter, Zambrotta, Dunham and Laemmle on the roster and add Duvall, Evans and Kakala. That's a very strong roster of 12.

Will there be more attrition? Any add-ons? Not that we know of as of this morning. Anything, of course, is possible in the world of college basketball. Everyone was ready to hand UConn the 2017 NCAA women's basketball crown. Transfers much large than the trio of Cards leaving have already occurred this spring. 

We will follow women's college basketball with a dutiful interest the rest of the spring, through the summer and the rest of the year. But, we will also explore the end of softball, lacrosse and the other spring sports currently taking place on campus. 

There's a lot of joy and excitement still to report. We're on it!!

paulie
xxxxx

Transfer News and Lacrosse

As we always say, all about the joy and excitement of UofL Women's sports, so we tend to like to put positive news at the top of our articles to celebrate the successes of the programs, but sometimes, the magnitude of the news and the relative popularity of the sports wins out.  So it is today.

Basketball Transfers

Brianna Jones

We've gotten word of two more transfers from the Women's Basketball program.  We have received word that Brianna Jones is leaving the program, again with the idea of being closer to home to be able to more easily have family in attendance.  She will be transferring to Georgetown.

I've always admired Brianna's hardwork and seemingly positive attitude towards playing on the UofL squad.  She frequently faded into the background, but continued to work hard, and apparently maintained a good attitude.  That hard work started to show dividends this past season as she started seeing more meaningful playing time and contributed valuable minutes, ball handling, and passing skills in several games.

If Jones continues to develop as she has, I expect her to make a real impact and become a strong foundational play at Georgetown.

Ciera Johnson

We have also heard word that Ciera Johnson will be departing the program, though I have not as of
yet received word of her destination.  Any program will benefit from having her size and presence in the paint, of course, but she does have some parts of her game that need further development, as any freshman will.  If she can gain better control of the ball in the scrum of rebounding, she'll become a very valuable player.  As it is, her size is a presence, but I feel like she struggles to get the handle on the ball frequently.

Johnson wanted to play closer to home. We would expect there would be several DI programs in Texas that would be interested in having a conversation with her. 

I don't envy these players their decisions.  These are hard decisions to be making, doubly so for 18-22 year olds to be making them.  It is important that they find a place where they can be happy with the whole package.  Sometimes that can mean a degree of proximity to home.  As always, we here at Cardinal Couple wish the best for these young women, and as with many other transfers, we'll keep an eye on their future successes and cheer for them, even if it is from a bit of a greater distance.

Lacrosse Makes Syracuse See Red

As with every team in the ACC, Syracuse Lacrosse is a very accomplished team, but Kellie Young's squad was able to put together just enough offense to edge out the Syracuse team in a 9-8 win at the Louisville Lacrosse Stadium.  This is being hailed across the ACC and in sports media as a rather large upset.  Syracuse is 8th ranked in both major Lacrosse rankings, and was 5th in the RPI, so without a doubt this is a great win for the Cardinals.  It is also UofL's first win over Syracuse Lacrosse, so that's another hurdle cleared.

One of the sensational sophomores, Meghan Siverson, got a hat trick in the game, with one coming from a free position shot, and the other two on assists from Madison Hoover.  The scoring was generally fairly well distributed, Jillian Balog put a pair in, both accounting for Siverson's two assists.  Hannah Koloski, Emily Howell, Elise Koehl, and McKayla Conti all got a goal.  Brittany Read had 9 saves between the pipes.

The Cards got off to a 2-0 lead in the game approximately 10 minutes in, but 10 minutes later Syracuse would score two quick ones to tie the game up.  UofL put up another pair over the next couple of minutes on consecutive possessions before Syracuse would claw one back with 4 1/2 minutes left in the 1st half.  In the waning 2 minutes of the half, Emily Howell got her score on a free position shot to set the 5-3 halftime score.

According to Young, the team was fired up and motivated for the second half, vowing in the halftime
locker room "We're going to get that first goal." of the second half.  Indeed they did.  Less than 2 minutes into the second half, Balog took one of her assists from Siverson and slipped the ball in from an extreme angle to give the Cards the 6-3 advantage early in the 2nd half.  The Cards would score again, in the 24th minute before Syracuse would rally from a 7-3 deficit to close the lead to only 1 with a 3-0 run.  Opponent runs have been dangerous for this Cardinals team, but this one got shut down on the next possession with Koloski getting control of the ball out of the draw, sprinting down field, and dishing to Hoover, who found Siverson for her hat trick.  The Cards made it a 2-0 run with just under 8 minutes to play in the game when Hoover found Conti to make the score 9-6.

Syracuse put on another rally, scoring the final two with just over 2 minutes left and only a minute and a half left in the game, but the Cards would hold on for the 9-8 win.

In the ACC standings, the win leapfrogs UofL over Virginia Tech into a tie with Boston College for 5th place.  Since BC has the tiebreaker of the Cardinals, however, UofL will be in the 6th seed for the ACC tournament.  On the other end of things, the loss drops Syracuse out of a 1st place tie in the conference with UNC.  Syracuse had the tiebreaker over UNC with the win against them, so the loss drops them from the 1st seed to the 2nd seed in the upcoming conference tourney.

The Cards will be back in action in the conference tournament on Thursday against the 3 seed Virginia in an 8pm matchup.  The game will be streamed on the ACC Network Extra.



THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR

We had big fun in the studio yesterday discussing UofL sports on The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour. Paulie, Worldwide and Case discussed transfers, WBB, softball, baseball, lacrosse and more!

Here's a link to the rebroadcast:  The CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR 4/22/17

-- JMcA

Happy St. Patrick's Day !! -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

From all of us at Cardinal Couple!

A Happy St. Patrick's Day! May all your picks be successful and may the luck of the Irish be with you!

INTERVIEWS FROM FRIDAY BELOW:

Asia and Myisha preview Chattanooga

Jeff Walz previews Chattanooga

Paulie Interviews Freshmen

O'Paulie

xxxxx

Louisville women's basketball -- A follow up on the freshmen...TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

HOW IS THE LARGEST FRESHMAN CLASS IN THE WALZ ERA DOING? 

Six true freshmen joined the UofL women's basketball roster this season, making it the largest freshman class in the Jeff Walz era at UofL. This was a subject of discussion the other night...an esteemed colleague of mine thought the 2009-10 class had six freshmen. He was close. Walz brought in five that year. My colleague was sure it was six. Here is who he named off. See if you can pick out the one that wasn't a freshman in that class.  Answer at the end of today's article. 

Shelby Harper                                      Nikki Burton
Tia Gibbs                                             Asia Taylor
Rachel Story                                        Ashley Rainey

As good as that class turned out...all six had success, even if it was ultimately at different schools for three...this 2016-17 class has the potential to be even better. Let's see how they are doing.


Kylee Shook. The 6'4" forward out of Mesa Ridge, CO...(And some will debate the height listing...claiming she is at least 6'5"...maybe taller) has given Louisville strong minutes at the "4" or stretch forward spot. She's been called on to play the "5" or center at times...but stretch forward is where she'll serve this squad best. Shook has played in 20 of the 22 games for a total of 225 minutes...third highest of the freshmen...for an average of 11.3 a contest...also third best. Her field goal % is .518 -- second best for the freshmen. She's 8-21 from three point range...those eight makes second best and she has 61 rebounds, which is tied for tops for the freshmen. 

She poses a dilemma for the opponents. Very capable of scoring either inside or out...how do you defend her? Leave her alone outside and she'll make you pay. Defensively, she needs to be a bit more aggressive...but with 21 blocks (second-highest) front-line opponents think twice when going up inside when she's on the court. Her length poses problems for foes in the passing lanes and she runs the court well for a "big". You can team her up with about anyone inside and she performs well. So far...we're impressed with her skills and feel that we'll see continued greatness as her career progresses. 


Ciera Johnson. Also listed at 6'4", this Duncanville, TX All-American has proven to be a valuable addition at the "5" for the Cards. Put into a starting role at the beginning of the year with Cortnee Walton's elbow injury, she held her own in the early competition and has continued to give the Cards quality minutes in a reserve role.  

Johnson has seen action in all 22 of the Cardinal's games and has logged 264 minutes...second best for the frosh...for 12.0 per contest. Her field goal shooting is 41-82 (50%) and she has 55 rebounds...good for third highest among the freshman. She is a student of the game and knows it quite well for a first-year. Still a bit slow on defensive assignments, she does use her size and strength to command position in the offensive sets and has shown the ability to go to the board strongly. We'd like to see the free throw accuracy improve (20-35 .571) Opponents have had trouble with her strength underneath and she has the most blocks (23) of the freshmen. So far...we like how she has performed in the Walz system and can only see better things down the road for her. 

Jazmine Jones. The Tallahassee terror has made quite an impact her in first season at the "Ville". Blessed with one of the smoothest mid-range jumper we've seen in awhile, extremely quick and athletic...Jones has been getting "first off the bench" assignments for Louisville and usually provides a spark when she does enter a contest. She's appeared in all 22 contests and put in 315 minutes (14.3 per game) which is tops for the freshmen. She is first in assists (23) steals (15) and tied for first in rebounding with 61. Her shooting (40-88) is at 45% and free throws (16-26) register in at 62%.

Jones is an exciting, dynamic and powerful addition to this squad. She provides valuable minutes at the "3" despite not having that great of a three-point proficiency (0-2 for the season) and can easily go to the "2" or even "4" if needed. Quickness and athleticism are two good descriptions for her. Prone to freshmen mistakes at times...sometimes she needs to adjust to the pace of the game...but we've heard people compare her to a young Angel McCoughtry. It will be up to her to develop the leadership skills, ability to take-over a game and strong all-over-the-court domination and three-point ability Angel had as her career progressed...but she has the talent, motivation and love for the game to become one of the best at Louisville. All it takes is the execution, hard work and dedication to get better and better. We look forward to "hearing the Jazz" the rest of this season and for a long, long time in the KFC YUM! Center. 

Sydney Zambrotta. Syd is a shooter. It's what she does best and it's the reason she is here. Especially from the three-point range. Out of Christ The King high school in New York, she has played in 18 of the 22 contest this year...for 124 minutes (6.9 a game). She's 18-42 from the floor this year and of those attempts...13-34 from beyond the arc. She also has the best free throw percentage on the squad (7-8  .875). 

Can she become a Becky Burke or Brandie Raddie type specialist for the Cards...being brought into games to do the outside bombing effectively? She's already shown she can be a force from the deep...five 3's connected against WKU and two other games where she's made two or better. Along with Asia, Mariya and Kylee...she's the outside threat and her playing time could increase as she gets more and more accustom to the pace of D1 basketball and her defensive skills improve. We hope she'll continue to work hard and continue to develop all aspects of her game...but perfection at trifecta distance when called upon is what the squad needs from her and is how she'll continue to help this squad.

There's a certain pride in knowing you're the "gunslinger" on the squad and that role could be hers if she is willing to work for it.


Bionca Dunham. The 6'2" Philly flash (once again...there is debate if 6'2" is correct...she seems taller) comes to the Cards as the least experienced baller...she didn't start playing serious, competitive hoops until her sophomore year in high school...but one with perhaps the most upside. Entered in 16 games this year...she leads Louisville with a .621 shooting average (18-29) and has seen 95 minutes on the court. 

Offensively, we see the ability and potential. Going strong to the boards in the paint certainly isn't a problem for her.  Defensively, there is still a lot of work to be accomplished...but that really isn't that uncommon for someone who has been playing as short of a time as she has. With time, experience, hard work and learning the D1 pace and mechanics...we think she can become a very valuable presence inside for the Cards. She reminds us of Asia Taylor in so many ways...Asia had a better basketball knowledge and talent when she got to Louisville...but Dunham has shown she can produce inside and Monique Reid and "A-Tayy" made nice careers out of that very same skill set. She may be the most gifted athletically of the freshmen...turning that into productivity and overall court-awareness and performance is the challenge that we hope she continues to pursue with abandon and embrace with a work-hard ethic.

Jessica Laemmle. Everyone's favorite "attack Yorkie" at 5'2"...she walked on the Louisville squad after a very successful career at Louisville Mercy. Fulfilling a lifelong dream to be a Louisville Cardinal, she's probably never going to be the Cards starting point-guard...but is the perfect candidate to lead the second squad on the court. Above average ball-handling skills, excellent court awareness and skilled at being the on-court leader...Laemmle is the type of hustle and drive player every team needs on a squad. 

Appearing in 14 games for the Cards, she's seen 79 minutes and provided eight rebounds, six assists and four steals in her court time. She fully understands her role on this deep and talented squad and works as hard as any player on the roster. A crowd favorite when she hits the floor, Laemmle is one of those girls you love to see on the roster and gives it her all when called upon. 


*          *          *          *          *          *          *

We're not going to rank the freshmen on who is best, most effective or valuable to the team. You probably have your own ideas in those categories and feel free to share them in the comments section if you wish.

We will point out that they've been an integral part of Louisville's successes this season and given Coach Walz a multitude of options in game situations. Continued success and improvements are essential from them if the Cards are going to "March" to the Final Four. We feel confident that they'll respond successfully. 

( Answer to the question at the top of today's article:  If you picked TIA GIBBS, you are correct. Gibbs started her career at Vandy and joined the Cards her sophomore season. )


Paulie
xxxxx

As ACC WBB non-conference play winds down...still a logjam at the top -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

VIRGINIA TECH STILL UNDEFEATED. FOUR ACC TEAMS STILL WITH JUST ONE LOSS

If Louisville Women's basketball or the Cards fan base had any delusions that the ACC WBB conference would be a calk-wake this 2016-17, allow me to take you off the Merry-Go-Round and give you a front row seat on the roller coaster. 

The ACC is going to be a wild ride this year. Buckle up, grab onto something and hold on. Seven ACC teams reside in the top 25 rankings. 

We've reach a point in time where we're a little over 1/3 of the way through the regular season for women's college basketball. A look at the ACC Conference shows Virginia Tech surprisingly still on top of the standings with a 11-0 record. We doubt that Charleston Southern will upset that apple cart tonight. The Hokies survived overtime at Auburn last night 92-87 and sophomore guard Chanette Hicks has been named the ACC Player of the Week...she had 18 points and 13 assists against the Tigers of the Plains. Five Hokies average 9.6 ppg and the Blacksburg school has wins over Tennessee and Nebraska on the resume. With Radford and Delaware State next...they should be 13-0 when things start to get real for them when they face North Carolina and go to Clemson and Miami. 

Nipping at their heels are #2 Notre Dame, #7 Florida State, #17 Duke and #12 Miami with one loss each. The Seminoles lead the conference with 84.1 points per game, Duke has the largest scoring margin with a +20.3 edge per game and Notre Dame leads the conference in rebound...with an average of 43 a game and are only allowing 29.9 a contest. Miami's Erykah Davenport is shooting .683 after 10 games. 

Checking in with two losses are Louisville, North Carolina, Clemson and Virginia. Asia Durr is sixth in the conference in scoring at 17.6 ppg. Myisha Hines-Allen checks in at 7th. in the ACC in rebounding with 8.2 grabs a contest. Briahanna Jackson is fourth in the league in assists (5.1) and Ciera Johnson is third in the ACC with 20 blocked shots. 

To recap, I've just given you nine teams...over half the conference...who have a combined total of just 12 losses on the year. Out of 99 games. 

A closer look at the ACC's success in non-conference play shows us that the 15 schools are a combined 136-34 as of 12/19/16. That's 80% and only one school (5-6 Boston College) has more than 4 losses. You would be hard-pressed to find another conference with that success rate besides the SEC (123 wins in 151 outings for 81.4%). In head-to-head games against the SEC...the ACC is 8-8.

Who do the Cards need to keep an eye on? Alexis Peterson (Syracuse) is a name Cardinal fans know all too well. She leads the ACC in scoring with 21.5 ppg. Close behind is Owensboro's Rebecca Greenwell (Duke) with 20.7 ppg...another familiar name to UofL WBB followers. Peterson is also second in the conference in assists (6.5) behind Lindsay Allen (Notre Dame) and her 7.1 an outing. 

The Cards could take some lessons from Leticia Romero (Florida State). She is 23-25 (92%) from the free throw line this year. She also has the best 3-point FG Pct...13-26 (50%). Asia Durr is #1 in the ACC with most threes made (46). NC State narrowly leads in threes made (108) over Syracuse (107). 

Our top five performers in the ACC so far? 

Alexis Peterson has had a great start to the season for "Q" and the Cuse and has to be on that list. We'll easily add Rebecca Greenwell (Duke)....who is showing just how  good she can be now that she's healthy. Leticia Romero gets a berth...the whirlwind FSU guard is creating match-up problems for everyone this year. Milan Quinn (Wake Forest) has been a boards monster in 10 games (9.8 a contest) and Stephanie Watts (North Carolina) is third in the conference in scoring and second in rebounds per game. It was hard to leave Asia Durr off this list...she's been fabulous in 13 games. She has the highest three-point total made in the nation. Let's make it a top-six list....

A lot of the above will obviously change once conference play begins. Will Virginia Tech continue the hot streak? Miami and Florida State have one ten in a row...those two will run into each other on 12/29/16...the same Thursday that Louisville hosts Syracuse. 13 regular-season games in the books...18 left to play for the Cards. Would you accept a 12-6 record the rest of the way? if not...why? We welcome your comments. 

We've also got a poll up about that...be sure to check the "Right Side of the Site" and vote. 

Lots of great hoops ahead !! It's the most wonderful time of the year...

hiya pal! 
paulie
xxxxx

Louisville women's basketball...Cards ruin Bruins visit 73-50 -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

ASIA, CIERA WITH 18 EACH IN HOME OPENER

Patience is a virtue.

It is also one of the things that led Louisville women's basketball to a 73-50 win over Belmont Bruins Sunday afternoon at the KFC YUM! Center in front of 8347 fans. 

Coach Walz is quick to point out, when asked, that when Louisville is patient in the offensive set and makes the passes to create the openings or mismatches...he's a happy camper. If the Cards lapse too much into the one-on-one mode, it isn't as productive and effective and gets his attention.  

Effective starts in this game with Ciera Johnson (hereafter known as "C")...who tallied 18 points on 6 for 7 shooting and 6 for 9 free throw marksmanship. We'd have to grade her much higher than a "C" in our report card, though...the only real flaw is the 0 rebounds in 19 minutes of play.

Effective continues with Asia Durr...who continued her mastery over OVC competition by dropping four trifecta on the Bruins in eight attempts and going 7 for 12 overall in 22 minutes. This is the Asia Durr Jeff Walz recruited for the class of 2015. When shooters are makers...it makes the servers happy.

Happy includes Mariya Moore who had a full and busy 24 minutes (tops for the team in playing time) with 13 points, a team high six assists and a very effective 6 for 8 from the floor. Add five rebounds...second best for the squad...and we are seeing the evolution of her all-around game continue to improve. 

AND, YES...THE GAME? 

Louisville struggled a bit at the start against the better-than-your-average-bear Bruins...trailing 8-7 at the 6:40 mark.

Paging Ms. Durr. Will Ms. Durr please report to the three-point line? 

Two successful bombs in a row from her, a Moore jumper followed by a Bionca Dunham jumper capped a 10-0 Cardinal run over a two and a half minute span and the Cards went on to hold a 26-16 lead after the first ten minutes. 

The Cards stretched that out to 32-16 in the first three minutes of the second stanza and closed out the first half on a 150 seconds...9-0 run that started with a Durr three, Durr layup, Moore layup and "C" score in the paint to haul a 47-25 advantage into the locker room. 

Durr's 18 points in 16 minutes led all first half scorers and the Cards were shooting a robust 55% (20-38) from the floor. "C" had the only free throws in the first half (for both teams)...going 3-6. 

If the first half belonged to the Douglasville, GA sophomore...the freshman from Duncanville Texas paint-dominator laid claim to the final 20 minutes. "C" posted 11 points... six of them in the third quarter (2-3 shooting and 2-2 free throws) and Moore added five as the Cards pushed out to a 66-37 edge. 

Walz began the final ten minutes with Jazz Jones, Briahanna Jackson, Bionca Dunham, Kylee Shook and Taylor Johnson on the floor and had Brianna Jones, Sam Fuehring and Jessica Laemmle out there with six minutes left in the contest. Note to my buddy Christian Payne...who was doing the ACC Network Extra play-by-play...it's pronounced 'Lem-Lee'...not 'La-Meal' when referring to the Mercy Academy freshman. As we've seen in both fourth quarters this year, the opponent has won them...Belmont with the 13-7 edge.


HELLO FRED! 

A reader pointed out to me a couple of days ago that I had not done a "Fred" segment so far this season on the games. Thank you for reminding me. Senility is a curse at times. 

In short..."FRED" is looking at Cardinal free throws, rebounding, effort/execution and defense. We grade the four and determine whether we can award a letter for each, and if it is large or small case or not at all. 

Free Throws. The Cards went 6-13...which is 47.7% That's a big "no bueno". We look for a 70% or better. Here's the thing...only three Cards attempted them in 40 minutes..."C" going 6-9 (which is good for her) but out Attack Yorkie Laemmle and "Der Fuehring" went 0-2 each. Sorry Cards, no letter for you here.

Rebounding. Only four offensive rebounds for Louisville (yes, they shot 55%..but four is way too few) and out-rebounded 52-32. Once again, we cannot award a letter here. MHA's eight gets a nod of approval. 

Effort/Execution. The Cards hustled for the most part, created 23 turnovers while committing just nine and had 10 steals. 21 assists on 73 points is acceptable and the starting front line of MHA, Mariya and "C" shot 14-20 (70%) so we'll gladly award a capital "E" here. 

Defense. Belmont shot 31% for the game. 4-25 from the deep. Save for the fourth quarter...when the Cards were getting the bench significant playing time...the defense was sharp and made things difficult for Cam Newbauer's squad. 50 points for the visitors and we'll give Louisville a lower case "d" here...the Cards won the second half by a less-than-awesome 26-25 margin. 

Final Analysis   _-_-E-d


LINK: Walz's post game comments: JEFF WALZ

LINK: Ciera and Asia post game comments: CIERA AND ASIA


WHERE'S PAULIE?  

Sleeping on the job again?

It was the first home game I've missed since November 19th, 2010 (against SEMO). A knee-draining had me off my feet for a couple of days back then. Ironically, it's a knee draining later today that had me AWOL yesterday. Damn body parts...

I felt like I was there, though...with Nick Curran and A.J.'s radio call and I did get to watch the ACC Network Extra replay and the nice commentary there. Since I did make the away trip to UTM Friday and football Saturday night...I'm not going to be too bothered by my absence. (Thanks for the e-mails and messages inquiring about me and Sonja...all is well, just a case where we had to do what was necessary because of mobility instead of what we wanted.) 

A special thanks to Oldham Era sports editor and AP writer Sam Draut for keeping me in the loop during and after the game. I trained him well, no? 



UP NEXT? 

Louisville travels to Mufreesboro, TN to face the Blue Raiders in a Wednesday night tilt.

I did the trip the last time the Cards played there (Dec 4, 2008) but won't be making this one. I spent a week in Murfreesboro that day and besides the excellent fare at Demos Restaurant there wasn't much more to rave about....except the Cards 67-44 win. Someone named McCoughtry had a pretty good game that night.

If you're making the trip down to Murfreesboro...get there early. You owe yourself a meal at Demos.  



Middle Tennessee began their regular season in Charlottesville, Va losing to the Cavaliers 51-63. With only 21 first half points, they dug themselves in a hole they couldn't climb out of. You can expect that the Raider faithful will be packed into The Charles M. Murphy Center (and how nice of them to name the facility after Eddie Murphy's hilarious comedian older brother!) for their home opener. They averaged 5,046 a game at home last season...which was 17th best in the nation  

Let's hope the Cards can say..."What did the five fingers say to the face? SLAP!" to the C-USA opponent. No TV yet that I know of...STAY CALM...we'll monitor that for you and let you know what we discover. 

After all, patience is a virtue. Ask Coach Walz. 

paulie
xxxxx

EXPECTATIONS, HYPE HIGH FOR UofL WBB SQUAD...FIELD HOCKEY INTEREVIEWS -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

FANS LOOKING FOR ANOTHER FINAL FOUR

The University of Louisville women's basketball team starts the regular season Friday in Martin, TN against the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks. Not a bad team last year...going 22-10 and defeating Memphis in the first round of the WNIT. They're picked to finish second in the Ohio Valley Conference this year...behind Belmont (who Louisville plays after UT-Martin) and they return two starters in Jessy Ward and Emanye Robertson. It's their season-opener as well...and their fans will pack the Skyhawk Arena to capacity to take in the action.  

We'll get much more in-depth in our Skyhawk preview on Friday...(maybe I'll even get my promised media packet from them by then...)

After a feel-good win for the Cards over Lindsey Wilson 97-50, I've heard from a few of you...the Louisville fans...about the game, the team and the expectations you have for the season. As most of you know, you don't have to prod me too hard to talk about any women's sports and basketball is the one I've been following the longest...so it's been fun *and hopefully will continue to be* a pleasure talking about this bunch of Belknap Birds so far.

There are high expectations out there with you for another run to the Final Four. That's admirable...and I wouldn't mind a trip to Dallas in the spring, either...but that road will not be an easy or guaranteed one.

Howie Lindsey, he of radio morning show LOUISVILLE FIRST, asked me the other morning about my starting five again. So do a lot of you. Now that I've seen Louisville in action. I'm glad to provide it...and have pretty much given up trying to patiently explain to people that the important five is the one that finishes a close game. Taking current injuries into account...I'm fine with a starting five of Myisha Hines-Allen, Mariya Moore, Asia Durr, Briahanna Jackson and Ciera Johnson. The Cards started that combination against LWC and left it out there for about three minutes before the substitutions began. I'm not reading much into the fact that when Bionca Dunham came in for Johnson...the Cards went on a 13-0 run before the next substitution. I also think that Cortnee Walton will regain her starting role once the elbow is good to go. 

Mind you, these are all my personal observations. I have no coaches whispering in my ear (actually, much the opposite..when Coach Walz called me out in the LWC presser for poor performance) nor do I have a crystal ball into the future.

You want to know about if the Cards can beat Kentucky this year. It comes up very often when I'm talking with you. You want this "W" very bad and I think they players do as well. And, the Cats have lost a lot of players...but Epps is still on campus and that keeps them pretty much in any game they play. Do I think Louisville can beat Kentucky? I certainly do. Do I think they will? I'm holding opinion on that until I see how the Cards fare against Maryland and South Carolina. in any event, it should be a fun first Sunday in December down by the mighty Ohio. 

You have asked me how the staff is going to keep all these players happy with playing time. I'll tell you that players, in the Walz system, get playing time because of their work ethic. As Coach has said, if you feel you need to take a night off, that's fine...he's got plenty of others who would like those minutes. I know he and the staff are concerned about the overall health and happiness of their squad. They always have been. The way I see it, if you are unhappy about a situation, you need to do something to change it (like turn a few heads in practice on in the game minutes you receive) or accept your role and move on with it. It's not about who can draw the prettiest picture, it about who uses their crayons the most effectively.

I'm looking forward to the game against UT-Martin...as well as the rest of the schedule. You've made it clear to us here at CARDINAL COUPLE that women's basketball is your favorite sport we cover. It's basketball season and we plan on doing that...while keeping a eye on the other UofL women's sports going on. 

We'll have a lot of other clowns in the car with us when it comes to WBB. The main-stream media basically ignores women's soccer, field hockey and volleyball. Oh, sure...they cover a few things during the season...but it isn't to the level of coverage that they descend on women's hoops with. With that, you get the un-knowledgeable and grand-standers as well. I guess coverage is good, no matter how it manifests its-self. Or, even the slow and boring have their stories to tell as well....Don't get me wrong...there are a lot of great journalists, media-types and pundits out there. They didn't show up for LWC, for the most part, but very soon they'll be jamming up media row and most likely be sending me and Sonja to the end-zone seating areas. 

So, what you have waited for is here. 18 chances to see Jeff Walz's team in the KFC YUM! Center. TV galore between the four-letter network, ACC Network Extra, RSN and probably a couple of more outlets. You're anticipating great things for this women's basketball team...while silently hoping they don't stumble out of the gate like last year. 

Keep in mind that there will be ups and downs on this roller-coaster. How will the Cards handle the challenging stretch where they face South Carolina, Maryland, Kentucky, Western Kentucky and South Dakota State? Will Asia Durr continue the incredible start she has gotten off to.? Will the freshmen continue to be a significant part of the success we saw against LWC? Does free throw shooting improve? We hope and pray each year that injuries will be kept to a minimum...can Walton, Shook and Carter get back to playing and will they perform effectively? 

These two brought a lot of joy and excitement to WBB! 

Let's not forget the most important element...the one we base CARDINAL COUPLE on...the joy and excitement. We hope to see the dazzling debut of Jazmine Jones, Dunham, Durr and their teammates continue to soar. I get as excited about walking into the KFC YUM! Center each home game as I do about anything. The atmosphere, activity, greeting all of you and the games. Five months of fantastic fulfillment and electric excitement. For all the hype and explosiveness Lamar Jackson has created this fall, I hope to see several WBB players and this team get the nationwide attention, admiration and praise that #8 has drawn. 

Welcome to where dreams live. Where hope soars, giddiness and frustration stroll down the street together. A place where levity and anger share bunk beds with expectations and disappointments. Sit down, buckle up and prepare for the ride. It's going to be an entertaining one. 


////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


FIELD HOCKEY INTERVIEWS


UofL's Field Hockey squad travels to Durham, NC to open the NCAA Tournament against Delaware on Saturday. Coach Justine Sowry, Ayeshia McFerran, Lotta Kahlert and Erin McCrudden met with members of the media Wednesday morning to discuss the upcoming game that'll take place on Saturday. We have the audio for you below: 

LINK: Justine Sowry https://soundcloud.com/user-748907999/dr0000_0906mp3-justine-sowry

LINK: Ayeshia McFerran https://soundcloud.com/user-748907999/dr0000_0907mp3-ayeshia-mcferran

LINK: Lotta Kahlert: https://soundcloud.com/user-748907999/dr0000_0908mp3

LINK: Erin McCrudden: https://soundcloud.com/user-748907999/dr0000_0909mp3 


We'll have more on the tournament and the Cards on Saturday and also discuss on THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR on WCHQ 100.9 FM Saturday morning at 11 a.m.

paulie
xxxxx