Sunday Cardinal Couple - Game Week

Basketball Begins

Louisville, when not in the midst of a pandemic-fueled social lockdown nightmare, will take a two minute long spring sports event and turn it into a two week city wide party.  And this is for a sport that many of us don't feel any particular affinity to, though you can check out Paulie's Picks on Saturdays and special racing days, of course.

As a born and raised Kentuckian, basketball is in my blood.  Yes, when asked, I will say that volleyball is my favorite sport, but basketball is more than just sports fandom, it's a cultural touch-point.  In most states, the highest paid public employee in the state is the head coach of the flagship football team in the state.  In Kentucky, it's the basketball coach.  To be fair, North Carolina joins us in this distinction.  Also credit a few New England states for bucking the trend, and in Hawaii, the title goes to a surgeon.

The beginning of basketball season brings with it an excitement that is unlike any other because it suffuses the fabric of the community.  Yes, we are a state divided, when it comes to basketball, predominantly red vs blue, and yes that division is not even, and yes, there is an obvious metaphor here that we won't dive into on these pages.

But there are more than just red vs blue in basketball in this state...well, ok, they are mostly reds and blues, but there are variations.  We've got the red and white in Bowling Green, we've got a pair of blue and gold entries from either end of the state, and then there's the maroon folks over in Richmond.

We have a new entrant this year, to add to the excitement, officially scarlet and silver, with the Bellarmine folks kicking off their D1 journey...well, a little bit delayed, alas.

Cardinal Couple, of course, focuses on the women's side of sports at UofL, so our excitement in the coaching ranks is mostly for Jeff Walz, but I think I can speak for most of us when we show our respect for Kyra Elzy as she fills in the role in Lexington.  Around the state, though, there are coaches with ties to Louisville, and we certainly celebrate their successes, with Samantha Williams, a former assistant to Walz, helming the squad at Eastern; Greg Collins, who served a stint as assistant at Louisville some time back, in the big chair at Western.  Murray and Morehead coaches don't have any specific ties to Louisville, but as in-state competitors, we can certainly show our respect or Rechelle Turner at Murray, and Greg Todd at Morehead.  Of course, the newcomer to this DI coaching klatch is Chancellor Dugan, at Bellarmine...although we've followed her pursuits for years.

Basketball in Kentucky is "a thing", and so, I guess it's not terribly surprising to note that all of the above coaches are Kentuckians, born and raised.  That's something to be proud of and respect about the sport in the state.  We get excited when we recruit players from far off places, such as from Canada, Japan, and even the corners of our own country such as Washington State, California, and Texas, but it's good to take a step back and notice the home grown folks from places like Ashland, Georgetown, Fort Thomas, Oldham County, Calvert City, Berea, and Louisville, all here in Kentucky.

Of course, here at Cardinal Couple, we'll be cheering more for the Cardinals squad, but I can speak at least for myself, when I saw that I do get a bit of an extra feeling of excitement when I see Eastern, Western, Murray, Morehead, and yes Bellarmine as well, do well in their efforts.  And, yes, I respect the Kentucky program, and want nothing but the best for Elzy and her squad.

Let's not forget two Cardinal greats in Becky Burke and Candyce (Bingham) Wheeler, who begin their journey at South Carolina State and Michelle Clark Heard in Cincy either.

This week kicks it off for basketball in the crazy sports year.  Play got cut short last season, and now scheduled games can, at best, be considered tentative until the actual tip-off, but we're going to have basketball.  It's going to be altered a bit, and many of us will be watching from homes rather than in the stands, but we'll have basketball, which in a state like Kentucky, may very well help us get through the winter.

And that's something to be excited about.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

And the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour had the full house...full Skype call?...yesterday as we shared the latest edition of the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour.  Check out the recap of the Women's Basketball virtual tip-off luncheon, and a preview of the upcoming game at Middle Tennessee on Wednesday.

We had fun, as always, and I hope you do too, when you listen ! 

JMcA

Who's That Knocking At The Door? -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

JUNE BRINGS VISITORS

The month of June always seems to bring visitors to the UofL women's basketball program. We covered Shalia Beeler coming into town a couple of days ago in an article. We also hear that Dominique McBryde has left Purdue and spent some time on the UofL campus as well. 2018 guard prospect Morgan Jones was also in town checking out the situation. That's a lot of action for the new offices on Floyd. St. I wonder if they've put up a turnstile yet to count traffic flow. 

McBryde was the leading rebounder last year on a Boilermaker team that also has 6'6" Nora Kiesler. Believe it or not, I still get e-mails and comments from fans and such that Walz should have offered Nora a scholarship. (Maybe he should have offered to Kevin Durant and LeBron James as well...just so he had all his bases covered). I like McBryde's work ethic on the defensive side of things and on the boards but she's never really turned into the scorer many saw in her future. She'd have to sit a year, of course, and then would have two years to be a Cardinal if she chose to. 

McBryde can glide

Morgan Jones...(maybe one of the Jonesians...along with Briana and Jazmine)? has considerable game. She's a 6'2" guard that'll be a senior in the fall at Our Lady of Mercy High School in Jonesboro, GA. She's pretty good at dominating smaller guards, loves the transition game and is currently ranked 27th. in the 2018 class and #7 at her position...according to ESPNW. Her shot has gotten a lot better than it was in her sophomore season and she's a hot commodity these days...with a ton of D1 schools on her list....including the Cards, UCLA, NC State, Ohio St., Florida State and Auburn...just to name a few. 

Lots of things happening down there on Floyd Street. Yes, indeed. We expect there's much more to come.


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TRANSFERS...ARE WE TALKING ABOUT TRANSFERS? 

I happened to be talking with a women's basketball fan the other day and transfers came up. Weird, right? She mentioned that she'd like to see some kind of rule in place for head coaches transferring. Maybe make them sit a year before taking over the program. It is an interesting idea...to an extent...but a lot of coaches bring in new assistants and would they have to sit as well? In short, who runs the program if Bob...currently at City U. decides to accept the job at State U. after Kelly decides to retire. Or gets forced out? 

After all, players put a lot of investment time in a coach. You go through the recruiting dance and finally pick a partner. You learn the coaching style as a freshmen, continue to grow in the system as a sophomore, start seeing some more results as a junior and then...BOOM!...your coach leaves as you're becoming a senior and it's back to square one. Of course, that's not always the way it goes. Some players can barely suppress their glee when the skipper takes the job three states over. Sometimes, coaches and players both leave around the same time. 

For some players, I suppose it's the issue of "buying in". Accountability. You give your 'all' to this head coach for 2-3 (or less) years and then suddenly...they're a time zone away at another school. The old "believe in what I tell you if you want to be successful and ...by the way...I'm leaving and it's been nice to know you" scenario. Of course, if all cars and programs were the same...it'd be a very boring driving and athletic world.

Yes, players leaving programs create gaps and holes in line-ups and rotations. (Read what Sheri Coale thinks about that here). And fans get upset about transfers out...yet they get it excited about transfers in. Cards fans loved getting Briahanna Jackson but couldn't understand why Taja Cole left. 

It's all a circle. And I've probably spent way too much time on transfers over the last couple of days. I think fans do too...and also on following recruiting. Where did all the hub-hub that surrounded a 6'5" girl from Texas coming to Louisville go when she turned around and went back to the Lone Star State? Was it wasted chatter? A wasted recruiting effort? Lesson learned or mistake that could have been avoided by one of the two parties? Few remember that Elena Della Donne was actually very briefly at UConn before going home to Delaware. How would those Geno teams looked with her in the Huskies lineup? 

Maybe most importantly...let's not forget coaches are in a profession and student-athletes are just that. Students participating in athletics. Not raising a family, paying a mortgage or financing a car yet. Capitalism isn't dead in the coaching profession yet. Enough money can get anyone to change shirts and school colors...A few thousand more a week or month can make a difference in how the books balance. 

In the kaleidoscope of players, coaches, scenarios and stability...one thing remains constant:  

Be careful for what you wish for...you just might get it. 




paulie
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Recruiting terminology, from a coaching perspective

WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

In today's edition of CARDINAL COUPLE, staff columnist Jenny O'Bryan fills us in on terminology and the schedules involved in women's basketball recruiting. The season is getting closer and the anticipation is building!

With summer ball having closed the door the final time for the class of 2014, I wanted to provide readers with some terminology regarding the recruiting process. 

As we often remind you, the NCAA is full of rules and regulations coaches and student athletes must follow to remain in compliance.   Below is a list of terms and permissible activity of coaches as they are out on the recruiting trail. 

Recruiting Calendar Period Definitions:

Contact Period – Coaches can have in-person, face-to-face interaction with prospects and/or family members at any location and can evaluate prospect’s academic and athletic qualifications by visiting their school to speak with teachers and coaches, to review film, and can observe practice and competition.

Evaluation Period – Coaches can evaluate prospect’s academic and athletic qualifications by visiting their school to speak with teachers and coaches, to review film, and can observe practice and competition, but no in-person, face-to-face interaction with prospect’s and/or their family members away from campus is permitted.

Quiet Period – Coaches can have in-person, face-to-face interaction with prospects and/or their family members only on their campus. No off-campus evaluation or contact is permitted.

Dead Period – Coaches cannot have in-person, face-to-face interaction with prospects and/or their family members at any location. Contact is prohibited even if the prospect and/or family members arrive unexpectedly on campus.

Women’s Basketball - Division I (total limit of 3 calls during July with not more than one call in any one week)

July 1-5 – Quiet Period: One call per week to JUCOS, 2013, and 2014 HS grads

July 6-12 – Evaluation Period: One call per week to JUCOS, 2013, and 2014 HS grads July 13-22 – Dead Period: One call per week to JUCOS, 2013, and 2014 HS grads July 23-29 – Evaluation Period: One call per week to JUCOS, 2013, and 2014 HS grads July 30-31 – Dead Period: One call per week to JUCOS, 2013, and 2014 HS grads
 

 (This information was gathered from www.informedathlete.com, 6/13)

As the July evaluation period closes, coaches are likely sifting through tons of data they have collected and makings lists for future classes, but more specifically, honing in on the recruits who will fill their roster needs in the upcoming year. 

Fans can look for information to start flowing a bit more freely from both recruits and scouting services as recruits being to trim their lists and make visits to campus.  Next week I will review some of the terminology and periods that are pertinent from the athlete’s perspective.  

Jenny O'Bryan

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