More Conference Realignment -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

EKU Gets Call-Up to ASUN

A brief basketball lull between the three game set from last week and the big Monday game and a surprising lack of events from yesterday leads to an open Saturday. Swimming will be taking on Cincinnati a little later and Tennis will play host to Miami (OH) this afternoon, but Jeff will talk more about that tomorrow. We're due for an update on the basketball comparison, which I'll get to another time. 

Today, though, there is exciting news to report about a Louisville-adjacent program, though it doesn't directly affect the Cards. Like last year, a Kentucky school has announced their advancement to Division-I's Atlantic Sun Conference. The Colonels of Eastern Kentucky University announced (accidentally at first, but officially yesterday) that they'd be leaving the Ohio Valley Conference to join the ASUN beginning in July of 2021. Interestingly, their football team will temporarily join the WAC for the 2021 season before returning to ASUN play in 2022. All other sports will participate in ASUN competition in the 2021-22 seasons.

Interestingly, this appears to be a lateral move for the schools--Jacksonville State is making the same move--as the conferences are both Division I in all sports and compete at the FCS level in football (ASUN will when it begins sponsoring football anyway). The ASUN does bring a bit more prestige to the table, especially when considered as a basketball conference, but that is about it. That said, more prestige usually means more money, and universities are always looking for that. 

A side effect of this move is that the Ohio Valley Conference could be in trouble. EKU's departure leaves Morehead State and Murray State as the sole remaining founding members, and gives the conference just seven football competing members. Morehead State offers football, but does not offer scholarships, so it competes in a separate conference for that sport. The OVC has been around for quite a long time and has had a lot of history in the state of Kentucky especially. It would be a shame to see something happen to it.

Positively, though, this move the ASUN means more competition between EKU and Bellarmine, and we here at Cardinal Couple are big fans of both schools, particularly in women's basketball. The step up in conference prestige and competition will mean more opportunities for success for Sam Williams at EKU, and who doesn't want to see a local school like Bellarmine get to compete against more regional programs around the state for more than just a "buy" game?

We're looking forward to seeing EKU continue to give Louisville quality local competition in all sports, just with a different patch on the chest from now on.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

Once again, it was a busy week in basketball, so we have plenty to keep us occupied for this week's show. It'll be a full house again, so be sure to tune in to hear how wrong we were about our predictions for this week and join us in getting our predictions wildly wrong for next week's matchup against NC State. The show begins at 11AM EST and you can join us live on the Cardinal Couple YouTube Channel or check out the recorded version following the end of the live stream. As always, you can subscribe to the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour by searching for it in your favorite podcast player to hear the weekly episodes as soon as they're posted. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

CARDS 101 - EKU 58 -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

EVANS, VAN LITH WITH 20 POINTS IN LOUISVILLE WIN

In a return of former Cardinal assistant and now EKU head coach Samantha Williams, the University of Louisville women's basketball team also  returned to the KFC YUM Center (after being away for almost eight months) and it was a joyous reunion for Jeff Walz's squad as they handled the visiting EKU Colonels by 43 points in a 101-58 win. 

There is a chemistry developing between guards Dana Evans and Hailey Van Lith and it was on display yesterday afternoon , as the two had 20 points each. Van Lith also had 11 rebounds and Evans added seven assists for the Caards in their second game of the season . Two other reached double figure scoring -- Olivia Cochran contributed 15 points and "E" (Elizabeth Balogun) totaled 12. 

If EKU head coach Samantha Williams game plan involved "zoning up" on the Cards to make they try and beat her squad from the outside, she had to witness Louisville making 14 threes (from five different players) in the 40 minutes of action. Van Lith and Balogun accounted for nine of the beyond the arc makes -- and when the Cards weren't bombing the lights out from the deep, they were forcing EKU into 20 turnovers  and creating 13 steals. 

If Louisville WBB choSe to adopt the old Tom Cruise (from the movie Top Gun) phrase of "I feel the need for speed" you could hardly blame them. The team was relentless in pushing the ball down the court against EKU to get 44 points-in-the-paint and using a "team rebounding" strategy by hustling for 58 rebounds (compared to EKU's 29). 

And it was a variety of player combinations getting it done for UofL. All 11 who dressed for the game saw at least 12 minutes and no one saw more than 27 (Van Lith).. 

The Cards started the contest with Evans, Van Lith, Ahlana Smith, Cochran and Balogun on the court for the second straight game and scored first with a Van Lith three off a Evans feed just 54 seconds into the contest and jumped out to a 5-0 lead. EKU was playing with a lot of intensity, though, and limited Louisville to just 17 first quarter points (after allowing IU to score 34 first-quarter points in their season opener.)   In all fairness, Louisville played 10 players in the first 10 minutes and were just starting to jell.

 

The production really took off in the second quarter. UofL went on a 12-0 run to begin the second quarter. Threes from Balogun and Van Lith keyed the run and Louisville stayed hot -- racing out to a 35-14 lead with 5:14 left in the first half. They led 42-20 with 1:35 left in the quarter, off a Liz Dixon score in the paint, and took a 43-26 lead into the half time locker room. All 11 Cardinals had seen at least seven minutes in the first half and all 11 had scored, Van Lith (11) and Evans (10) were already in double figures. Louisville had upped their shooting percentage to 42% 

The domination continued in the third quarter. Smith began the scoring in the second half with a three and built the lead to 28 points midway through the third quarter at 56-28 after a pair of successful Cochran free throws. EKU looked tired and Merissah Russell sparked UofL the rest of the quarter with a couple of steals and baskets to build the Cards lead to 68-39 going into the fourth quarter, 

The foot stayed on the accelerator for Walz squad in the fourth quarter. A Van Lith three started the UofL scoring in the final period. Interesting stat: Louisville's first points in each quarter came from threes. The Cards steadily built upon the lead and Evans got the crowd very fired up when she sank back-to-back threes with 5:28 to play to set the tally at 87-49. A Balogun layup pushed the margin to 40 after a EKU timeout and the teams pretty much traded baskets the rest of the way...the Cards reached their biggest lead of the game at 99-54 after a Norika Konno layup in the paint. Dixon put Louisville over the century mark with a second to go and the Cards took the "W" with the 101-58 final. 

Louisville shot 38-83 from the floor for 45.8% and made 14 of their 36 three-point attempts (38.9%). They held EKU to 33.9% (19-56) from the floor and the Colonels were just 6-23 from beyond the arc for 26.1%. 

Besides the four Cardinal double figure scorers, Ahlana Smith had nine points, Dixon and Konno ended with six points each (Dixon with eight rebounds), Nyah Green finished with five points, Russell with four and Myjasa Robinson and Ramani Parker two points each. 

THE FRED REPORT

(Fred Rogers would have approved. It WAS a beautiful day in the neighborhood for Cardinal hoops Sunday ! )  

FREE THROWS -- UofL went 11-15 from the line for 73.3%. Cochran led the way for the second straight game with 5-6 shooting efficiency. Our Fred standards for a capital letter are 70% or better, so we'll grant a CAPITAL "F" here for charity stripe success. 

REBOUNDING -- I'm really beginning to like this "rebounding by committee" concept the Cards are employing. It was good for a 58-29 advantage over the Colonels. We've already mentioned Van Lith's 11 and Cochran's eight...but another of the Cards "almost attack Yorkies" -- the 5'7"" Mykasa Robinson had seven grabs in 20 minutes. I'll throw the CAPITAL "R" letter up in the air here and watch "Kasa" race to retrieve it. 

EFFICIENCY/EXECUTION -- The Cards had just 13 turnovers and I'll take that in the second game of the year. No one fouled out, either. 23 assists on 38 made shots isn't pretty impressive as well. The Cards dominated the points-in-the-paint 44-24.  High speed on the court usually has high risk/reward possibilities, but, the Cards didn't miss too many opportunities to create and score and it wasn't sloppy at all. I'll gladly offer a CAPITAL "E" for the effort Sunday. 

DEFENSE -- Louisville forced 20 turnovers, only four fast break points, created 13 steals and allowed just 33.9% shooting. 23 points scored off those turnovers as well. I could go on-and-on about the defensive effort,  but. OOPS!! Balogun just stole any further accolades from me and yelled "Give us a CAPITAL "D", Paulie" on her way to the basket....so that's what I'll do. 

FINAL FRED REPORT:   F-R-E-D 

All in all, this was a feel good, easy-to-watch, complimenting and convincing win for the Cards. Let's celebrate them while they're still able to be obtained and relish each one. They're "getting in some, at the YUM" and let's hope that continues...given the pandemic is not showing any sign of slowing down. 

(PHOTOS FROM JARED ANDERSON. SUPERB WORK AS ALWAYS!) 

paulie

Sunday Cardinal Couple - WBB Home Opener vs EKU

 Home Opener

Women's Basketball will welcome a reduced number of fans to the KFC Yum! Center today for the first time since competition was canceled in March.  Eastern Kentucky will be the foe on the court with a head coach who is very familiar with the Cards gameplay and personnel.

Eastern Kentucky comes into this game off of a 100-51 loss to what by all accounts is a very good Indiana team this year.

You can have your pick of story lines for today's game.

First, you have EKU head coach Samantha Williams, a Louisvillian who spent eight seasons on the Louisville bench as assistant coach to Jeff Walz.  Second, you have the six freshman on the EKU squad, fully half of the roster, with four likely as starters.  And then you have what should thankfully only be a minor story line in this game, that this is the only non-conference game for UofL going off as planned this season because of Covid.

Let's start with the coaching.  It's a classic teach and student story line, with Williams having worked with Jeff Walz for eight years she is quite familiar with his coaching styles, tendencies and beliefs.  Williams was well-liked during her time at UofL and had a major role in recruiting for the Cards, so while this is her second season at EKU, assume she is quite familiar with nearly all of the players on the UofL roster.

Looking at EKU's roster, however, is a different story.  Six of the 12 players on the roster are freshmen, but despite that, with the long recruiting process in college basketball, many of those, and perhaps all, were in the EKU recruiting pipeline before Williams' involvement.

Expect four of those freshmen to be starters for the Colonels; Corriana Evans, Clara Rosini, Alice Recanati, and Kendall Wingler.  Rosini, and Recanati are Italian guards, and along with forward Dafne Gianesini add some international flair to the squad.  Evans join fellow Georgian, senior Bria Bass, in the starting lineup, and Wingler represents the home state in the starting lineup from Brandenburg.

Amerah Steele, from London KY,  came off the bench in the last game against IU and lead the team in scoring with 13 points.  The other freshman is the aforementioned Gianesini.  Other big contributions against IU came from Recanati who dropped in 11 points and got five rebounds; Kynnedy Azubike, a newly eligible transfer from Akron with 10 points and four rebounds.  The rebounding was largely by committee with numerous players having between three and five boards, but Evans was the biggest presence on the glance, pulling down nine rebounds.

Add in Louisville's freshmen standouts, and this game could end up being a showcase of newcomers.  Also look for it to be fast and guard heavy.  We have discussed, here on the Cardinal Couple pages, the guard heavy roster for Louisville, with occasional jokes about Mykasa Robinson playing center, but EKU is also guard heavy.  Their whole starting lineup against IU was between 5'9" and 5'11" in height, two, Evans and Bass, are listed as Guard/Forwards, and the other three are all listed as straight guards.  Steele, and Azubike, the big contributes off the bench are also guards.

The game is at 1pm on ACC Network Extra streaming, Paulie and Sonya's buddy Don Russell and sara White bring it to you and as always you can catch Nick Curran and AJ's coverage on the radio.  After an excursion to a different station Wednesday, Nick & AJ will be back on the usual 790 AM -- CARDS RADIO WKRD. .

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

Jared was a silent partner to the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour yesterday, listening in while he was carrying out his banking duties with occasional contributions in chat.  Case, Paulie, and I had a good discussion about all things basketball...well, after some early show digressions, anyway.

We reviewed the game against SEMO, previewed the matchup against EKU, and just generally basked in our Kentucky roots as basketball fans.  Check it out and enjoy.

JMcA