A crazy day of hoops...Lacrosse falls at Northwestern -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

(The misery loves company Monday Morning edition of Cardinal Couple...where the Cats join the Cards on the couch to watch the
Men's final four and madness reigns in four games) 

One of the best parts for me during the NCAA Tournaments is that several day stretch when 16 turns into four. No, I'm not introducing another Walzian Theorem to you and it isn't a new version of the Jimi Hendrix classic "If Six Were Nine" but when the Sweet Sixteen becomes a Final Four....it's a pretty special time of year.  

Your Monday morning musical selection here: IF SIX WERE NINE

Sunday was a great day for watching hoops. It started off with seeing if the Brianna Turner-less Irish WBB squad could make the Dallas dance against Stanford. After one half, that answer appeared to be "Why, Certainly!" Notre Dame had a 14 point-lead, Elizabethtown star Erin Boley was getting rave reviews and her Mom national TV exposure and all was well in the Muffet McGraw locker room...seemingly. An 18-0 Irish run and one wondered if the Cardinal was going to end up like the Cardinals. 

Someone forgot to cue the Cardinal in on the script. A 24-12 third quarter from Tara's terrors made this one a ball game again. A wild fourth quarter that ended up, so ironically, with...first... a lob pass into Alanna Smith for the go-ahead basket. a play that Stanford never tries if 6'5" Turner is on the court. Then, the Arike Ogumbowale fake and drive that ends up getting rejected by 6'3" Erika McCall to preserve the win. Why not take the jumper you've been nailing all game long? 

From a 56% shooting first half to a 33% number in the final twenty. The Irish go home and the Trees head to Dallas. 

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Switching over to the men's side. Florida vs. South Carolina. How many of you had those two playing in your office bracket. Yeah, thought so. Two SEC schools, a #4 seed and #7 seed. 

Frank Martin. If you're not familiar with the Cocks' coach...get ready. This guy is a gem. He just might make the Final Four on the guys' side watchable. He's kind of a white collar, subdivision doppelganger of Syracuse's "Q". 

Florida bombing threes in the first half. Seven of them. With the apparent ease of tossing oranges into a gathering basket. Like, the women's game before, though, you play all 40 minutes to determine a winner. 

Florida misses all 14 attempts from beyond the arc in the final twenty. South Carolina goes inside..22 of their 26 buckets in the paint in the final 20. I couldn't help but wondering several things as the Gators sunk into the swamp...What Would Billy Donovan Do?  How crazy would SEC fans would get if the Cats could get by "DadGummit Roy" and how did Duke and Baylor both manage to lose to South Carolina. Once again, that madness of March. 

Two names to remember:  South Carolina's Sindarius Thornwell and Maik Kolsar.  Candidates for Worldwide's All-Name team, or a Tom Clancy action novel and the two main reasons that the South Carolina squad marches on with a 77-70 victory. The Gamecocks sank their final five free throws to secure the win. Florida had beaten USC 81-66 in a game 35 days ago. Ah, the madness of March...


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The Cats were up next in the sequence.  They held a earlier season win over UNC. (Yup, we've heard this one before...) They got a career game out of Issac Humphries . They made three threes in the the last minute. Malik Monk with the three to tie. Pandemonium next door at my neighbor's (who had a Big Blue watch party that I was invited to but politely declined). Then, stunned silence and a few minutes later...a girl staggering out of the front door and puking in my taxus bushes. (No, not at the game...next door, again). Thanks. Probably great fertilizer, right? At least she didn't fall into them...

Luke Maye goes Cool Hand Luke, Luke Skywalker...even Luke Hancock and nails the jumper. Nails the door shut on UK advancing. Nails a berth for the ACC in the Final Four and nails to the wall another example of why they play the game. 

Cats up by five with five to pay. Tar Heels up by five with two to go. CBS is calling it an instant classic. That moniker may vary depending on what part of the country you live in. 

Sit down and grab a seat on the couch, Wildcats. The Big Blue Mist just sunk into the Mississippi River. Oh, wait a sec...not that couch! Lexington news reports that numerous t-shirts, a television and a couch were burned in the streets last night.  Here's a little video below that shows some of the post-game UK fans antics. (I just love the girl dancing about 15 seconds in!) 


LINK HOW BOUT DEM KATS?

"Bring out the couch!"  (Somewhere, a former UK and NFL quarterback by the same name is still hiding in an undisclosed basement...unwilling to emerge). 


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While the silliness is going on in the streets of Lexington...in Oklahoma City there is work being done. Kim Mulkey's Bears and looking to send Mississippi State's Bulldogs to the doghouse. 

We'll be polite and just say that this one was a lot closer than the Cards effort against Baylor. And, hello and we love you, Morgan William! Mississippi St. fighting tooth and nail against Baylor. Leading the Bears by three at the half. Kim Mulkey bringing out all her best dance moves, facial expressions and favorite howls and screams for this one.

A one-point lead for the Bulldogs after three and down to the wire we go! Little mighty-mite Morgan ties it at 75-75 with 25 seconds left in regulation and both teams miss chances to win it. Extra ball! 

And...strictly no contest in those five minutes. Say it again. Morgan William. 

LINK: http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=19012340

41 points from the diminutive guard that had 14 made threes on the season before this game. Add six more to that total. Ten points in the fourth quarter and 12 in O.T. Playing on the day after that...three years ago...her father died. The feel-good story of this women's tournament...by far. 

A 5'5" guard. Qualifies for our "Attack Yorkie" designation and a game from her that all attack Yorkies everywhere can proudly point. School and SEC scoring records for an NCAA Tournament game. 

"Give the little gal a chance!" YES! That one was for you...Shelby Harper, Jessica Laemmle, Dana Evans and Taylor Johnson and all guards 5'6" or shorter.

Baylor goes bye-bye. 

Kim Mulkey may have summed it up best: 

"That one girl kicked our butts. I knew we were in trouble when they started banking in threes at the start of the game." 

Yorkie Power. Expect the unexpected. 

Vic Schaefer and Frank Martin at the same party? Forget about it...way out of control. Invite the dancing UK girl and turn up the radio. 


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LACROSSE FALLS TO NORTHWESTERN

Louisville Lacrosse loses 12-8 to Wildcats

#14 Northwestern scored the final five goals in the contest to erase a 8-7 Louisville lead and take the match in Evanston., IL. Kellie Young explains: 

" This was a tale of two halves. We executed our game plan in the first half and played well as a team. The second half was a different story. We have work to do. " 

Hannah Koloski had four goals in the Cardinals' loss while the Wildcats benefited from five different plays with two goals each. Louisville got goals from Madison Hoover and Meghan Siverson to break a 3-3 tie  in the first half and take a two goal lead to the locker room. 

The Wildcats responded with four goals to open the final session and grab a 7-5 lead. Louisville battled back...Koloski scored twice and Ashley Lynch found the net to put the Cards back in charge 8-7 with 11:36 remaining. The Cards would not score again. 

Five losses in a row to Northwestern...going back to 2012. 

Louisville (9-4) returns to action on April Fools Day for a Saturday 1 p.m. ACC contest at Virginia Tech. 


paulie
xxxxx

Louisville Women's basketball...Cards defeat Vandy 78-66 -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

MYSHIA HINES-ALLEN GOES FOR 24 and 15 IN WIN

The University of Louisville women's basketball team defeats Vanderbilt 78-66 on the road in Nashville Wednesday night. Myisha Hines-Allen led the way with 24 points, 15 rebounds and a MMA take-down in the third quarter. It was a dogfight with Louisville going on a late 7-4 run to collect the win. 

The Cards took the lead, as it turned out, for good early in the first when a Mariya Moore three put UofL put 7-5 three minutes into the contest. Back to back scores by MHA gave the Cards a 13-7 edge and two consecutive Kylee Shook baskets made it 17-13 with 3:38 left in the quarter. Cortnee Walton's inside basket set the first period total to 21-18 Cards.

Louisville started the second frame with a 6-0 run on baskets from Jazmine Jones, Hines-Allen and Taylor Johnson and Ciera Johnson scored three straight times inside to make it 35-26 with 4:30 left until halftime. An Asia Durr three gave the Cards their largest lead of the half at 41-27 and Hines-Allen's jumper with 25 seconds remaining sent the Cards to the locker room with a 48-39 lead. Hines-Allen had 13 points and 12 rebounds after 20 and Louisville was getting their way inside on offense. 

Vandy would not go away quietly, though. The Commodores started the second half on a 7-0 run led by Rachel Bell to cut the margin to two. Sydney Zambrotta canned a three for the Cards to stop the momentum at the 7:22 mark to push Louisville out to a 51-46 lead. 90 seconds later...while going for a rebound on a missed shot, Hines-Allen ripped the ball from Vanderbilt's Cierra Walker and sent her crashing to the floor. After a 3 minute referee review a technical was assessed to MHA...but Walker converted only one free throw and Vandy failed to score on the ensuing possession. Briahanna Jackson's three lifted Louisville back to a 56-49 advantage and the Cardinal held a 58-53 advantage with ten minutes to play. 

The technical call was over the top and unwarranted. Two players going for possession. One gets it and the other doesn't and hits the floor. No technical foul here. Maybe it fired Louisville up? 

A Hines-Allen hook shot after a great move inside kept the Cards in control at 63-56 with 6:52 remaining and Cortnee Walton's score inside set the margin at 67-57 with 4:44 showing on the clock. Vandy would get no close that six the rest of the way. The Cards would lose Walton to fouls with 2:20 to go...but Ciera Johnson entered and scored on a perfectly executed out-of-bounds play 45 seconds later to make it 71-62 Cards. Hines-Allen hit a jumper, Durr got a layup and free throw and Moore a free throw in the final minute to secure the Cards 12 point victory. 78-66...Cards win....the Cards win!!

Louisville shot 47% for the game...Vandy just 31% and the Cards easily won the points-in-the-paint battle 48-26. 

Louisville is now 5-0 against schools from Tennessee this year. 


HOW DID FRED DO? 

Free Throws -- Despite Durr's 6 for 6 marksmanship, the Cards were 9-14 from the line for 64%. Vandy was getting calls all night nut only went 18-27 (67%). Unfortunately, no letter can be offered here.

Rebounds --  The Cards won the boards battle 45-44. Hats off to Hines-Allen and Shook...who had seven in 11 minutes. Louisville was beaten on the offensive boards 18-13, though. A small case "r" is what we're offering for this category.

Effort/Execution -- No doubt about the desire, drive and hustle tonight for the Cards. There were times when mental mistakes played a part in the Cards offensive execution...but they did command the paint-scoring, Jackson was seemingly everywhere again tonight and Myisha may have had her best game of the year. Louisville hit clutch threes when they were needed...so, a capital "E" is the call. 

Defense -- The Cardinal defense was overall very good...Zambrotta needs to pick it up and Vandy only scored five points in the final five minutes...we have no problem in giving a capital "D" out for this category.

FINAL FRED TALLY:  _-r-E-D


THINGS WE LIKED

Howlin' about Hines-Allen. #2 came to play tonight and made sure the Cards got out of Music City with the "W". Vandy had no answer for her and MHA's teammates realized that she had the hunger and kept her plate full. 11-18 shooting and solid defense. 

Continued solid play from the freshmen. Walz had no problem going to Jaz, Kylee, Ciera and "Z" for situational playing time and they responded with 17 points and 9 rebounds in 31 total minutes. Walz brought only five players off the bench tonight and four were freshmen. That says a lot. 

Sealing the deal. Vandy managed to get within six points with 3:38 left. Louisville doubled that lead the rest of the way.  Durr had six of those final 11 Louisville points. 

THINGS TO WORK ON

Need a little Moore. Mariya hit her first three but missed the next six. She was 2 for 10 for the night. Don't get me wrong here, she helps the team in so many other ways besides scoring...but we'd like to see that shot fall a bit more. Her eight assists led Louisville, in her defense. 

Consistency. Vandy went on a 19-7 run to end the second quarter and start the third. A lull in offensive efficiency and defense in the ACC is most likely going to put a "L" or two on the Cards record. 


SO...

This was a hard-fought win over a very good Vandy squad that is going to pull a few upsets in the SEC this year...if not contend for the conference title. Louisville took the 'Dores best effort...withstood the shots and still came out on top...thanks to Myisha Hines-Allen, Asia Durr and a stifling defense. You have to be proud of how the Cards never got too rattled and came back with clutch shots and plays when Vandy was poised to make runs. 

Louisville will be off until the 29th. Cardinal fans really need to put about 13, 000 in the YUM! that night when a very good Syracuse team comes to town...even though they did get smacked by un-ranked Texas A&M Wednesday down in Florida. This is a very special team, these Cards, and they deserve your support and attendance. It's a Thursday night game...many of you will probably be off that next Friday and there's no better entertainment value around. 

Come to the YUM! and watch the Cards win. 


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CARDS CONQUER CATS BEHIND "Q's" BIG NIGHT

A loud "WOO-HOO!!!" and congrats to the guys...knocking off in-state rival Kentucky Wednesday night 73-70. Hometown hero Quentin Snider with 22 points in the win for Pitino's Cards. 

This one was a thriller from opening tip-off to final buzzer. The KFC YUM! Center was crazy from start to finish. I called it on Howie Lindsey's Louisville First that the Cards would win...but, privately...I was really nervous about this one and was just hoping for a good game. 

I got that...and much, much more. One for the ages. 

A sweep in hoops this year over Big Blue. Who owns this state? 

hello Thursday! 
paulie
xxxxx

Louisville women's basketball -- Cards travel to Nashville to face 10-1 Vandy...WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

VANDY BRINGS NINE-GAME WIN STREAK INTO LOUISVILLE GAME

The University of Louisville women's basketball team takes its 11-2 record to Music City for a Wednesday night battle against the 10-1 Vanderbilt Commodores in Memorial Gym. The 8 p.m. (EST) tip-off will be shown online on ESPN3 and also on the SECN+ network on cable. You can listen to Nick and A.J call in on 1080 AM WKJK...Cards Radio 790 WKRD will be broadcasting the Uk v UofL men's game. 

Although the 'Dores aren't in the top 25 yet (but receiving votes) first year head coach Stephanie White has accomplished some very good things with her squad...including a win over ACC member Duke 77-73 and a hard-fought 79-77 victory at Tennessee-Martin. The lone Commodore loss came in their second game of the season...a 94-61 drubbing by IU in Bloomington. A bunch of mid-majors make up the rest of the Commodore schedule so far...Louisville will be the highest-ranked team they've faced so far.  Last time out...they blitzed Tenn. Tech 89-57 in Memorial....getting big efforts out of two reserves in Erin Whalen (23) and Lea Lea Carter (18.) 

Leading the way for Vandy are a trio of juniors that are double-digit performers. Christa Reed puts in 12.7 ppg, Rachel Bell averages 12.1 a game and Rebekah Dahlman is good for 11.1 a contest. Vandy leads the SEC in 3-pointers made per game (8.0). They also cash in well from the free throw line...they are 12th in the country in free throws made and Dahlman is hitting them at a 91.7% clip. 

They are a smallish team...with no one over 6'1" but they are managing to out-rebound opponents 40.8 to 35.4 on the season. Marqu'es Webb, a 6'1" senior averages 9.6 grabs a game. 

Louisville last faced Vanderbilt in the first round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament at Xavier. The Cards took a 81-62 win that day...Shoni Schimmel getting 19 points to lead all scorers. The game was close with 12 minutes to play and Louisville holding a 49-42 lead...the Cards went on a 13-0 run to go up by 20 and cruise to the win. The Cards would go on to knock off the home-standing Muskies next to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. 

In the series history, this will be the 13th. time the two have met. Vandy holds a 8-4 lead in the series. Louisville has lost five straight to the 'Dores in Nashville...the most recent back in 2006 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament 76-64. That was the game where Louisville First host Howie Lindsey suffered an appendicitis attack during the second half....passing out in the hallway and taken by ambulance to Vanderbilt hospital. Sonja and I were at that contest, as fans, and had spoken briefly with him at halftime...minutes before he was stricken. Walz and White have never met on the hardwood. 

White isn't the only new addition to Vandy. ESPN analyst and former college head coach Carolyn Peck is an associate coach for the 'Dores. I always enjoyed listening to her color commentary on WBB games and we have no doubt that her wisdom and knowledge has a big role as well in Vandy's hot start. Peck coached Stephanie White at Purdue...where they won a National Championship in the 1999 season. 


So...how do the Cards sink the ship of the streaking Commodores? We see several keys to a Louisville victory: 

• Be the beast of the boards. Louisville needs a big effort from Hines-Allen, Walton, Moore and whoever else Walz employs to patrol the paint. The 'Dores are a good shooting squad and grabbing their misses...plus getting second chance opportunities will be very important tonight. 
• Adjusting to the surroundings. Memorial Gym is a weird configuration...with an up-raised floor and the player and coaches benches in the end-zone. It's not the best lit facility in college basketball and gives Vandy a distinct average. 

• Providing the pressure.  Louisville is at their finest when they can force their foes into turnovers and out of a offensive familiarity with tough defense pressure. If Briahanna Jackson and the crew can get a lot of steals, deflections and force Vandy out of a comfort zone...the Cards should do well.

What does head coach Stephanie White thing of the upcoming battle? We have
her talking about the contest at the link below:

VANDERBILT HEAD COACH STEPHANIE WHITE TALKS LOUISVILLE

I was able to preview the game, plus a few other subjects with Howie on his Louisville First morning show on Cards Radio 790 AM WKRD on Tuesday morning. We appreciate Howie bringing us on weekly to discuss the joy and excitement of UofL women's sports and other subjects that cross his mind. People have asked if there is a podcast or rebroadcast for these...I'm usually on at 7:40 in the morning and I know that's a bit early for some...so there is a link below of Tuesday show. I join Howie around the 31 minute mark.

PAULIE ON LOUISVILLE FIRST WITH HOWIE LINDSEY

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ANOTHER BATTLE OF THE BLUEGRASS

While the women's basketball squad is battling Vandy, the KFC YUM! Center will be filled with fans of the men's squad...as they do battle with Kentucky at 7 p.m. 

This is good stuff...the height of Pitino's Cards against Calipari's quickness. DeAaron Fox and Malik Monk vs. Ray Spalding and Donovan Mitchell. Red and Blue. 

We're not real tickled that this one is on a Wednesday and being played on the same day as the women's game...but the Four Letter Network dictates terms and they are promising a lot of coverage all day leading up to the tip on ESPN. 

Defend the home court, Cards. Get the "W". 

Hiya pal!

Paulie

xxxxx

Men Win, Ladies Play Today -- SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

WBB Hosts Evansville

As the college basketball preaseason wraps up, the ladies in Cardinal Red will be taking on their 3rd opponent in the last five days and fourth in the last eight days when they host Evansville today at 2PM. After a beat down of College of Charleston, the Cards will be taking on the Purple Aces, who are likely to be over-matched. Evansville is on a four game win streak, but remain under .500 after starting the game on an 0-5 skid. Louisville is the only ranked team on their schedule, so Evansville is sure to play this game with a bit of heart, but it is hard to imagine that they can pull off the upset. This game can be found on the ACC Network Extra, and I'm sure Paulie will have a full write-up for you tomorrow. If you aren't busy, head on down to the Yum! Center today to check out the ladies if you haven't yet. Parking at meters is free on Sundays, so if you can brave the cold, they'll have a warm seat waiting for you inside.

MBB Handles EKU; UK Looms

Although the Cards started off slow against the Colonels yesterday, a 30-4 run to end the first half essentially put the game away for Louisville. Rick Pitino's squad led 36-16 at the half, and things didn't improve for EKU from there. Three Colonels did manage to finish in double figures, but they were over-matched as the final score was 87-56.

The big one is coming. The Kentucky Wildcats will find themselves in the Yum! Center at an unusual time. Because of the way the holidays fell this year, the Louisville vs Kentucky game is on a weeknight. When the Cats come to town on Wednesday, Louisville will need to put together a full 40 minutes of basketball to have a shot. A slow start in either half would likely spell doom against yet another talented group put together by John Calipari. The biggest thing the Cards have going for them will likely be a concept called "defense" which this year's iteration of the Wildcats have yet to figure out. Kentucky gave up 97 points to UCLA in a home loss and beat UNC 103-100 yesterday in the Champions Classic. Louisville has had problems scoring, but if they can slow Kentucky's offense down, they should be able to put up some points on the Cats.

No team has swept the football and basketball games since Louisville in 2012. Louisville has owned the gridiron while Kentucky has had a grip on the hardwood. Louisville will need to figure something out Wednesday night to avoid the sweep, and they'd love to start the gauntlet that they face in the coming weeks with a win.

Radio 

The Cardinal Couple Radio hour rebroadcast is up on the SoundCloud for your listening pleasure. Worldwide and Paulie talked a lot of  Louisville women's basketball. There is also some great holiday-themed blurbs from Monk...plus player and coach comments from the last three game. The show will not be on 12/24.  Give today's a listen at the link below: 

link: THE CARDINAL COUPLE 12-17-16 BROADCAST

That's All, Folks

It's a short one for me today. The EKU game wasn't much to talk about, and the Women's game hasn't happened yet. There will be more to talk about next week when we have a result from the rivalry game and the bowl game draws nearer. I'm out of the studio again this week because I'll be out of town for the holidays, but I'll finally have some new music when I return. I wish you all a happy and safe holiday season.

Until next time, Go Cards.

-CH-

Tuesday Cardinal Couple - Another Season Gone

Basketball's Last Hurrah? Or last "meh."

So tonight is the night.  Its always a little bittersweet for me.  As a born and raised Louisvillian, which also makes me a Kentuckian, I've been as gaga for basketball for all of my life as much as the next Kentuckian. Florida has beaches. Kentucky has hoops. 

I have to admit, however, that I'm having a tough time getting excited about this game tonight.

There was chatter in the mainstream sports media (MSSM, as I like to abbreviate it) about whether the UK Men going 40-0 would be good for the game of basketball or not.  That discussion is of course moot now, but I do find it an interesting discussion, and presents a stark contrast to some other sports.

I actually think that an undefeated Kentucky Men's team probably would have been good for the game on the whole, but on balance, I don't think it would be a huge win.

The story is very different in women's basketball, however.  Of course, there were no real contenders deep in this season for an undefeated run in women's basketball, though there have been in some recent years, and even some successes in that quest.  Were these dominant teams "good for the game"?  I fall firmly in the "no" camp on this one.  Now, to be sure, I don't lay any sort of blame for "harming the game" at Geno's feet, or Kim Mulkey, or any other coach with a successful undefeated season.  These coaches, and their players, are playing the game the best they can, and they are, or were, very successful, and no one should begrudge them that.

Even without an undefeated team, however, the perennial powerhouses in women's basketball are, at least in my mind, making the overall game a bit tedious.  There were a few upstarts that held my interest in the rest of the bracket.  The excitement came from seeing how well Dayton would hold up to UConn, though the overall outcome of that game was not in much doubt.  Another relative upstart, South Carolina also provided for some interest deep into the tournament, with close games against North Carolina, Florida State, and Notre Dame before finally bowing out.  Overall, though, most years, the ultimate post-season results, as often as not, seem to be a 'fait accompli'.

Its up to the rest of women's college basketball to step up to the plate and bring the competitiveness.  At the same time, I don't think its unreasonable for the NCAA and other organizations such as the WBCA to consider changes that would encourage more parity in the overall game.

Looking at other sports will show the same sort of patterns at play.  My beloved Volleyball, for example, frequently features some combination of Penn State, Nebraska, and Texas in the Final Four.  As much as I've been enjoying Lacrosse in the past couple of years, the nearly All-ACC Lacrosse Final Four that seems to happen nearly every year is already starting to feel a bit anti-climatic.

So what is there to be done?  I don't have any real answers, this is an issue that may sort itself out in time, and maybe there are some tweaks like scholarship counts that can be done to help the process along.  All I know is that I'm ready for the basketball season to be over this year, and I may not even watch the yet-another-UConn-Notre-Dame-Championship-game.

I'll see you at Ulmer Softball stadium for a sport that at least has a chance at some real intrigue in its post-season.

-- feeling a bit curmudgeonly, JMcA

SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- WILL IT BE A "ALL OR NOTHING" SATURDAY?

- MO DECIDES TO GO

- RADIO TODAY

Today is truly a "Super Saturday" when it comes to UofL Athletics. We'll take a brief diversion from our usual women's sports coverage to comment on the annual UofL vs. UK men's basketball game and the Cardinal football team's bowl game in the Russell Athletic Bowl vs. the Miami 'Canes

HOOPIN IT UP IN RUPP

Is this one is a fan rivalry first and foremost? None of the top eight UK scorers and none of the Cards top nine are from Kentucky. It's all about fan's bragging rights, right? No so fast my friend...Even though four of the UK starters are freshmen and have no idea what to expect, the Cards have four-year veteran of this battle in Russ Smith, local products Henderson and Levitch and two coaches who hate to lose to each other.

UK'S Willie Cauley-Stein sees it like this:

"Until you've been here a year or you've lived in the state, you don't know about this rivalry. It's a problem, it really is, because it's so serious to the fans and if you don't take it serious, then the fans think you don't care very much."

It is, for UK...a chance to defeat the reigning national champ. It is, for Louiville...a chance to take a win out of one of the hardest places for a visiting basketball team to play. (Thank God they don't move this one to Memorial like the women do every two years...)

It is Blue vs. Red. How will it come out? It'll be "Russdiculous". The Cards win 76-69 and Smith leads all scorers.

RUSSELL ATHLETIC BOWL A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE

Right after the hoops, Cardinal fans will shift focus and attention to football. That's right....Cincinnati plays UNC in the Belk Bowl and this one will be in the fourth quarter by then.

What? Someone else is tackling and tossing the pigskin? Oh...yeah...Cards and Canes! Must see TV!

Charlie Strong's UofL football Cardinals are in Orlando with about 20,000 or so of their closest friends to play in the Schnellenberger Bowl. Howard coached both squads and won a national title when he was at Miami. He'll spend the first half on Miami's sideline and the second half with the Cardinals. No telling where Bev his wife will be.

Maybe back in Boca Raton watching the UNC v Cincy game?

Louisville will play Miami in ACC competition next year, so  this one is a tune-up for that. It's also a Miami vs. Miami matchup....about a dozen or so Cards are from or played high school football in and around the Miami area.

Will Teddy Bridgwater lead the Cards to the win and then announce he's coming back for a final year? Or does Louisville lose and Teddy tell the world he's going pro? And what exactly is an ibus and why does Miami call their mascot Sebastian?

Louisville wanted to be in a BCS bowl. Ironically, they're travelling to the city (Orlando) where the team (Central Florida) is from that upset that apple cart for Louisville. Will Mickey and Goofy be at the game? (No..they'll be at home watching UNC and ....oh, never mind...)

Cards win, Cards win...this one just might be a shootout with the overall quickness that each team possesses. Make it Louisville 41 - Miami 35. And Teddy takes off for the NFL

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NO MO AT FERN CREEK

It lasted five months...the former UofL women's basketball star's employment as the head coach of Fern Creek's Girls basketball team.

Monique Reid is headed to Germany to play in the Euroleagues. She's the second former Jeff Walz player to coach and leave Fern Creek. Candyce Bingham did a stint there coaching the Tigers before going back to UofL. 

The Creekers lost twice yesterday in the Floyd Central Shootout...to Floyd Central and Indianapolis Home School. Presumably without Reid.

We wish Mo the best in Deutschland.

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Yes we are doin' Internet radio today. The CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR on Crescent Hill Radio airs at 11 a.m.

We'll be one short in the studio...Worldwide texting me yesterday with the cryptic message:

Not gonna be able to make the show. Have a family commitment at that time.

We've sent investigative reporters Smooth Charlie and Bill the Goat out to track Worldwide's movements this morning.

Jenny and I wil attempt to carry on in his tradition.

http://www.crescenthillradio.com

paulie
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NCAA Women's Championship tonight

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TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE 


-BAYLOR, NOTRE DAME PLAY FOR TITLE TONIGHT


-SOFTBALL HOSTS KENTUCKY WEDNESDAY


-CATS TONE IT DOWN A BIT AFTER NCAA WIN


The NCAA Women's Championship game takes place tonight in the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO. Undefeated Baylor against 35-3 Notre Dame. 

It is as most expected it to be. Contenders for the throne Connecticut and Stanford falling in the semifinal games of the Final Four...the Huskies going out growling and gnashing. Stanford never really in the game against Baylor...but accomplishing something that the Irish would love to figure out how to do.


Stop Brittany Griner.


'The Grinder' went for 32 points and 14 grabs against Notre Dame in November in the 94-81 Baylor win. At 6'8", she's shown that she can dunk other than in practice. Notre Dame starts no one taller than 6'2". Even with two-time BIG EAST defensive player of the year Devereaux Peters on the squad, there is still about 6 inches of height disparity there. 


We asked basketball fans, a former coach and the Yorkies their opinions. We threw most of that advice in the recycling bin. Co-Co, when asked, started piling up containers of banana pudding next to Griner's picture. Jeff Walz would probably tell you that you let her get hers and shut down the rest of the team. Jeff Foxworthy most likely would tell her "You Might Just be a Redneck" jokes until her sides hurt from laughter. 


Nevertheless, we managed to come up with a "top 10" list of ways you keep Griner from scoring. Enjoy the game tonight!


TOP TEN WAYS TO KEEP BRITTANY GRINER FROM SCORING


10. Tell her prior to the game that her baskets will be worth only one point.

Replace the cigarette with
Brittany's face and "smoking"
with "Griner".

9. Put a picture of her face on the backboard with a circle around it and line thru it. 
8. Inform Kim Mulkey that tonight's contest will be a 6'4" and under game.
7. Attach brooms to the forearms of the Notre Dame paint players. 
6. Put a sign over the entrance to the court...CLEARANCE 6'3" AND UNDER ONLY. TALL PLAYERS FOLLOW DETOUR ROUTE.
5. Call Anthony Davis and see what he's up to tonight.
4. Strategically place sharp-shooters in the stands with instructions to shoot the ball whenever she gets it. 
3. Have Natalie Novosel carry Devereaux Peters around on her shoulders the entire game. 
2. Install secret trap doors underneath each basket and open them when Griner gets in the paint. 
1. Give Tonya Harding a front row seat for the game and equip her with a police baton. 


Tip is 8:30 p.m. tonight on the four-letter network. 


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Louisville softball looks to rebound (maybe a wrong choice of words) from the 1-2 weekend against DePaul in Chicago with a Wednesday non-conference game against UK. The two met last week in Lexington...UofL taking a 1-0 victory on Kristin Austin's solo shot to lead off the fourth. 

Expect Ulmer Stadium seats and the surrounding berm to be packed for this one. Hopefully, the weather will co-operate. We expect the Cards to produce a few more runs in this one, buoyed by the large fan support they'll have in the seats and berm. 


Not sure who Sandy Pearsall will hand the ball to for starting pitching duties...but Tori Collins mowed down Wildcat batters with relative ease in Lexington and she's had three days rest. If she falters, the Cards have Chelsea Leonard and Caralisa Connell to bring in for relief. 

Attendance for the game in Lexington was announced at over 1000 (barely). We must do better, Cardinal fans! Tickets are $5 and can be purchased through the UofL Ticket office. We expect "walk-up" purchases will be available as well. Game time is 6 p.m. 


Here's hoping the Cards batters can shake the "bees" out of their bats and find open space and the fences against UK. Gotta bring UK Sports down a notch after Monday night, right?


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Finally, congratulations to UK for winning the NCAA Men's Championship. Also, congratulations to UK fans for not repeating as much stupidity on the streets as they did Saturday night. Early reports we've heard indicate that only car was set ablaze, one garage burned and one person shot. 

Couches and recliners torched...well, that a different story.   Let the students have their fun to a certain extent, we say. It's quite an honor to win a National Championship. WE remember the crazy scene down on the Belknap Campus when Louisville took the title in 1986. Paul was in Indianapolis when Louisville won in 1980 (but remembers very little about the post-game celebration).

"A riot is an ugly thing!"

The key is moderation and no violence after a major accomplishment. It sounds like 99% of the party people last night kept it destructive free. And, that's a good thing.


A UK fan informed me yesterday that the same thing would have occurred in Louisville that did on Saturday in Lexington if the Cards had advanced to the championship game. 


We'll never know, of course...but something tells me that the smell of burning couches in the air wouldn't have been as prevalent and insurance claims on torched automobiles non-existent.  


So, to my UK friends that are classy, congratulations. Stay classy. To all other BIG BLUE boasters out there, don't flaunt it in front of me. 

Who's the happiest guy in New Orleans today? Why no other than World Wide Wes. See the hug between him and Anthony Davis after the game? Notice how WWW was strategically seated behind Calipari? Easier to pull the puppet strings from there I suppose. 


To paraphrase the words of Jack Nicholson in the movie A Few Good Men:

"All you did last night is weaken the institution of college basketball, Coach Cal." 


A bunch of "one and done" players won the National Championship last night. 


Ho, hum.


That little boy on an Indiana farm, shooting baskets until dark at the hoop attached to the side of the barn, yeah...he's all about "one and done" He may have a good 3 or 4 years playing in high school, get a ride from a state school and even start by his senior year. He won't go to the NBA but may return to that small Indiana town a few years later and open a family practice physicians office or join the local insurance agency. His friends and parents will be proud of him. He won't be hanging out with rappers. 


That little boy may return to the inner city as the first child in his family with a college degree. He may be on the staff of a outreach sports programs that offers kids a gym to play in instead of the streets to get in trouble in. He'll settle down, marry and raise a family. They'll go to church on Sunday and visit ailing Auntie Jess twice a week.

That little boy may finish his four years of eligibility but be a few credit hours short of his degree. He'll return home, go to work in the local factory on man the back of a garbage truck 40 hours a week. He'll be a legend and hero to his friends, though. They'll toast him in the local tavern he frequents on the weekend. They'll remember that clutch rebound against the #2 seed in the tournament to clinch the win or his long range three to send the conference championship game to overtime. And, maybe someday he enrolls in his local community college or goes back to his Alma mater and gets the bachelors' degree.


You know World Wide Wes is all over these pieces of chum, right? 

But, that little boy is what men's college basketball should be all about. Sadly, today...it's about 5 or 6 guys from the National Championship that will flirt with representation, agents, handlers and salaries next year. Modern English Literature 101 will probably take a back seat. 


You can tell me things aren't the way they used to be anymore. That things have changed. That it's a different world and my way of thinking is antiquated. Call men's college hoops NBA Lite if you want. I'm not listening or subscribing. 


Pardon me if I remain behind for awhile. Weather here suits my clothes a little better...
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