Louisville WBB -- Start learning the names now, Cardinal fans -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

THESE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN YOU SHOULD GET TO KNOW

Being a bit of a movie buff, one of my favorite remakes of a classic was the 2016 remake of THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN. This remake of the 1960 movie (of the same name) starred Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke.

The plot was based around seven gunmen being banded together to protect a small town from a private army of a destructive and despicable rich industrialist. 

Jeff Walz is offering a live, basketball version of the classic Western when he brings seven "new to the KFC YUM! Center floor" women's basketball student-athletes together for the first time to join another group of student-athletes who seek to defend their ACC Women's basketball regular season share of the title.  We know some of the names...because of their previous exploits in DI WBB. I recommend you commit all seven to memory.

Say "Hello!" to Elizabeth, Kianna and Liz..." 

From Georgia Tech, both ELIZABETH BALOGUN and LIZ DIXON saddle up and ride north to take shots at ACC foes from a different perspective. The duo teamed up for a combined 25 points per game and average of 30 minutes a game down in "hot 'lanta". While Cardinal fans wait to see if they can join the party right away or in 2020-21 -- having that kind of arsenal available will pay huge rewards for the squad -- be it practice or game situations. Balogun, a guard, was the ACC Freshman of the year. Dixon, a 6'5" paint player, was named to the All-ACC Freshman team and the leading freshman rebounder in the ACC. How this for a trade...lose a couple of key guards and post-player to graduation and to the WNBA and gain a couple of key guards and post? I like the restocking strategy. 

KIANNA SMITH makes the journey to the "Ville" from California, where she was a key guard in the Bears system for two years. We do know she'll have to redshirt the 2019-20 season but...look out Cardinal fans after that! A PAC 12 All-Freshman team selection in 2017-18, 35% from beyond the arc and, oh yeah...she was a "burger girl" like Liz and Elizabeth.

A Cardinal Couple welcome to Ramani, Nyah and Norika !

NYAH GREEN arrives from Texas carrying the titles of 2018-19 Texas Ms. Basketball and the 6A Texas Player of the Year in her saddlebags. She's been committed to carrying on the gunfight on Main Street for quite sometime now and, as we all know, you don't "mess with Texas". Green is a delight to watch on both ends of the court and will fit in very well with the "WalzBall" philosophy. 

RAMANI PARKER leaves the "Sunshine State" , where she showed she was a 6'4" forward with outstanding three-point skills and strong rebounding numbers during her one year at Montverde Academy. For Cardinal fans who have been hoping "height" would become more prevalent on the UofL WBB roster...Happy Birthday! You're going to love her game. Talk about a nightmare matchup for opposing squads...

NORIKA KONNO journeys the farthest of the seven to sprout her Cardinal wings and fly. The 5'10" guard has a wealth of international experience. She spent November playing for the Japanese National Team. She was on Japan's 2018 3x3 team. She's a scorer who thrives in a fast-paced basketball environment and should become a fan favorite quickly. 

MOLLY LOCKHART had one of the best seats in the house last year during her red-shirt season at UofL. But, she was busy...as well. Now much stronger, quicker and having gained a lot from the daily practice battles with Sam Fuehring, Kylee Shook and Bionca Dunham...Lockhart hardly resembles the high school senior that arrived last year. At 6'1", she's a force to deal with.

Let's put it this way. You try handling and challenging Sam Fuehring up and down the court everyday for a year in practice and see what it does to your game and skills. 



OK.  It's not like these seven are walking down a dusty and deserted Main Street. The Cards have plenty of veterans back from last year's 32-4 squad. Dana Evans, Jazmine Jones, Kylee Shook, Bionca Dunham and Yacine Diop return. They could start for almost any team in DI WBB. Kasa Robinson, Lindsey Duvall and Seygan Robins had key roles on the 2018-19 squad. Jess Laemmle is a crowd favorite "spark plug" who can run the offense and knows Walz's system.  

We sadly say "Goodbye" to these three who affected the Cards so
much in their careers here. 

So..."Magnificent Seven"...meet the "Nine Lives" who greatly impacted the UofL WBB successes of last season. And, Cardinal fans...a bit of personal advice to you from the "Paulie". You better start early with the process of putting these seven's faces and names to numbers. 

Instead of clearing Main Street for an epic shootout, I'm recommending you pack Main Street (and the KFC YUM! Center for UofL WBB home games later this year. You're going to love the fireworks. This "corral" looks "OK" to me! 

It might be wise for the rest of the ACC WBB squads to circle the wagons and get ready for this upcoming attack...


paulie
xxxxx 

Future Cards Succeeding; Triple Crown Contention - SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Kentucky Girls Win Game 1

Last night was a big night for Louisville signees, as Kentucky took down Indiana in both the girls and boys high school all star games. The boys team won by 11 after a less than stellar performance from Romeo Langford, who led the Indiana team in scoring with 17 points, despite shooting only 6-16 from the field and 0-6 from three. Indiana's star for the girls, Amy Dilk (Indiana's Miss Basketball and Michigan signee), scored a game high 25 points, but it wasn't enough as the Kentucky girls went on to win 92-87. 

Mykasa Robinson was the leading scorer for the Kentucky team and was named the game MVP. She scored 14 and pulled down 5 rebounds in 20 minutes of action. 12 of her 14 points came from the free thrown line, where she was 12-14 on the night. For a team that has struggled from the free throw line in some key situations, Louisville will welcome a high percentage free throw shooter like that.

Seygan Robins also performed well last night. She scored 8 points and led all players with 7 assists in the game. We knew Robins could perform this way, and her performance last night should be in line with how she'll be asked to play for Louisville, so to see her do well against top competition is encouraging. Also encouraging is the fact that she put together a 7 assist game in a situation where the players are not familiar with one another. If Robins can make connections like that in such a short amount of time, she should be fun to watch develop when given ample practice time with her teammates.

The final former Cardinal participating in this event is Molly Lockhart. Lockhart finished with 9 points, but no one wants to tell me how many rebounds. Two other players on the Kentucky team finished with double-doubles, and I feel like there can't have been that many rebounds to go around. However, Lockhart will enter a crowded post room at UofL and will have plenty of time to develop her game and strength against the upperclassmen. 

The two teams play again this evening at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, and we'll see how our future Cards perform on the road.

Justify Favorite for Triple Crown

Justify will face a different challenge today as he pursues the Triple Crown with a win at the Belmont Stakes. Justify will start on the rail, after coming out of Gate 7 in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. His speed should give him the ability to get out of the ugly starting spot, but anything can happen when stuck in an uncomfortable position. After his runs at the Derby and Preakness, he still hasn't found himself in a major trailing position, but a bad start on an inside gate could prove to be an entirely different race for him. Also working against him, if you're the superstitious type, is that Justify and Mike Smith will be wearing alternate silks for this race, due to the ownership agreement. Call me crazy, but I'd rather see my horse and jockey in the same colors when running like this. Finally, the weather for today's race looks... clear. Unlike the Derby and Preakness, in which Justify proved he could run in slop, good track conditions would give contenders their best chance at knocking off the heavy favorite (4/5 morning line, 6/5 at writing). I've got personal reasons to root against a new Triple Crown winner (my silks print that Lindsay made me will be outdated), but Justify is an exciting horse to watch and has made history so far. If anyone looks set to be the first winner since American Pharoah in 2015, it's Justify.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

As Jared mentioned yesterday, he'll be out for the CCRH this week, with Mike Gilpatrick standing in for him. The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour returns to the airwaves at 11 AM on WCHQ, and we'll do our best to overcome the true onset of summer. We'll talk recent UofL news, some basketball, and take on whatever quiz Paulie has cooked up for us today. Tune into 100.9 FM or the WCHQ App, website, or Facebook page to join in on the fun.

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

Albiero Adds Diving Coach to Staff -- KY/IN All-Star Basketball Games -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Ryan Rougeux Hired as Head Diving Coach

Photo from gocards.com

Ryan Rougeux spent last season as interim diving coach.  The success by the diving part of the swim and dive team led to Rougeux being promoted to head diving coach.

Rougeux was head coach at Wright State for three years before joining Arthur Albiero's staff in the 2017-18 season.  At Wright State, Rougeux had two conference championships, a school record diver, and multiple NCAA qualifiers.

Photo from gocards.com

The young coach continued his success and improved his resume with the Cardinals.  Daniel Fecteau broke the school record in the platform at the Miami Invitational.  Molly Fears qualified for the NCAA 1M, 3M, and platform and was one of five divers to compete in the NCAA zones.  Both the men and women's teams placed second in the conference championships.

"I would like to thank head swim coach Arthur Albiero and athletic director Vince Tyra for this opportunity," said Rougeux.  "As a Louisville native, I have always admired the University of Louisville and its athletic program.  I am excited to continue my work here as the head diving coach and I look forward to building this program into one of the top in the country.  Go Cards!"

We look forward to seeing what Coach Rougeux will do with the diving program here at Louisville!

WBB's "Big Three" Recruits to Compete in Kentucky/Indiana All-Star Games

Photo from gocards.com

Molly Lockhart, Seygan Robins, and Mykasa Robinson will put on a show the next two days in the Kentucky/Indiana All-Star games.  They will play tonight at 6:00 p.m., at Bellarmine University and tomorrow at 5:30 p.m., at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The trio will represent the Kentucky side.  They have some experience playing together after being on the Kentucky Premier AAU team last year.

Louisville's "big three" enter the Cards WBB family as the No. 13 recruiting class- the seventh time in nine years the Cards have been Top 15.  All three were finalists for Kentucky's 2018 Miss Basketball Award with Robins claiming the honors.  Lindsey Duvall won it the previous year.

UofL's in-state talent is top notch and is sure to help draw in larger crowds at the KFC Yum! Center as Jeff Walz's 2018-19 squad is out for revenge and finish off some business from last year.  They already have their eyes focused on Tampa Bay in early April.

Other News and Notes

Congratulations to Dorcas Wasike for her second place finish in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Track and Field Championships yesterday! Other UofL women's participants yesterday were Makenli Forrest, finishing 18th in the Hammer throw and Gabriela Leon who was 16th. in the Pole Vault. Wasike earned All-American honors in both track and cross country this season.

Men's tennis finished the season ranked seventh in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association/Ohio Valley Region rankings.  The finished 15-11 after facing a top notch ACC schedule and strong out of conference schedule.

Grab your closest buddies and celebrate National Best Friends Day.  Maybe grab a jelly-filled donut and head to the zoo to see elephants in action.  It is also World Oceans Day so if any of our readers live by the beach head on out and clean up the beach a little on this good-weathered day.

The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour will be minus a knucklehead Saturday. Jared is back to his turning fives into twenties Saturday routine. We're pleased to have Mike Gilpatrick in his chair to fill in and we'll see how the River City Cards guru does on the weekly quiz.


Happy Friday and Go Cards!

- Jared -

Jared Anderson's Weekend Review...Robins, Softball, and more -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Weather, Weather Go Away

If you thought winter was over then guess again.  This weekend, the first full weekend of April (yes, April!), has freezing temperatures and potential snow in the forecast.  Unfortunately, the cruelty of the weather is unkind to outdoor sports.

Softball has altered their series with Virginia.  They will face the Cavaliers in a doubleheader today beginning at 2:00 p.m., with the other one happening following a short intermission.  Game three is still set for Sunday at noon.

Men's soccer had a spring scrimmage against Evansville on Saturday night.  It is been moved to today starting at 7:30 p.m.  Unlike the regular season, admission for the spring events is free.

Lacrosse, playing on the road and a little further south in Chapel Hill, will still play on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.

Baseball is still set for their single game each day this weekend, but is on alert with potential schedule changes, weather pending.

Women's tennis has moved their event indoors with admission still being free at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center.


Hanging on for Dear Life

Louisville softball begins their series against Virginia today.  Their season seems to have taken a turn for the worst recently.  Virginia is bottom of the barrel when it comes to terms of ACC teams.  The are 11-25 and 2-10 in conference play.

The Cards' speed has been the extent of the offense lately.  Sidney Melton is a perfect 9-for-9 in stolen bases and Celene Funke has successfully stolen base 11 times.  Melton is three stolen bases away from moving into Louisville's Top-10.  Nicole Pufahl has had success driving runs in throughout her career and has 99 career rbi's.

Danielle Watson is still listed as questionable with back pain, leaving Megan Hensley to handle the bulk of the work.

Louisville hopes to get a sweep this weekend, which would improve their record to 27-11 and 7-5.

Remember, schedule change today where the squads will play a Friday doubleheader, beginning at 2 p.m. and the third game of the series on Sunday. Walk right in, it's a freebie.


Bass-Rudd's Indoor Warmth

Right around the corner from Ulmer Stadium is one of the finest tennis stadiums in all the land.  Bass-Rudd features eight outdoor courts as well as a complete interior facility with six indoor and climate-controlled courts.

Women's tennis hovers around the Top-50 in the country.  The duo of Abbie Pahz and Mariana Humberg have been dominant on the court.  Aleksandra Mally has been the top singles player on the team all season.

Grab some snacks and hot chocolate and head on over to watch some future Grand Slam Champions compete.

Future Basketball Stars

If you want to see UofL WBB recruits in action before they join the ranks of the Red and Black they will be showcasing their talent at Thomas More College tonight and tomorrow.  The Slam Jam Fest is tonight at 7:00 p.m., and the Ohio/Kentucky all star-game is Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Thomas More is a northern Kentucky college located in Crestview Hills, KY,. It's not far from Erlanger and not too far off of I-71 or I-275.

Molly Lockhart (Butler High School, Louisville), Seygan Robins (Mercer County High School, Harrodsburg), and Mykasa Robinson (Ashland Blazer High School, Ashland) will all have one last go-around before their high school days conclude.

Daytona Days

Louisville cheerleaders and Ladybirds are in Daytona competing in nationals.  They have been there for a couple of days already and will remain there through Sunday with the multiple competitions and events.

The cheer-leading events include the Louisville all-girl, small co-ed, and large co-ed divisions.  They have completed their 45 second school support cheers with the longer, more acrobatic events coming up.

The dance events include the Louisville Ladybirds competing in multiple genres, where they have had a high rate of success since Todd Sharp became their leader.


A few random holidays today include National Walk to Work Day, National Twinkie Day, and Drowsy Drivers Awareness Day.  However, the most relevant holiday to Cardinal Couple is National Student Athlete Day.  We recognize the hard work, sacrifices, contributions, and successes that these few, proud folks that call themselves student athletes.

Paulie would also probably want me to add that today is the first day of the Keeneland Spring Meet in Lexington. This grand, old horse-racing facility brings in the best horses, trainers, owner and jockeys for a few weeks in the spring and fall. Nine races today, with the eighth being the Transylvania Stakes race for three-year-olds.

Paulie and the boys will be firing up HANDICAPPING HEROES again starting Saturday on the website and on WCHQFM. This informative half-hour show gives you a glimpse into the late Pick 4 sequence and who the fellas are thinking might make you a little money. You can read their picks at

www.paulsykes.com

and hear the show at noon Saturday.  They handed out a lot of profitable advice laast year and they're a great source to review and help you decide hpow to handicap and wager on Kentucky racing.

Happy Friday and Go Cards!

-- Jared --

Future Cards Face Off, Updates From Yesterday, and More -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Seygan Robins and Molly Lockhart Meet in LIT

While the Boys' version of the Louisville Invitational Tournament wrapped up (after being postponed) a couple of weeks ago, the Girls' LIT is coming to a close this weekend. In a quarterfinal matchup that may have been better served as a semifinal or final game, Mercer County and Butler squared off for a chance to make it to the final day. This is interesting for Cardinal fans, as two Louisville signees that you probably know about, are the stars for these two teams.

Seygan Robins' Mercer County Lady Titans came into the game ranked second in the state. They've won 26 straight games against in-state competition. Molly Lockhart's Butler Bearettes were ranked eleventh. They were seeking their fifth straight appearance in an LIT title game. The game was a rematch from last season, when the two teams met as the top two in the state. In that game, number two Butler dominated number one Mercer County to the tune of a 25 point victory. It was an event that Mercer County would clearly seek revenge for, and they got that revenge yesterday.

Butler put up a fight early, scoring the first five points of the game, but Seygan Robins came to play. Robins reached double figures in the first six minutes of the game, showing that Butler would not once again stretch out a large opening lead. The game was tight throughout, with the Bearettes hanging close through the third quarter. Butler took a 39-36 lead late in the third quarter, but Mercer County regained the lead with two and a half minutes left in the third and would not relinquish it for the remainder of the game.

Seygan Robins scored 11 points in the final six minutes of the game to put Butler away for good, and scored 24 overall, though she was not the leading scorer in the game. That honor belonged to Jasmine Elder of Butler, who scored 26. Butler also finished with the game high rebounder and shot blocker; Lockhart with 11 and 3. However, it was more consistent team scoring that did the Bearettes in, as Mercer County had 4 players with at least nine points while Butler had only 3 players score at least 8. That scoring discrepancy made the difference, and Mercer County won 61-51.

Paulie was at last night's game, almost specifically to watch the two future Cardinals face off. You've heard him gush before about Seygan Robins, and it was no different. "Seygan [is the] best player in the state [in] high school," Paulie wrote last night. It is good to see her performing at a high level in high level competition. He also spoke specifically about Molly Lockhart, saying "[She is] a rebounding machine but still needs work at finishing around the basket." Fortunately for the Cards, Louisville has a current player that fits the bill of rebounding machine, and that same player has developed into a post scorer quite well. You know her as a 1,000 point, 1,000 rebound player. We know her as DOOBLAY. I'm not saying definitively that Molly Lockhart can develop into quite the player that Myisha Hines-Allen as become, but if she can, look out college basketball. 

The two players are both members of the upcoming class, so they'll join a talented young team with experienced and talented veterans. That's a pretty great combination, and we'll see how Jeff Walz can work some crazy magic on such a team.

Swimming and Tennis Yesterday

Louisville women's tennis enjoys those double header days, as they hosted another one yesterday. UTEP and Northern Kentucky came into town yesterday, only to both be sent packing with only 0-7 losses to show for their trip. Louisville has started their season with four straight sweeping victories, and they'll look to continue their hot start when they take on Western Kentucky tomorrow.

The Louisville Swimming and Diving team hosted their Senior Day yesterday when Indiana came to town. It was the Cards' final home two-way match, hence the early Senior Day festivities. The Cards honored seven seniors, including Paige Ezell, Rachel Grooms, Lauren James, and Hannah Magnuson from the women's side. Unfortunately, they came up against a strong Indiana team ranked 7th and 3rd. Louisville posted good swimming times overall, but they were defeated on both sides by the Hoosiers. They'll take a break until hosting the Louisville Invitational in mid-February.

A Personal Note and Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

As you may have noticed (or maybe you didn't, who knows), I did not write up Monday's article as normal, and I never had a day during the week to replace it. I've decided I needed to take a small step back from Cardinal Couple due to some changes in my daily life. I've changed positions at work, leading to increased responsibility (and therefore increased time and stress), and I've recently begun studying for my engineering licensure exams. I still intend to write an article a week (on Saturdays most likely) and appear on the radio show as often as time allows. I just wanted to give you all an update. My love for the Cards has not waned and I still very much enjoy my contributions to the site, I just needed it to take a little less of my time. 

While we're talking about the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour, that's a thing that is happening today. We'll be on live, as nearly every Saturday, from 11AM-12PM, despite what Paulie writes in his Facebook or Twitter posts. WCHQ is the station handle, and you can find the show at 100.9FM, wchqfm.com, or the WCHQ App. Join us as we talk basketball and bring you exclusive audio from the Louisville Spring Sports Media Day.

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

Portions of this article were inspired by information gathered from Courier Journal.

Butler Bearettes Off to Torrid Start -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Molly Lockhart's Squad Dispatching Most Opponents with Ease

Lockhart fighting for a rebound
(photo from CJ)

Last week I mailed Saturday's article in. Today, though, refreshed as I begin a short staycation from work, coffee in hand, I decided to tackle something I hadn't done before. I graduated from Butler Traditional High School in 2012. I'm sorry if that makes anyone feel old. Six years after I graduated, some 350 odd seniors from Butler will walk across the stage in late May or early June, most likely at Freedom Hall. One of those graduates will be Molly Lockhart, a signee in Jeff Walz class for next season.

Molly is the 6'-1" center at my alma mater, and will step into an important forward position for the Cards next year. She was listed as the 21st best player at her position by ESPN with a prospect rank of 90. That's pretty good. If she can be the kind of leader that another Bearette turned Cardinal was (you might remember Tia Gibbs), then Lockhart could have a huge impact on teams loaded with talent in the years to come.

I bring up Butler because, in addition to having an important future Louisville baller on the team, they're off to a great start to their season. The Bearettes are off to a 9-0 start according to scoreboard.12dt.com, which I'm pretty sure is the official scoreboard site of the KHSAA. At least, that's the one I remember using for high school soccer. I'm also going to stick with the scoreboard site for my information because Max Preps has Butler listed at 4-0. I'm going to assume that's incorrect. The two can't even agree on when matchups were or are to be played.

Lockhart playing hard defense in last year's
game against Manual

Butler has two close wins this season, both by five. One came against Male earlier this month and the other came over Graves County Thursday night. The Bearettes followed up Thursday night's scare with a 63-20 drubbing of Livingston County last night. Every other win this season has been by at least 16 points, with the most lopsided victory coming on December 12th, when they defeated hapless Western by a final score of 76-1. It was the second of three games this season where the Warriors have been held to six or fewer points and allowed 75 or more.



Yikes.


Butler is currently on break for Christmas before heading down to Orlando next week for The Rock Holiday Classic. They are sure to take on stiffer competition in such an event and it will be good for them to test their mettle against other top teams.

Butler is seeking their 6th state championship this season, which would give them the most all time. They are currently tied for that honor with Laurel County. Louisville won the first girl's sweet sixteen in 1975, and have won two of the last four in 2014 and 2016, meaning Molly already has one state championship ring. The stats haven't been updated for the last two games, but through the first seven, Molly was averaging 11.7 points per game, just edging out junior guard Jaida Wiggins for the team lead. She also averaged 8.6 rebounds per game, which is what you'd expect your star center to do for you. Lockhart has attempted no three point baskets but shot 65% (37-57) through the first seven games. She's unfortunately a rough 11-18 from the free throw line so far this season, the last two games excluded.

Being only 6'-1", Jeff Walz is likely to move Lockhart out of the center position, which means she'll need to work on her shooting ability all over the floor, especially at the stripe, in order to see much playing time early on. Her rebounding ability will definitely help put the R in FRED, though.

Junior guard Jasmine Elder is another proven scorer for the Bearettes and freshman guard Dynastee White give head coach Larry Just a lot of possibilities. Whether Butler can challenge #1 Mercer County and Louisville signee Seygan Robins for this year's state championship title remains to be seen, but

There are a lot of games remaining in Lockhart's senior season. She has plenty of time to work on honing her craft, and playing for a good team can afford her the opportunities to open up her game a bit, provided coach Just will allow her to do so.


She was also troubled with an injured finger to begin the season.

 I'm sure, as a signee, that Jeff Walz has already been in contact with Molly and her coach about some of the things he'd like to see her improve on this season. I'm excited to be cheering on a fellow alum from Suda E. Butler at Louisville, and I wish the Bearettes the best in their championship quest this season.

The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

It's Saturday, so you'll surely expect to see something about the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour in today's article. If you are expecting it, you haven't read Jeff's wonderful article from yesterday, so be sure to do that! There will be no Cardinal Couple Radio Hour today nor next week due to a combination of our studio home relocating and the holidays tying everyone's time up. If you need a CCRH fix, you can go to WCHQ.com and browse through the archived shows. Find one from this summer. With all of the Louisville women's teams on winter break, today's show would have effectively the same message as a dead period show anyway. I'm looking forward to being back in the studio on January 6th and hope you'll all join us then!

www.wchqfm.com

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

PS: Please note that I took a ridiculous amount of time looking through old Facebook pictures for fun ones from Butler before ultimately striking out. I hope you enjoy the random Butler photos I found on Google instead.

Louisville WBB -- DeCosta coming for visit...W.Golf sets record -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

6'2" AQUIRA DeCOSTA A PRIORITY FOR CARDS

2018 Louisville women's basketball prospect Aquira DeCosta, a 6'2" wing out of Sacramento, CA will be hitting the Cardinal campus for a visit this weekend. Aquira is expected to visit Fri-Sun and will attend the Louisville vs. Clemson football game during her visit. 

DeCosta is on just about everyone's top five list for 2018 and has listed Southern Cal, South Carolina, Tennessee, Baylor and Louisville (in no particular order) as her final schools to consider. The Cards are expected to add one more player to the 2018 verbal commit list...a list that already included Mercer County, KY standout Seygan Robins, highly ranked Ashland, KY guard Mykasa Robinson and Louisville Butler post Molly Lockhart. 

How big a "get" is DeCosta potentially for the Cards? I spoke with a Cardinal WBB "person-in-the-know" about the St. Mary's (CA) senior: 

"I love her physicality and the way she crashes the boards. She really goes to the glass with a lot of energy and she also a very quick leaper. When you look ahead to who Louisville expects to have on the roster in 2018, she fits really well with this group. This is already a very talented group and she would be a great addition to it. I'm excited about her visit to campus, hoping that she has a really good time and joins an already-outstanding group of players as a Cardinal." 



Aquira is the #1 ranked wing in the ESPNW rankings and #4 overall in the 2018 class...so getting her would be a great way to close the 2018 verbals and give the Cards a very talented and solid performer in the ranks. 

We know that she visited Southern California last weekend with her senior teammate Neenah Young. 

Also coming the campus on unofficial visits this weekend are the other three 2018 commits listed above. 

I get asked from time to time if following these prospects on Twitter and liking some of their posts helps in recruiting. I'll respond with this. If it's positive and encouraging tweeting by you that doesn't get too crazy or negative toward other schools...I say go for it. In case you are into tweeting or following tweets...here are the (4) 2018 prospects: 

@d1_shiftteam  =  Aquira DeCosta
@seygan4  =  Seygan Robins
@mykasa_baller23  = Mykasa Robinson
@mollylockhartt  = Molly Lockhart

We hope Aquira has a great time during her visit, enjoys meeting her potential teammates and decides that Louisville is the place to be for continuing her collegiate student/athlete  pursuits. 


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WOMEN'S GOLF SETS RECORD IN MINNESOTA

We figured the 2017-18 "Chip and Putt" Cards might be pretty special with Lauren Hartlage, Molly Skapic, Jacqueline Twitty, Olivia Cason, Delaney Shah and Meghan Nay returning. We thought that transfer Kristin Engle would add to that excellence and freshman Margot Bechaderque, Jordan Susce and Linda Trockel could be competitive in trying to earn  a spot on those starting five-somes. It looks like we were right on the money with our thoughts.

Louisville women's golf set a school record with a record 12 under par in the second day of the Minnesota Invitational. This is Louisville's opening match of the fall season and the Cards are in third place with a two-day total of 564 behind Michigan State (557) and USC (558). The 276 fired by Louisville was the best round of the day at the Prestwick Gold Club in Woodbury, Mn.

Leading the Cards charge has been Hartlage, who is tied for third going in to the final day. She's had two sub 70 rounds (68,69) on the par 72 links. Skapic is tied for 10th. and Twitty and Engle are tied for 39th. 

Best of luck to Courtney Trimble's squad as they go into the final day of action! 


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ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL? 

If you need any more motivation for the Louisville v. Clemson football game, feel free to join in with this group of players: 

LINK:   WE READY

They ready for some football! 

Hit us up in the comments section on your score prediction and game winner (plus any analysis you want to add)!  A nice prize for closest to the score...we have hit up "Bread Boy" at Panera for a gift card and he came through with a $20 gift card for the contest!  We'll also definitely give you a "special recognition" write up in our Sunday recap article and bow to you (We're not worthy!) as a bona-fide Football Predicting God.  

We appreciate Panera making this considerably more interesting with their generous gift card. Good stuff at Panera. Coffee and a danish always a great way to start the day from those friendly folks.  

You could win $1 million dollars (sorry Dr. Evil) no...check that...$1000 dollars from WKRD Cards radio if you're selected to provide yor score and pick and you nail it on the get. I probably can't participate for the money since I appear on the Howie's show...but I offered 53-50 Cards on radio this morning.

You can go to 790krd.com and select the button that says Pick Contest to enter theirs. 



paulie
xxxxx 

Molly Lockhart commits to WBB...WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Happy Wednesday Cards fans! With each passing day we edge closer to the start of the fall sports season. If you're like me, you have a calendar of the next few month's laid out for every game. If not, you can always listen to THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR on Saturdays and get the scheduling for the week. 

Women's soccer had their media shoot yesterday. If you're familiar with Snapchat, you can see some behind the scenes of the shoot at the UofL Sports Snapchat story for much of the remainder of the day. These incredibly designed posters should be coming out soon and we are exactly one week away from the start of the UofL women's soccer season! 

I wonder if we can find room for a poster at the WCHQ studios? We hate to take down Asia Durr's but maybe we'll find an unused wall and not have to. 

Volleyball released some pictures and videos of the inside of Cardinal Arena. It is really starting to come together. I understand Worldwide Jeff has already spotted his seat in the new configuration and is camped out in it -- waiting for first volley. It won't be long before fans pack the refurbished facility to cheer on a new era in Louisville Volleyball. 

As previously mentioned in several articles here, I want to extend congratulations to the UofL swimmers that helped USA win the world championship. UofL finished third out of the many colleges and universities that participated and Kelsi Worrell and Mallory Comerford added to their already impressive collection of award and trophies. 

Molly (on right) 

Some buzz surrounded the UofL women's basketball program last night with Louisville Butler's star Molly Lockhart committed to the 2018 class. She's 6'3" and has really been tearing up the summer club ball circuits. Supposedly she was asked how she felt, on a scale of 1-10 about the announcement, and she replied "10,000". That's strong stuff and a great get for the WBB Cards. Jump on Twitter and send her a "welcome aboard" message at @mollylockhartt

Paulie describes her as a "Sam Fuehring" proto-type -- Sam was All-American, so that's a pretty nice tag, right? 

Until next time, Go Cards!


Jared Anderson