Saturday Cardinal Couple -- Is it time to start giving college credit hours to college student athletes?

SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Play for credit hours? 

- Radio today

- Show Monny the money

With the recent academic fraud issues surfacing at Notre Dame, I started thinking about the role of the student-athlete in college. A young lady may accept a partial scholarship to play softball at a certain school. Over the next four years, she will put in thousands of hours each school year practicing, playing in games, travelling with the team and doing public service, promotional and charity work for the team and University. 

How many credit hours will she receive towards graduation?

Zero. 

When I attended school, we were required to take (2) classes in physical education. I chose badminton and golf. I got 2 credit hours for considerably less work performed than the fictional softball player listed above. I haven't played badminton since and I gave up golf 10 years ago.  

Would it be that bad of an idea to grant (3) credit hours per semester to a student-athlete that participates on the softball or rowing or football team?

3 hours per semester, 2 semesters a year, 4 years. 24 credit hours...or about 1/5 needed toward a bachelors' degree. 

The student is definitely spending more than 1/5 of their total college stay in the field and is also helping raise revenue for the university by being a member of a squad that may raise money for the university by paid admissions to events, NCAA appearances or television revenue. 

While it is probably true that most individual athletic programs operate in the "red" instead of the "black"...how much money does the history or biology major bring into the university (besides tuition?) 

Make it pass/fail to simplify it. (I can't imagine Jeff Walz at the end of the semester trying to decide if Emmonnie gets a "A" or "B" grade).

Third and fourth year college students get credit hours for independent study classes. Is taking your team to the NCAA Regionals enough to warrant 3 credit hours? Or working on your mid-range jumper 4 hours a day? Chemistry students do lab work to advance their knowledge and skills. Can sinking 100 free throws be classified as lab work? 

Your thoughts? 

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CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO broadcasts at 11 a.m. today. We'll review the happenings in hoops, field hockey, soccer and we have a nice segment from Karen Ferguson Dayes on women's soccer. 

Join us...won't you?

LINK:

FALL SPORTS ARE HERE...GIVE A CHEER !!

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A couple of years with Jeff Walz can pay some huge dividends. 

Monny Niamke is the latest WBB Card to sign a pro contract...signing with Lyon Basket Feninin in the first division of France's Women's Basketball League for the

2014-15 season.

France seems to fit her quite well...she was selected to the U-18 and U-19 French National teams in high school and won All-Tournament honors in the European Championships.

She transferred to Louisville after a year at Lindsey Wilson...sitting out a season and then averaging 1.3 points and 1.3 assists in 31 games last year. 

paulie 

Monday Cardinal Couple -- Streaky Cards take 71-51 win over SMU

MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Shoni's 18 leads Louisville past stubborn SMU

Senior Louisville guard Shoni Schimmel scored 18 points and Bria Smith and Sara Hammond joined her in double figures as Louisville women's basketball improved their record to 13-1 with a 71-51 win over SMU Sunday afternoon in the KFC YUM! Center.

It took the Cards awhile to get untracked in the first game of the AAC regular schedule. Although UofL was having success in keeping conference-leading scorer guard Kenna Mays quiet, forward Akil Simpson was having a career game against Louisville. Simpson scored the first bucket of the game, her jumper pulled SMU within two at 10-8 at the 15:18 mark and she had 10 of the Mustang's first 13 points after two free throws with 11:53 on the clock to cut Louisville's lead to 14-13.

SMU would still be challenging the Cards with 7:59 left in the first half...a Kiara Perry layup gave the Dallas visitors a 23-21 lead.

The final eight minutes of the half belonged to Louisville.

Three Sara Hammond scores and four points from Emmonnie Henderson pushed Louisville out to a 34-26 lead over the next five minutes. Sara and "E" would score again and back-to-back Shoni threes had the Cards ahead 44-30 with 84 ticks left on the clock. Megan Deines converted on a plus-one to give UofL their largest lead of the half at 47-30 and the Cards took a 47-32 lead to the locker room.

Louisville had held the 20 point + Mays to four points on 2-7 shooting...and had shut down Simpson after her big start.

The Cards continued the hot streak when the final half began. A 10-0 run to begin play, keyed by three straight Bria Smith scores, had Louisville comfortably ahead 57-32 with five minutes gone. The Cards captured the next five minute segment 6-1 and Cortnee Walton's layup put Louisville in command 63-33 with 10:52 left in the game.

SMU finally hit their first basket of the second half 18 seconds later and actually outscored the Cards 18-8 the rest of the way...but it was too little, too late for the Mustangs...who were plagued by 27.6% shooting in the final twenty.

Mays finished with just seven points on 3-13 shooting...going 1-6 from beyond the arc. The Mustangs did force Louisville into 18 turnovers for the game but went a woeful 1-18 from three-point range.

Jeff Walz distributed the court time evenly Sunday...no Card getting more than 29 minutes or less than 11. Guard Monny Niamke continued to impress off the bench...she's the best defensive stopper of Louisville guards and a little more time spent learning the Louisville offensive patterns and sets would bode well for her.

Emmonnie Henderson gave a strong performance with six points in 11 minutes to lead the bench...if, in fact, it can be said that there are any "bench" players on this team. Walz brought in Niamke, Walton, Dyer and Gibbs with just 4:01 gone in the first half and all the Cardinals played at least five minutes in the first twenty. The liberal substitution pattern continued in the final twenty...Asia Taylor, Walton, Niamke, Deines and Henderson were on the court when the game ended.

Louisville heads to Philly next for a 4 p.m. New Year's Day game against the Temple Owls.

THE FINAL WORD

- Shoni Schimmel passed Monique Reid and Kristin Mattox Sunday to become fourth on the all-time scoring list for Louisville. She's had a great last two games...averaging 24 points per contest. Next, Jazz Covington...68 points away.

- The Cards were outscored 7-1 in the final four minutes of Sunday's game...the final three of those minutes with the Schimmel sisters on the bench.

- Puzzling is Asia Taylor's recent performances. After a commanding start to the season, she produced only four points and four rebounds in sixteen minutes.

- Two Cards finished with double-doubles Sunday...Bria Smith and Sara Hammond. It was Smith's third career double-double and career record in rebounding with 11.

- Stay away from the TV, Jeff.

When asked if he caught either of the UofL games Saturday, Coach Walz explained he was at a family Christmas get-together and saw bits and pieces of the games. He didn't catch any football until it was 22-2. Maybe we can get him to quit watching men's basketball in entirety.

- Louisville's 24 points in the second half were the lowest point production in a half this season. Maybe they were worried about the Bears game? To their credit, they did hold SMU to just 19 points in the final half.


Paulie

A New Game

TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

( COLUMNIST AND RADIO PERSONALITY "WORLDWIDE" JEFF MCADAMS BRINGS US THE TUESDAY EDITION OF CARDINAL COUPLE AND INTRODUCES A NEW GAME TO US TODAY. WE THINK YOU'LL LIKE THIS GAME AS MUCH AS WE DO! )



I'd like to play a new game.  I'm going to call it, "What Does It Take..."  I think we're starting to find out some of the answers to this game, so now seems like a good time to start.

...For Emily Juhl to Get Recognition?

OK, its no secret that I'm a fan of Emily Juhl.  I've had the opportunity to get to know her a bit over the past few years, and have a great respect for her as a volleyball player and a person.

I'm thrilled, then, to see her start to get some of the recognition that she deserves.  Now, its not like she's been completely in the shadows, as she was one of the two UofL volleyball players to get The American Conference's preseason co-player of the year nod, along with Brooke Mattingly.  She has also made the weekly awards honor role once or twice.

Part of the reason she hasn't gotten quite as much attention in the volleyball arena is that she played the past two years at less than 100%...her sophomore year playing on a leg with stress fractures when UofL had, at times, only 9 players available for play.  After that season, quietly undergoing surgery...essentially the same surgery that garnered Kevin Ware a Top 10 list on Letterman...meaning that her junior season was spent at less than 100%, recovering.  Now that Juhl is back at 100%, she's tearing the court up, and finally starting to get the recognition that she deserves.

The American Conference graced Emily with a Player Of The Week this week...finally.  What did it take?  It took UofL winning two matches, both 3-0 sweeps, and in doing so clenching the conference championship and automatic NCAA tournament bid.  It took Emily hitting an error-free .509 with 27 kills on the weekend...stellar numbers for an outside hitter.  I'll point out that Juhl has seen time attacking from both the right and left side, and even on occasion, going up the middle, as well as getting called on for some back-row attacks at times as well.  She's not just an attacker, though, with 5 digs on the defensive side of the balance sheet this weekend, as well as getting credit for 3 total blocks, despite only being 5'10".  Oh, and let's not forget the two aces she added with her booming serve.  Essentially, Emily will do anything the team needs on the volleyball court...well, she would probably balk if you asked her to be a setter, but if the team really needed it, I'm sure she'd give it a try.

While we're talking about Volleyball honors

Maya McClendon has not had any trouble getting recognition from The American Conference, and well-deserved recognition it is.  Maya gets her sixth Freshman of the Week award from The AAC.  18 kills and 31 digs across the six sets that UofL played this weekend earned her another spot in her familiar role as the freshman with the most kills per set (3.33) in the conference.

...For Jude Schimmel to get Respect From Cardinal Couple Commenters

Sorry commenters, but I've been saying that many of you all have been short-selling Jude for a while now.  I'm just glad that so many of you are coming around on this issue.

Jude has had my respect for a while now.  IN addition to her role as the alpha in the attack yorkie pack where she has played lock-down defense since she first hit the KFC Yum! Center floor, we're now seeing the evidence that a 5'6" player can hold their own driving down the lane and shooting against players nearly a foot taller.  Let's not forget about the steady diet of rebounds by aggressively blocking out larger and taller players and having the court sense to be in the right place at the right time.  You do remember who it was that started the break that resulted in Shoni's backwards-shot-over-Griner and-one circus shot, right?  Yup, little sister Jude with the excellent block-out and outlet pass.  Oh yeah, she really should've gotten the foul call, too.  Take a look at the video if you don't remember it...you'll have to look quickly at the beginning because most of the video focuses on Shoni.

Now, let's remember this when we're talking about the coming emergence of 5'5" Monny Niamke and 5'6" Starr Breedlove as well as future recruiting classes.

( editor note: I COULDN'T AGREE MORE WITH JEFF'S ASSESSMENT OF JUDE SCHIMMEL. TALK ABOUT A BLUE COLLAR, WORKING CLASS HERO! SHE DOES THE JOB, DOES IT TO COMPLETION AND WITHOUT FANFARE OR THE ACCOLADES THAT OTHER PLAYERS RECEIVE. IT'S WHAT MAKES A TEAM GREAT...PLAYERS CONTRIBUTING FOR THE OVERALL GOOD OF THE SQUAD. AS RICK PITINO SAYS...YOU PLAY FOR THE NAME ON THE FRONT OF THE JERSEY, NOT THE BACK.)

-JEFF MCADAMS

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Party crashers turned party planners

WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

( JENNY O'BRYAN BRINGS US THE HUMP DAY EDITION OF CARDINAL COUPLE AND SHE SHARES HER OBSERVATIONS ON LOUISVILLE WBB'S 127-40 WIN OVER PIKEVILLE. )


Louisville Women’s Basketball played their lone exhibition game on Tuesday afternoon with close to 5,000 elementary school kids (and a few of us adults who braved the noise) in attendance.  The kids were incredibly loud through out the game, but none moreso than when One Direction came on the jumbo tron and when the Cardinals hit the 100 mark. 

As was expected, this was a lopsided affair. The starters for the Cards were Shoni Schimmel, Antonita Slaughter, Bria Smith, Asia Taylor and Cortnee Walton.  (These same 5 also started the second half.) The Cards started off on a 24-0 run and never looked back.  The halftime score was 67-14, with 11+ minutes left in the game the Cards hit the century mark, and at the buzzers merciful end the final was 127-40.  

From the start, Pikeville was outclassed.  That is expected in an exhibition game.    This win is no real indicator of how the team will do against stiffer competition, those tests are yet to come.  With that disclaimer, I will share my thoughts and highlights of the game. 

Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back !

Asia Taylor, Tia Gibbs and Shawnta Dyer all looked great back on the court. 

Actually, Asia looked phenomenal!  It is the best I can remember seeing her look on the court.  She was aggressive around the rim, on offense and defense.  She led the Cardinal scoring and notched a double-double with 19 pts. and 12 rebounds.   She was finishing at the rim, pulling down boards and playing an overall very strong game.   Her ability to move around traffic in the paint and get to the bucket is indicative of her athleticism.  Her pure athleticism is a thing of beauty.  I’d love to know where Coach ranks her, in terms of her athleticism, compared to players he has coached.    Asia remaining healthy and this active over the course of the season will be a key to the Cardinals success. 

Hard to believe I have watched Gibbs on the sidelines more than I have on the court.  This young woman has battled such adversity.  I will be honest and say that I did not expect to see a healthy Tia back on the court.   I have never doubted her ability or willingness and desire, however, I have doubted her body.   She played with such enthusiasm and gusto, as if she knows this is her last chance.  Her first shot attempt was a made 3pt shot.  She would hit several more of those before the days end.  More importantly though, was her activity and movement on the court.  She was directing traffic with some of the younger guards, setting screens , and overall just busy on defense.   While I expected to see her markedly slower than her teammates, I did not really observe that.    Gibbs brings such confidence, poise, maturity and leadership to the team.  She is a role model for her teammates on and off the court (she will graduate with her MBA this year).   If Gibbs can remain healthy this year we fans are in for a real treat.  I expect there will not be a single moment that she is on the court giving anything less than 110%, knowing this is her swan dance. 

Shawnta Dyer was a favorite of mine her sophomore season, which was a redshirt freshman year for her (having a heel issue her first year here).  It was so good to see her on the court.  She has the ability to be a very dominant post player on both sides of the ball.   She is wearing a very bulky knee brace, and it was evident that she has been off of the court for a year.  However, she still showed that fierceness of getting inside and going to the bucket.  She ended up with 14 points on the day.  Dyer is interesting to me.  I often look at the scoreboard and am in utter surprise at her points tallied.  She is not flashy, but she is a workhorse.  She gets out there and quietly goes about the task at hand.  Before you know it, she is second in scoring on the day.  Keeping Dyer healthy will give this team continued and added depth in the post.  Without a true center on the team (Sherronne Vails is out for the season with a knee injury) the combination of Taylor, Dyer, Hammond, Walton and freshman Emmonnie Henderson will be doing all the work in the paint.  These players provide a solid combination of strength, power, and athleticism to anchor the team.  This was sorely missing from last years team that was hobbled with injuries.  Dyer healthy makes this team all the more dangerous come March.   

A box score for this game is at the end of the article.  There was not an obscene amount of fouls called, so, early indications are that the team is adjusting to the new hand check rules. 

Monny Niamke is a point guard who sat out last year due to her transfer from Lindsay Wilson.  All I can say about her is that she has speed, handles and was not deterred from getting to the basket.  Starr Breedlove is another guard, and new to the team, who also showed cat-like quickness.  I thought Jude Schimmel was fast last season.  I would love to see the 3 of them in a footrace.  While close, my money is on Breedlove.  Breedlove also seems to be very athletic. 

Emmonnie Henderson made her debut as a Cardinal on her birthday.  During a time out, while in the huddle, the fans sang Happy Birthday to her.  Not sure how in tune to that she was, as Coach Walz was his busy self with the team gathered.  Henderson is a strong, physical presence in the paint.  I expect, as is true for post players adjusting to the college game, we will see the real attributes she brings to the game during her sophomore season, much like we did with Hammond.   That being said she will be a huge presence in the paint for years to come.  She seemed to struggle hitting some gimmees near the basket, yet she stepped out to the elbow and drained a shot.   Her strength in pulling down rebounds will be invaluable as she adjusts to the physicality and speed of the college game.  I am so excited to see Henderson play and develop under Coach Walz.  She has all the tools to be a huge contributor for this program for years to come. 

Of course, the team as a whole looked good.  They played hard the entire game, never taking their foot off of the gas.  That was a welcomed sight, knowing full well that last season they were plagued with mental absences from the game far too often.    Any lack of mention of a players contribution is not indicative of how they played, but I more wanted to showcase today the newcomers and what we can look forward to with them. 

Dyer (14 points, five rebounds) and Gibbs (11 points, four assists) were among eight double-figure scorers for U of L.

Of course Shoni showed some flare, Jude got in on the sister act and was the recipient of a transition, beautiful behind the back, no look pass that she finished for two.  Hammond and Slaughter were both really pulling down boards.  Smith looked steady, Walton looks stronger and she and Deines both look more confident in their game. 

My friends, I think this season has the opportunity to be very special.   This team appears to be clicking on all cylinders and has the chemistry and confidence in each other that I did not always see last year (certainly I did see it by the end of the season).  However, starting the season with that kind of confidence is exciting and I think it is going to make for a very fun season. 

It all gets started on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7:00 p.m..  The team is talking about unfinished business.  They played today like they meant that.   Last season they were dubbed the party crashers, this season I believe they intend to be the party planners.   (Paulie stole that from someone, and I like it, so I stole it from him.)

If you do not have your season tickets yet, now is the time to get them.  It is going to be a fantastic year for women’s basketball; you are not going to want to miss a minute of it.   I look forward to seeing you at The YUM!

 

jennyobryan

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PIKEVILLE vs Louisville (11/5/13 at KFC Yum! Center Louisville, KY) Box Score Play-by-Play Official Basketball Box Score Official Basketball Box Score PIKEVILLE vs Louisville 11/5/13 11:06AM at KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, KY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VISITORS: PIKEVILLE TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 32 Cheyenne Madden..... f 1-2 0-0 1-2 2 3 5 2 3 0 1 0 0 25 00 Christin Haney...... g 1-7 1-7 0-0 1 0 1 0 3 2 3 0 0 26 11 Brogan Conley....... g 2-6 2-5 0-0 0 0 0 1 6 0 2 0 0 14 23 Jayme Jackson....... g 2-6 2-5 0-0 0 1 1 3 6 3 3 0 1 28 42 Callisha Johnson.... g 2-12 0-3 0-0 1 0 1 5 4 0 4 0 0 13 02 Kayla Day........... 0-2 0-1 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 7 12 Patrice Tonge....... 1-3 1-3 0-0 0 2 2 1 3 0 3 0 0 16 13 Kandice Porter...... 0-2 0-0 0-2 1 4 5 1 0 0 2 1 1 17 14 Lelanda Matthews.... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 22 Breanna Fraley...... 0-1 0-1 1-2 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 0 0 5 24 Kelah Eldridge...... 1-4 1-3 2-2 0 1 1 0 5 2 6 0 0 21 25 Courtney Haney...... 0-2 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 31 Brittany Swindall... 4-7 1-1 0-0 3 4 7 3 9 0 1 0 0 18 TEAM................ 1 1 2 2 Totals.............. 14-54 8-30 4-8 10 16 26 16 40 8 33 1 2 200 TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 5-24 20.8% 2nd Half: 9-30 30.0% Game: 25.9% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-12 16.7% 2nd Half: 6-18 33.3% Game: 26.7% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 2-5 40.0% 2nd Half: 2-3 66.7% Game: 50.0% 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOME TEAM: Louisville TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 13 Walton, Cortnee..... f 5-5 0-0 1-1 2 3 5 2 11 0 2 0 1 18 31 Taylor, Asia........ f 6-9 1-2 6-7 7 5 12 0 19 1 0 0 3 15 04 Slaughter, Antonita. g 3-6 0-1 1-3 1 6 7 1 7 3 0 0 1 15 21 Smith, Bria......... g 1-9 0-0 1-1 0 0 0 0 3 3 1 1 2 13 23 Schimmel, Shoni..... g 5-10 2-7 0-0 0 2 2 1 12 7 0 0 2 16 00 Hammond, Sara....... 4-6 1-1 2-3 2 2 4 1 11 0 1 0 1 13 02 Niamke, Monny....... 2-3 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 0 4 1 0 0 1 12 10 Breedlove, Starr.... 3-3 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 2 6 2 3 0 1 12 12 Dyer, Shawnta'...... 6-8 0-0 2-2 2 3 5 3 14 1 1 1 3 17 15 Deines, Megan....... 3-4 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 6 4 0 1 1 21 22 Schimmel, Jude...... 4-6 2-2 0-0 0 2 2 1 10 7 0 0 1 17 25 Gibbs, Tia.......... 4-7 3-6 0-0 1 4 5 2 11 4 0 0 3 15 32 Henderson, Emmonnie. 6-12 0-0 1-2 5 3 8 3 13 0 0 1 0 16 TEAM................ 2 2 Totals.............. 52-88 9-19 14-19 21 33 54 16 127 33 8 4 20 200 TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 28-46 60.9% 2nd Half: 24-42 57.1% Game: 59.1% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 6-12 50.0% 2nd Half: 3-7 42.9% Game: 47.4% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 5-7 71.4% 2nd Half: 9-12 75.0% Game: 73.7% 4

JENNY O'BRYAN

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Saturday Cardinal Couple -- Moore, please!

SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- WATCH THIS VIDEO

-RISK VS REWARD: High stakes

We have talked the last couple of days about the verbal commitment of Mariya Moore to the University of Louisville women's basketball team. Please take a look at the video above and you'll see why Jenny, Jeff and I are so excited about the arrival of the Richmond, CA guard next year on the UofL campus. Passing, shooting, driving to the hoop....Ms. Moore looks like she can do it all...and do it quite easily.

And, after watching the clip...it'll be obvious to you, as well, that she's excited about her decision to become a Cardinal! Also, using Phil Collins music in a vid will always get a big "thumbs up" from
Paulie.

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So, your a coach...there's a talented ballplayer out there at another college or university and they've decided to leave. This player has an interest in YOUR school to transfer to. Do you make that plunge...using up a scholarship that might be used on a promising high school senior?

LOUISVILLE FOOTBALL HEAD COACH Charlie Strong recently made that call, bringing in talented running back Michael Dyer. Looking at Louisville women's basketball in the same vein, let's recall a few of the decisions made at Louisville over the past few years.

CANDYCE BINGHAM

She was a bona fide hoopster at Louisville Manual High School but ended up at Xavier University instead of UofL. Two seasons there and then the decision to leave. Would her hometown university have any interest in the forward...who had been a marginal player for the Musketeers? Tom Collen said yes. She was a junior, coming off a redshirt year...when Jeff Walz took over the program.

WE all know how that one turned out. MOM ( and the Crazy Aunt ) led Louisville to 60 wins in two years, two appearances in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen and the NCAA Championship game in the 2008-08 season. The decision to agree to the proposed transfer paid off in gold.

TONI SLAUGHTER

Nita Slaughter's big sister was a All-State performer at Shelby County High School. But it was Cincinnati that got her verbal and talents. She was another that Tom Collen brought on board. Although she wasn't a regular starter for the Cards, her off-the-bench performances spark plugged the Lady Cards to 46 wins in her two years and paved the way for "little sis" to create an interest in the Ville and verbal when she was a freshman in high school.

Once again, the gamble returned a profit. If Toni had stayed at UC, would Nita be there now? Hard to say...but I'm sure that Jamelle Elliott wouldn't have minded having a unconscious three point expert bombing them in at the "Shoe"

CIERRA WARREN

Warren was a highly sought after and talented post from California that started her journey at North


Carolina. Mired deep in the rotation and not getting much playing time, she wanted out. Jeff Walz needed height and numbers in the paint. Warren looked legit. The transfer was completed and she sat out a year before donning the red and black.

(Photos and collage by Charlie Springer)

 

Initially, it looked like a good call. 18 points in 12 minutes in her debut against Missouri State. 12 points against Texas A&M and Kelsey Bone. Walz looked like a genius. Double figures in the next three games against EKU, Xavier and Austin Peay. She looked solidly entrenched in the paint when the Cards got ready to go into BIG EAST conference play.

Then, the time and the point production waned. Louisville took a 86-61 drubbing against DePaul in Chicago. Warren came in for mop-up duty and scored 14 points late.

She never played for the Cards again.

Rumors of a heated, players-only meeting surfaced. Allegations that her work ethic did not meet the level of the rest of the team's. Several days after the loss to DePaul, Warren went to Walz's office and informed him she did not want to play for Louisville and more and sought a transfer. It was granted.


She ended up at San Diego State. She'll be eligible to play this season. Closer to home for her and arriving at a school that recruited her heavily when she was in high school.

We wish her the best.

Risk vs. reward. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn't. Some players who have transferred out of the UofL program have gone on and performed well at other schools. Some have fallen off the radar.

In the words of Nicky the Fingers:

"You rolls the dice and ya takes yer chances."

Transfers into the program this year are Monny Niamke, Starr Breedlove and Janelle Cannon. WE hope those "rolls" come up 7 or 11 each time and provide huge payoffs.

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CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO this morning in just a few hours. Going over my pre-show notes, as I usually do on Saturday morning, I'm reading that we've got three coaches' clips, basketball recruiting, volleyball, lacrosse, ex-Cardinals in new gigs, a quiz for Jeff, Jenny and our listeners, BUD GOODE, DON PAULIE, Believe It Or Don't and....holy cow! How will we ever get it all in?

In olden days, sometimes my brother and I would put a 33 1/3 album on the turntable of the stereo and play it at 45 RPM. WE may have to resort to that today to get everything in. Join us at 11 on Crescent Hill Radio.Link below.

DANCING MADLY BACKWARD ON A SPORTS PLATFORM

Don't forget to click on the "LISTEN NOW" button.

Join us, wont you?



-Paulie

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Tuesday Cardinal Couple - 10 seconds? About time!

TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-NCAA WBB installs 10 second rule. Will it matter?

We've discussed the new rule in NCAA women's college basketball previously here at CARDINAL COUPLE. 10 seconds to advance the ball over the half court line. Just like the rest of the world is doing. Will it make a difference? And how will the coaches and players adjust to it?

Unlike their male counterparts, who have a 35 second shot-clock..the women have 30 seconds to get a shot off when in the offense set. It obviously creates more possessions in a game. And, if a team uses all 10 second to advance the ball into the offensive court...you have 20 seconds to get into a offensive set and try to score.

A lot of times last year, it really didn't matter for the UofL WBB squad. Jeff Walz and his staff are firm believers in opportunistic, transition basketball. Shoni Schimmel and Nita Slaughter haven't met a shot they didn't like from beyond the three-point mark. Bria Smith would dribble through a backup on the Watterson Expressway at 4:30 p.m. for a chance to get in the paint and attempt a close-in shot.

Be courteous if you see Bria on the expressway.

On the rare occasions where Louisville dallied in crossing the time line, it was either a guard getting instructions from Coach Walz on the set to run or merely a clock-killing maneuver.  Full court pressure by an opponent never seemed to bother the Lady Cards.



One of the biggest complaints we fielded here at the site last year was over the Kentucky-Louisville game last year. The Cards enjoyed a double-digit lead in the second half, but took their time getting into the offensive set near the game (according to some of you). You told us this took Louisville out of their rhythm that they had used to build the lead. A recent re-watching of the contest showed me that, although the Cards were deliberate at times in getting the offense in motion...it was missed shots by Louisville and the clutch play from a certain UK freshman that put an "L" in the Cardinal column that afternoon.

You score more points than the opponent, you win. Neither team scored over 50 in that contest...a sorry offensive performance in a game that was dominated and dictated by defense.

You can miss shots with three seconds or thirteen on the

shot clock, folks. And, offensive rebounding of the misses was lacking as well by the Lady Cards. I seriously doubt that the extended time it took Louisville to advance the ball over the half-court timeline in the second half was the contributing factor in the loss to the Wildcats in that game.

Thank you for allowing me to vent.

The 10-second rule will be brutal on Cardinal opponents who don't have the ball-handlers or guard efficiency to handle a full-court press that Louisville could very well employ to set up a transition offense. We like this. How will it effect the Cards if they are the object of full-court defensive pressure?

Probably not much. The Cards used a three-guard set quite extensively last season in their march to the title game (Jude, Shoni, Bria). They are adequate ball-handlers. Add guards Tia Gibbs, Starr Breedlove, Janelle Cannon and Monny Niamke to that mix and Jeff Walz has plenty of options to shake off man-to-man or zone full-court pressure after a made basket or out-of bounds possession.

So, in summation...don't expect the addition of the 10-second clock to tilt the apple cart of NCAA WBB hoops. What it will mandate is that coaches work extensively with all players on improving their ball-handling skills.


If anything, it gives a trailing team late in a contest, a new opportunity to get back into a contest if they can press and defend well and create turnovers and clock violations.

You can rest assured the Lady Cards have been working hard in the off-season to capitalize on the new rule. And that should create a lot of fun moments of UofL fans in the upcoming season.

Paulie

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Tuesday Cardinal Couple -- The Forgotten Four: How will they return?

TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-What can UofL WBB expect out of Dyer, Taylor, Gibbs and Niamke?

-WBB will play WKU in Bowling Green

They were four of fourteen on the squad last year but didn't dress for the BIG EAST or NCAA Tournament runs. They were all starters at one point in their collegiate careers but now find themselves finding five starters in front of them from the national NCAA runner-up team.

I'm speaking, of course...of Asia Taylor, Tia Gibbs, Shawnta Dyer and Monny Niamke. What will their impact be on a squad that is deep in talent at each position?

Let's look at their bios so far and what they might bring

-Tia Gibbs

The former Louisville Butler, 2008 Miss Kentucky Basketball guard has been on campus almost as long as Jeff Walz. After spending a freshman year at Vanderbilt, Gibbs transferred and sat out a season before turning in a spectacular 2010-11 campaign. Then, one game into the 2011-12 year, she injured a shoulder that sidelined her. Along with a hip injury, Gibbs comeback has been highly anticipated for two years now by Lady Cards fans. She led Louisville in steals in 2010-11. Scored in double figures in 16 games. Shot 81.1% from the free throw line.

Will she return to such numbers in the 2013-14 season? Probably not...but Coach Walz would probably gladly settle for half as much and a solid 10 minutes a game if she's still got it in her. Energy. Leadership. Defense. Those will be the three keys for Gibbs. Torn shoulder labrum, torn hip labrum...but un-torn and un-waivering desire to compete.

- Asia Taylor

Watching game film on her from her 2008-2009 senior season in high school had me convinced she just might be the next Angel McCoughtry. A devastating leg injury ended her senior season, though...and she played basically on one good leg her first year as a Cardinal. She started roughly half of the games in her first three years here before sitting out the 2012-13 schedule with (you guessed it) a hip injury.

At her best, Taylor is a ferocious defender and scoring threat inside who goes to the boards strong and probably had the best vertical of anyone on the team when she was healthy in 2011-2012.  If she can give Louisville strong, solid support on the front line as a dependable back-up at the "4" or "5" and consistantly hit a mid-range jumper...then her 10-12 minutes a game will be productive for Walz.

And, she's Sonja's favorite player on the team. Important stuff...

- Shawnta Dyer

Another hard-luck victim with two injuries since she's been here...ACL most recently and a fractured heel before she ever played a game as a Cardinal. The Shawnta we saw in the 2012-13 season before the knee injury was a hard-working, aggressive paint player on both ends of the court who scored well inside and abused defenders who decided not to "front" her.

That needs to come back if Dyer is to have any major impact on the 2013-14 successes for the Lady Cards. When she's "on"...she's hard to keep off the glass and away from the hoop. Reports are she's ready to go and near 100%.

- Monny Niamke

She was the sure-fire, can't miss guard headed from France to Louisville that all of a sudden ended up at Lindsey Wilson. The year of hoops there, though, gave her a wealth of experience at point guard. She averaged 12.5 ppg and led the team in assists during that 2011-12 season before finally ending up at Louisville and redshirting last season.

How will her skills translate to Division I? She is a better than average defender and quick...two skills desired at point guard. She's proven she can be a scorer...on a roster that is knee-deep in guards, though (no pun intended) one has to wonder just how many minutes she'll get as a back up or if there is the remotest of a chance she'd get a starting nod? Point guards need to be excellent ball-handlers and accurate distributors of the orb. We'll see how "Money's" skills are after a year on the shelf.  

We look forward to seeing all four mentioned above having healthy, productive and fun seasons for Coach Walz. On a roster that has so much talent and five returning starters...the competition for playing time is going to be quite a battle and fun to watch...

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Slowly, but surely...we're getting news about the non-conference schedule for the Louisville womens' basketball team.

Jeff Walz will take the platoon of Cardinals down I-65 for an early season matchup with Western Kentucky on Wednesday, November 27th. for a game in E.A. Diddle Arena. The 7 p.m. CST contest falls the day before Thanksgiving (and Hanukkah).

Sounds like a good opportunity for UofL Fastbreak Club or Marketing to get together a bus trip, right? Talk to us, A.J.

The Hilltoppers are coached by former UofL assistant Michelle Clark Heard and two former Lady Cards are on staff with her...assistant coach Candyce Bingham and staffer Laura Terry.

Wow...the Festival of Lights, cranberry sauce, Big Red and Cardinal hoops all in a 24 hour period. Let's hope the Cards don't end up being the "turkey"...

-Paulie

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