Jude Schimmel invited to Dallas WNBA tryout camp -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

WILL THERE BE A BOOK ABOUT THIS?

If you are unfamiliar with the Dallas Wings WNBA franchise...don't beat yourself up over it. It is their first year of existence in the Lone Star state. Previously known as the Tulsa Shock and the Detroit Shock prior to that...they've re-landed in a community that has taken a great initial interest in them and provides a in-state rival now for San Antonio. 

The highly contested move (at least for the Tulsa folks) comes after they had their first over .500 record in the Tulsa portion of the franchise history in 2015. They also made the WNBA playoffs. An injury to Diggins slowed them down considerably...but they were showing signs of finally being competitive. 

They'll play in the beautiful University of Texas-Arlington College Park Center and former Louisville point guard Jude Schimmel will attend the tryouts beginning April 23rd. 

Schimmel faces a tough test in trying to make a roster that has Skylar Diggins and Odyssey Sims at starting guards with back ups Brianna Kiesel and Brittany Hrynko.

A WNBA squad will normally bring in 18-20 players to compete for the 10-11 spots available on the roster...the majority of these either from last year's team or with previous WNBA or European experience. 

Schimmel was a four year player for UofL and complied these stats as a Card:

Career Rankings
10th in assists with 392
7th in steals with 221
Tied for 9th in games played with 135
Tied for 1st in NCAA Tournament games played with 15


A tough challenge for Shoni's sister...no doubt. One wonders if there might be a possible book in the future on the experience? 

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Don't forget today is national banana day. Our staff chimps are going ga-ga over this...you can be assured. What's your favorite banana consumption style? Right out of the peel? In a smoothie or shake? Banana pancakes? Are bananas foster or a banana creme pie your style? We're big favorites of banana pudding and banana bread here at CARDINAL COUPLE and if you've never had an Elvis-style banana and peanut butter sandwich, you're missing out. 

We're going bananas here at the Couple today. We hope your Wednesday a"peels" to you as well...




paulie
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Dream down Shock in battle of losing streaks -- Monday Cardinal Couple

ANGEL, SHONI COMBINE FOR 35 IN 98-90 WIN OVER TULSA

Atlanta traveled to Tulsa Sunday riding a five game losing streak. Not to be outdone, the Shock had a eight game losing streak on the books...including four in a row at home. A home that looks like it's headed to Dallas next season. Someone was going to win this one and it turned out to be Atlanta.

The Dream produced their highest point total of the season and got five in double figures...including 23 from former Cards Angel McCoughtry and 13 for Shoni Schimmel to improve their record to 8-14. 

Both Angel and Shoni drew the start in a game that saw Atlanta jump out to a 23-19 first quarter lead. McCoughtry nailed a three in the second quarter that started a  19-8 run which gave the Dream a 50-38 lead with less than a minute to go in the second quarter. 

Riquna Williams wasn't ready to let this one slip away for beleaguered Tulsa (10-13) though...pouring in 35 points. Her three-ball with 7:24 left in the third quarter got the Shock within one...but a 15-6 Atlanta run over the next three minutes made it 69-59 and the Shock never threatened again. 

The game had several interesting matchups....Tulsa's Fred Williams (the former Atlanta coach) going up against his old squad and a rematch of Angel vs. former Oklahoma great Courtney "I'll pay back my scholarship if we lose to Louisville" Paris. Shoni also got reacquainted with former Baylor foe Odyssey Sims.

Atlanta wins for just the third time on the road this season but the Dream face a difficult challenge on Friday when they return home to host the Minnesota Lynx...who are atop the Western Conference.  

Despite the losing record, the Dream aren't quite in the WNBA cellar yet...both San Antonio and L.A. have just seven wins and Seattle a mere five victories.


paulie
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Monday Cardinal Couple -- WNBA analysis and comments from "G dub"

MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

( We are fortunate today to have (and present)... WNBA coverage from our talented West Coast associate and writer Gary Witherspoon. Since we are prone to hand out nicknames around here at CARDINAL COUPLE...we have tagged him with the "G DUB" nickname. A seriously good aritcle awaits you below. Enjoy!    -- paulie)  

The 2014 WNBA Draft and Rookie Debuts

Of all the 2014 WNBA draftees, only two had really significant impacts for their teams in their first game. They were Natasha Howard and Shoni Schimmel. Natasha Howard (FSU) played 33 minutes, had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 6 blocked shots for Indiana against the Chicago Sky. Shoni played 31 minutes, just three minutes less than the Dream's big stars Erika D. and Angel M. And Shoni was not just on the floor learning; she was running the offense, directing traffic, leading the fast break and making key decisions and plays in crunch time. She scored 7 points in the fourth quarter in a game won by the Dream 79-75. Shoni also had three rebounds and two steals. In her first WNBA game, Shoni tied a franchise record with 11 assists.

Chiney Ogwumike. played 32 minutes for the Connecticut Sun, had 13 points with 5 rebounds for a team that needs a lot of help. Kayla McBride played 22 minutes, had 6 points on 1-6 from the field, and had one rebound and one assist. Alyssa Thomas scored 7 points for the Sun in 22 minutes. Stefanie Dolson scored 6 points and had 4 rebounds in 18 minutes for the Mystics. Bria Hartley scored only 4 points in 18 minutes, and was 1-5 from the field. All these players were drafted ahead of Shoni, and all but Dolson and Hartley were drafted ahead of Natasha Howard.

Asia Taylor played well in 12 minutes as a role player for the champion Lynx, going 1-3 from the field and 2-2 from the line. Tricia Liston of Duke did not score in 2 minutes for the Lynx. Liston was drafted in the first round, and Asia Taylor was the last player taken in the third round. It is interesting to see in retrospect just how smart all the media and team draft analysts were.

While one night does not make a season, the nights Natasha Howard and Shoni had cannot be attributed to an accident or to a one night of hot shooting. They showed that they are impact players with talent and savvy in multiple phases of the game. They will be challenged down the line as teams design defenses to stop or restrict them, but they showed that they are certainly not over their heads in the WNBA. Some of the 2014 draftees who did not do so well may develop into impact players, but it is always interesting at the outset to see how the games of various players translate to the next level.

It was also interesting to see how Kara Lawson performed after critiquing all these college players and teams for ESPN the last several years. She had two points on 1-6 shooting in 26 minutes for the Mystics. Despite not playing well, I do like Kara as an analyst. She is so much better than most of the people at ESPN on the women's side.

Update One:

The second night of WNBA play re-enforced my observation (and that of others as well) that Natasha Howard and Shoni Schimmel are the two players in the 2014 draft who are going to have the greatest immediate impact on their teams and the WNBA. Following up on their remarkable first night performances, both players came up with even more impressive second night performances.

Against Shoni and the Dream, Howard played 41 minutes (most on her team), went 10-13 from the field, 1-4 from the line, had 21 points with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Though still not starting, Shoni played 44 of the 50 minute double overtime game, getting her first WNBA double-double by scoring 17 points (7-14 with 3 of 7 three pointers) and dishing out 10 assists, with none more important than the assist to Angel McCoughtry for the game winner in double overtime.

Angel McCoughtry’s performance in this game was nothing short of overwhelming. After flying in from Turkey on a long mid-week flight, Angel played 34 minutes Friday night, scoring 21 points with 6 rebounds and five assists. She plays with such intensity and abandon that her body took a beating in that game. Then she comes back the next night after traveling to Indiana and does not start because she is tired and her body is hurting. However, her team starts slow and falls behind quickly. The coach then immediately puts the Louisville duo in the game, and Angel comes up with a game for the ages when it was easy to see she was extremely tired and in a lot of pain.

Angel played 39 minutes with as much guts, grit and talent as one will ever see, scoring 27 points on 9-15 from the field, 2 of 3 from beyond the arc, and 7 of 8 from the line. She also had 5 assists and 6 steals, and hit the game winner from three in the last 10 seconds of a game where both teams were extremely tired and combined for 48 turnovers. Nevertheless, both teams also combined for 43 assists and 50% shooting in a remarkable display of heart, toughness, endurance and talent.



 

Update Two:

The second night of WNBA play also saw the debut of the much heralded Odyssey Sims who played 22 minutes for the Tulsa Shock, scoring 6 points on 1-11 from the field. She also had 3 rebounds and one assist. With the second night in the books, all WNBA rookies have now made their debut (with the exception of two injured players, Gray and Achonwa), and still only Natasha Howard and Shoni Schimmel have had outstanding debuts that show their performances are going to immediately and significantly impact their teams and the WNBA.

I suspect Chiney Ogwumike will have some strong performances for her team soon. I would also not be surprised if Kayla McBride and Stefanie Dolson have strong rookie seasons, but I do expect O. Sims’ me-first kind of game to not translate well to the WNBA while playing along side of Skylar Diggins. However, Sims is very talented and I predict she will eventually be one of the top guards in the WNBA.

Of the 12 players taken in the third round of the WNBA draft, only three, Asia Taylor, Theresa Plaisance and Jamiera Faulkner, are still with their teams. Taylor and Faulkner have played significant minutes for their teams, but Plaisance has not yet seen the court.

Taylor played six minutes Sunday in the Lynx overtime win over Phoenix and grabbed four rebounds in the 90-87 Minnesota win. The Lynx played only eight players in the game. Three Minnesota players are out with knee injuries.

The most puzzling draft performance was done by the Seattle Storm. They passed on a chance to take local NW favorite Shoni Schimmel, and instead took Bria Hartley who was immediately traded to the Mystics for veteran Crystal Langhorne who is starting for them but is averaging only 7 points per game. They then cut both their second and third round draft choices. A team with a lot of needs got little out of this draft, despite the fact that many observers consider the 2014 draft to be one of the most talent-laden drafts in WNBA history. Minnesota had the last picks in each round and got two players who are contributing for them, Tricia Liston of Duke and Asia Taylor of Louisville. That is part of the reason the Minnesota Lynx are defending champions and the Seattle Storm have not been competitive in two games thus far.

Last year there were the three big stars to hit the WNBA draft, but only the least heralded of the three actually lived up to the media hype and that was Elena Delle Donne. She is the most graceful basketball player I have seen since Oscar Robertson, if some of you go back that far. This year, however, it does look like Brittney Griner and Skylar Diggins have learned from last year’s struggles and will have strong sophomore seasons.

 

--Gary Witherspoon--


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OUR LATEST BROADCAST OF CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO IS NOW AVAILABLE IN THE ARCHIVED BROADCASTS.  YOU CAN ACCESS IT BY CLICKING THE CRESCENT HILL MICROPHONE AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE, OVER TO THE RIGHT OF THE PAGE OR BY GOING TO CRESCENTHILLRADIO.COM AND CHECKING OUT THE SOUNDCLOUD ARCHIVES. IT'S A GOOD SHOW WITH PLENTY OF SOFTBALL, HOOPS, SCHEDULING, LACROSSE AND A QUIZ!

HAVE A LISTEN.

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Sunday Cardinal Couple -- Women's WUGS escape against Australia 79-78

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Bradford's follow allows USA to reach final vs. Russia

Crystal Bradford. Who knew?

She was the girl who made the USA Women's basketball World University Games squad that caused us to raise our eyebrows and wonder aloud here at CARDINAL COUPLE. Was a guard from Central Michigan really better than Bria Smith?

What could she add to a team that had Bria Hartley, Odyssey Sims, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Ariel Massengale and Shoni Schimmel already in the backcourt.

Turns out, she sent USA to the finals against Russia with a follow-up of her own miss with 14 seconds to put the USA WUGS ahead for good in a game that seemed to be wrapped up for the Americans with seven minutes left in the final quarter and a 71-54 lead.

Meet Crystal Bradford.

Bradford tells the story of the final basket:

"We had an offense that was already set up with a play but we didn't execute it, so at this point we started cutting. I saw that if I cut, I would be open. When I got the ball, it was time to go. I sidestepped and saw I was open. I thought my first shot was going in, so I didn't expect to get the rebound, but it came off and I grabbed the rebound. I knew I had to go up strong. I didn't even want to shoot free throws. And I went up, and I made it an I was excited."

Sims drives to the hoop with the stagger of a
drunken sailor on shore leave.

The final fourteen seconds provided their own drama. Aussie Marianna Tolo took a close-in jumper with eight second left on the clock. It rolled off. Odyssey Sims apparently had the rebound but a jump ball was called, Australia had "the arrow" and one more chance. "Toto" took another jumper. Another miss. Another Sims rebounds and game over.

"Toto" became the wicked witch in the final seven minutes
for the Aussies.

Key fact: Aussie "big" Marianne Tolo only played 21 minutes because of foul trouble. She was instrumental for them down the stretch in erasing the USA lead in the final quarter. Still, 16 points and seven boards. Give her five more minutes on the court and Team USA is playing for the bronze instead of the gold Monday.

Eight points in the final seven minutes for a USA squad that trailed at halftime. Missed opportunity galore...including  a missed free throw by Bradford with 54 second left that would have tied it.


Sheri's hairstyle for the WUGS games
nowhere as nice as this photo.

No, this one wasn't pretty and hats off to an Aussie team that never gave up and gave USA all they wanted in the first quarter with leads of 17-6 and 20-13. But, you survive and advance with a few breaks and Sherri Coale's team gave Odyssey Sims a happy 21st. birthday gift an a date Monday night with powerful Russia.



Plaisance a def baller!

Sims led USA with 20 points. Hartley added 14, Mosqueda-Lewis 12 (with 11 rebounds) and Theresa Plaisance chipped in 10. Bradford ended up with nine.

And Shoni Schimmel? Goose eggs. Never took the warmup off. All we can do is wonder why...she didn't appear to be injured and all of the 11 other girls on the squad saw action. Controversy between her and Coale? It was disappointing to see her anchored to the bench the entire time when the USA's other guards weren't exactly burning the nets up. USA shot 38.9% for the game (28-72) and couldn't seem to buy a three-pointer for most of the contest.

I'm calling you out, Ms. Coale. Zero minutes for Shoni and just one minute for Reshanda Grey of California, an awesome defenser and rebounder? Letting a 17 point lead flush down the toilet? Getting outrebounded by eight? Can we get Geno, Walz or Doug Bruno on a flight to Kazan?



Will the "no-Sho" saga continue Monday?

Nevertheless, Shoni has a chance to get a gold medal if USA can turn the tables on a very strong, talented and disciplined Russian squad.

Game time is 1:30 p.m. Monday on ESPNU and we can only hope that they find two announcers to call it that actually know a little something about basketball. The chimp and princess who handled the USA vs. Australia on-air duties for "the U" Saturday must have been attending their first-ever basketball game.

Another reason why Jeff, Jenny and I need a play-by-play gig in women's sports. We can determine why the clock has stopped, who committed the foul and read jersey numbers pretty accurately.

Whatever. GO USA!

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Be sure and vote for all three UofL contenders in the ESPY awards over at www.espn.com

Voting closes Wednesday night...so don't delay, vote today! We feel that the Lady Cards upset win over Baylor in the NCAA Tournament is the hugest upset in the history of College WBB...but the gals are going up against men's sports' upsets over the last year...so your vote is needed!

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The epitome of tackiness...

Cardinal Couple Radio from yesterday is now up on the SoundCloud at:

 www.crescenthillradio.com

It was a very good show yesterday and we need you...the fans and listeners to support and encourage Jeff McAdams as he tries to duplicate the Arianna Freeman workout we discussed on the broadcast.

E-mail Jeff at cardinalcouple@twc.com and give him props.

And, as promised...here's a picture of my airbrushed hat I bought from one of the 5,000 air brush guys who are set up in Gatlinburg. Don't worry, we have NO plans for offering these for sale. Fact is, we probably couldn't give them away...but since there are no duplicates of this original creation from some guy named Skip...the point is moot.

First member of the Paulie Fan Club...

Skip works at the t-shirt shop in the Reagan Terrace Mall in case you want to make the drive to Tennessee and get your own designer Cardinal Couple cap...or if you want to beat him senseless for allowing me to buy one, tell me how I wanted it to look and then wear it in public.

I should have stayed in the free moonshine tasting store...

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-Paulie

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Monday Cardinal Couple -- Shoni selected for WUGS

MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Shoni one of twelve picked for World University Games team

-Shoni and Jude

-Walz, Shoni to meet with media today

-The hunt to replace Cam -- Some suggestions.

-JSW to transfer?


33 enter, 12 emerge.

Louisville's do-it-all senior guard Shoni Schimmel has been selected to play in the 2013 World University Games for the USA Women's Basketball team in Kazan, Russia July 8-15.

Sheri Coale (Oklahoma) head coach of the WUGS is excited about the squad and the upcoming event:

"Fun - that's the first thing that comes to mind. I think they will be a really interesting bunch to coach. They can do a lot of different things. There were a lot of shooters on this team. A lot of versatility, guys who can step out and score and we also have guys who can break you down off the dribble. Good pieces. Really good pieces and really good parts."

But none of them with as stunning hair as you, Sheri.

Her quote is interesting. Last I checked, she was the women's head coach but has two "guys" references. I know, it's popular parlance these days in coach speak...but then the pieces and parts references. She's either pleased with the 12-piece bucket she got at KFC or quite excited about the roster.

I live for Sherri Coale interviews.

Unfortunately, for Cardinal fans...our Bria Smith and Sara
Hammond did not make the roster. Honor enough to be invited, I suppose, but...hey!...this was the national runner-up squad and UConn got two on the squad.

Just sayin'...


Here's the roster with my own observations:

Ariel Massengale   G   Tennessee  Clutch shooter, solid "D".
Bria Hartley  G  UConn  Another good shooter, court savvy.
Cassie Harberts  F  USC Strong on boards, nice inside shot.
Reshanda Gray  F  Cal Card fans will remember her inside.
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis  G  UConn Three-point deadly.
Aaryn Ellenberg  G  Okla Knows Coale's system. Explosive.
Crystal Bradford  G  Cent. Mich. Good energy, hustle.
Shoni Schimmel  G  Louisville The wizard of the hardwood
Theresa Plainsance  F  LSU. Will be the glass cleaner.
Odyssey Sims  G  Baylor Quick, driving. Shoni's best pal.
Tricia Lister  G  Duke A good fit with these. Energy, scores
Jordan Hooper  F  Nebraska. Did she actually beat out Sara?

Louisville head coach Jeff Walz is happy for Shoni as well:

"This is a great opportunity for Shoni to play against some of the best competition in the world throughout the summer. It is an honor to have her represent USA Basketball, the University of Louisville, her family and her heritage on the world stage."

And, as several of you have mentioned in e-mails to me...she'll show up for summer sessions and fall practice at UofL in shape.

The squad starts against Belarus on July 8th. and the Czech Republic on July 9th.

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More good stuff on Shoni (and Jude) in the link below. Thanks to the several e-mails I received on this article. I'm always thankful and grateful for the links that our wonderful readership base provides us with. And, always glad to post them for all when we can.

Whoever is sending me the Brianna Stewart photos can stop though. Seriously.

LINKIE:

JUDE AND SHONI TALK GOALS AND INSPIRATION




"We're out of the house soup!!!"

UofL has called a press conference for Monday at 4:15 p.m. so members of the media can talk to Shoni and Coach Walz.
I'll meander on down there and report the festivities to you in the Tuesday Edition of Cardinal Couple. My guess is that they'll talk about the WUGS experience.

Either that, or they're opening a restaurant to compete with Geno's. I wonder if they'll offer a WALZdorf Salad and if Shoni will get up in your face for your order...ala Griner.


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We're getting e-mails about who will replace Cam Newbauer as an assistant for UofL women's basketball. We have no way of knowing who has applied, who is on the short list or who is on first. But, it true CARDINAL COUPLE sophomoric and parody fashion...the staff chimps came up with a list...of sorts.

10) Julie Hermann - It could be the one thing that would make her recant on the Rutgers job and stay here in the Ville.
9)  C Viv Stringer - She's said she likes the KFC YUM! Center and she and Walz appear to get along. We think she'd love 4th Street Live, too.
8)  Brianna Stewart - Has there ever been a player/coach in the history of NCAA WBB? Walz could set a rim-shaking trend here with the hire.
7)  Alicja Wolny - She mentioned to us on Cardinal Couple Radio that she will be looking for a job after graduation. She's popular, pretty, smart and could double as hitting coach for softball.
6)  Bonita Spence -  She and Walz have a wonderful relationship and she could cue the players in on what is and what isn't a foul. Plus, it would get her out of officiating.
5)  Jeff McAdams -  We think Jeff is an excellent writer, gets along with everyone and his selection would give us an unprecedented insider look and source to the program.
4)  Jerry Abramson -  He already has seats on the floor, has leadership experience and definitely knows the city. He can't be that busy as Lt. Gov...and has a great smile.
3)  Charlie Strong - Just look what he did for football! He attends games anyway, so why not 'get on the train' and add Charlie. Availability might be a problem until January...
2)  CeCe Moses - She raised 12% of the current roster, has coaching experience and knows her way around the cameras. Snappy dresser, too..which is always a plus.
1)  Geno -  Another candidate who likes the KFC YUM! Center, will be stuck in "The American" after next year and is looking to expand his restaurant and spaghetti sauce empire. Plus, he'd probably bring Chris Dailey! Bonus!

I will ask Coach later today how the prospective search is going for Cam's replacement. If they let me attend the presser...

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We are getting a few comments and e-mails that Jasmine Smithson-Willett has asked to be released from her softball scholarship from Louisville. No official verification on this yet. We'll keep you posted.

-Paulie

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MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

SHOCK THE WORLD.

You saw it. It happened. The Lady Cards play Tuesday night at 9 p.m. against Tennessee.

" She's Brittney Griner, but I'm Shoni Schimmel..."

Shoni's clip below:

I'm Shoni Schimmel

In what may be the biggest upset in the history of the NCAA Women's College Basketball Tournament, Louisville defeats #1 in the nation Baylor 82-81. Monique Reid's two free throws with 2.6 seconds left after a foul by Brittney Griner gave the Cards the lead for good in a game that will go down as a classic in NCAA Tournament play. The Cards survive and advance after watching a 17 point lead shrink in the final 7 1/2 minutes of action. Baylor's 32 game win streak dies. A lot of brackets do, as well...

 

Cards 16 for 25 from the three point arc. Three starters on the bench fouled out. A technical on Coach Walz that drew the Bears within two. The game had drama, intrigue, rage and finally...a happy ending for UofL. They shocked the world.

 

Megan Deines put the Cards put 80-76 after the technical but Odyssey Sims, who finished with 29 points, drilled a three with 36 seconds left to make it 80-79. A steal of Louisville's inbounds pass resulted in a foul and Sims hit two free throws to give Baylor their first lead of the game with 9.1 seconds left. That set the stage for Reid's drive to the hoop and the resulting foul on Griner, who had 14 points.

 

Yes, it was a foul...Kim Mulkey. Griner hammered Mo with the body. I hope they do fine you. You were at the other end of the court. You're asking media what they thought?  

 

Incredible, unbelieveable and remarkable. It's survive and advance this time of year. The Cards pulled it off. You knew the Bears would make a run and they did...but the University of Louisville held them off. With three starters on the bench.

 

Cardinal Spirit, you are alive and very well.

 

-Paulie

 

 

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BRACKET CHALLENGE UPDATE

 

(Standings through Sunday night action)

 

49-7

 

Keith B.

 

47-9

 

Jeff McAdams

 

46-10

 

Curtis F.

Steve O.

Nell J.

 

It's pretty much over for the rest of us. Keith does have a final four pick set of Baylor, California, Norte Dame and Connecticut. Has Baylor and Notre Dame advancing to the title game and Notre Dame winning.

 

Jeff has Baylor, California, Notre Dame and UConn advancing with Baylor facing UConn in the final and Baylor winning.

 

Steve O. did pick Louisville to beat Baylor and has a final four of Louisville, Cal, Notre Dame and UK. He has California facing Notre Dame in the final, the Irish winning.

 

Out of all the entries, only Steve O. and Sonja had Louisville winning over Baylor. Ever the optimist, Sonja has Louisville defeating Notre Dame in the final game. At 33-23, her bracket is way behind the leaders, but she did have Louisville...

 

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Friday Cardinal Couple -- Who's afraid of the Big, Bad Bears?

FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-David Watson takes a look at Baylor WBB

-Softball doubleheader Friday.

(David Watson guides us into an exciting weekend of college basketball with his 'only David would write this' review of Baylor. Love him or hate him, he makes you think. Of what, we're not exactly sure...)

So, who's afraid of the Big, Bad Baylor Bears? I was humming that nursery song about the three pigs (Calipari, Coach K. and Tom Crean) and the big, bad wolf (NCAA sanctions) but thinking about the Baylor women's basketball team. 74-1 over the last two years. A two-point loss to Standford early this season. Everyone else since that game has had to pay, and pay dearly, for the blemish on the prom queen's snozzzola. Afraid? I'm terrified of them. I think they could beat a lot of lower ranked men's DI teams. Maybe half the teams in the WNBA. Definitely the pick-up team I played on a few year's back at the YMCA.

It all begins with Griner. She's a flat-liner if you try and spend much time trying to figure out how to stop her. Because you can't. 6'8" and coordinated, which is a rarity in most of the 6'5" and overs that are in women's college basketball. I firmly believe you could put Cardinal Couple's Jenny, Sandy, Paulie and Jeff on a team with her and compete for the NCAA title. No, I'm not coming off the bench, either. She makes the players around her good, not saying that Odyssey Sims was horrible before she got to Baylor -- she wasn't -- but there is a strength, security and confidence level that permeates a player when they know they are on the court with the best in the business.

I give Kim Mulkey a lot of credit for the successes of the Big, Bad Bears, too. She knows the game, had a fantastic career when she played and knows how to use Griner. Knows how to compliment her with players that will reap and sow benefits from sharing court-time with the 6'8" powerhouse. You may ask yourself if coaches like Walz, Auriemma, McGraw, VanderVeer and Mitchell wouldn't have the same success? We'll never know -- but Griner went to Baylor and Waco for a reason. It probably wasn't for the barbecue and the view.

Jeff Walz has a daunting task ahead of him. Daunting but one with no pressure. You see, no one expects Louisville to beat the Bears. His task is to shock the world. At least the women's college basketball world. How does he do this? I have a few thoughts on that:

1) Keep Griner off the court. The easiest way to do that (short of a restraining order) is get her in foul trouble early. The Cards do have a few player who take a charge well and can fake it admirably. Griner on the bench is a good thing -- unless you're a Baylor fan.

2) Limit her touches. That means keeping her teammates from getting the ball to her. Which means hard-nose pressure on the guards who deliver the orange orb and blocking out on shots that are taken. A double-team on her has it's pluses and minuses. A deliberate offense when you have the ball can back-fire ( see Louisville vs. Kentucky). Aggressive defense is a good start. Sidearms and electric prods wouldn't hurt.

3) Prevent the runs. I know, there is a stomach bug going around and that isn't what I'm referring to -- it's a case of not letting Baylor rattle off eight or ten points in a row. Which means your offense needs to be "on". Hopefully Shoni, Nita, Bria, Mo, Sara and Jude will bring their "A" game offensively to Oklahoma City. 4-17 shooting won't cut it.

In any event, it's a great honor and accomplishment that the Cards have gotten this far. You know the maladies and setbacks UofL has had to endure this season. I'll watch, I'll cheer and I'll hope for the best. Hurry up, Sunday. The natives are restless. There are Bears in the distance.

-David Watson

( David has offered his services as a ref and/or scorekeeper for this game. Last we heard, the NCAA had not returned his e-mails. The TV timeouts would reach record numbers if he were to draw either assignment...)

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Louisville softball plunges into BIG EAST softball action today with a double-header against Syracuse that begins at 2 p.m. at Ulmer Stadium. #11 UofL is 26-5 on the season and comes off a split in two games against #1 Oklahoma.

Offensive leaders Taner Fowler, Katie Keller, Alicja Wolny and Maggie Ruckenbrod are probably overjoyed at the prospects of facing a Orange team that won't have Jenna Caira in the pitching circle for them. The 'Cuse has won the last six meetings between the teams but is off to a 11-14 start this season. Last time out the Orange swept Harvard in a double header. They do have a win over #4 California in their resume.

Here's hoping for a "Good Carl" performance or two on Friday and Saturday. The weather looks promising, get out to Ulmer and root on your Lady Cards!

Friday's first game is on TV...WHAS 11.2 and the accompanying Insight/Comcast channels will show it.

Brian U'Sellis (he of the world's most interesting man-type beard) and Patty Norton will provide the play-by-play and color analysis. They didn't ask me, Jeff or Jenny to don the headsets and grab the microphones. Probably for a good reason and a wise decision. Maybe we can do live lacrosse coverage.  

-Paulie

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