More Conference Realignment -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

EKU Gets Call-Up to ASUN

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

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

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

CARDS 101 - EKU 58 -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

EVANS, VAN LITH WITH 20 POINTS IN LOUISVILLE WIN

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

THE FRED REPORT

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

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

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

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

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

FINAL FRED REPORT:   F-R-E-D 

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

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

paulie

Sunday Cardinal Couple - WBB Home Opener vs EKU

 Home Opener

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

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

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

JMcA

Louisville WBB Coaches out on recruiting trail -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

CARDINAL COACHES CHECKING OUT 2019 and 2020 TALENT

It is the first July evaluation period for NCAA WBB Coaches to go check out the players that are involved in AAU and Summer ball tournaments and the Cardinal coaching crew was out in full force over the weekend watching plenty of talent in many different locations. Who were the Cards watching? Where did they go? 

We can't honestly say we know exactly who the coaches are keeping an eye on and what places they'e been frequenting...but we do know some of the spots and venues that they've traveled to. Social media pays attention. 

Jeff Walz has been dashing across the nation to see players in Texas and Colorado Springs. Some of the names of interest that we've heard that coach might have been checking out include 2019 stars Nyah Green, Aijha Blackwell, Azzi Fudd, Zia Cooke, Kennedy Brown, Jordan Horston and Charisma Osborne. Walz is coaching the U18 squad later this month but stopped by to see how the U17 girls were doing out in Colorado.

We've heard Steph Norman spent time in Louisville, evaluating the talent at the Run For The Roses tournament and also in Indianapolis so far. Rickea Jackson, another highly prized 2019 recruit was in the Circle City Saturday and Sunday. 

Samantha Williams was scheduled to go to Birmingham and check out the Birmingham Live Girls National Showcase from what we've heard. 2019 prospect Maori Davenport was playing down there and, one of our favorite recruit's names...Treasure Hunt...from the 2020 class was supposed to be there as well. 

Sam Purcell was spotted virtually everywhere at the KEC here in town over the weekend watching The Run For The Roses tournament evaluating all he could get in. We're pretty sure he spent a fair amount of time following Aubrey Griffin. 

these are but a few of the names that the Louisville coaches are showing interest in. They're also evaluating the talent from other classes as well. You can never start too early in the recruiting game. Which reminds me of the old humorous tale: 

"Mr and Mrs Joe Smith announced the birth of their baby son Bill, who was offered a full football scholarship by State U in the delivery room right after birth." 

The question has risen...just how many more 2019 players do the Cards want to add beside Green and Ramani Parker? We don't know that answer but it's possible they might be trying to add two more to fill the spots that Durr, Carter, Fuehring and Diop will vacate after their final season at UofL. 

Recruiting is, in a way, like seeing your Cadillac go over a cliff with your worst enemy behind the wheel. Mixed feelings and both good and bad things can happen. With players leaving schools that originally recruited them and brought them to campus for other programs more and more frequently these days, the days of building a powerhouse that partially consists of four or five seniors that played together all four years is pretty scarce. You have to go after the good players, hope you get them and then try to keep them on campus to graduate. 

Here's hoping the Cards coaches have a "happy hunting" excursion in the month of July and are "bird-watching" some future Cardinals. 

paulie
xxxxx  

Louisville women's basketball -- Selection Monday -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

CARDS #1 SEED! WILL OPEN FRIDAY AGAINST BOISE ST. 

The University of Louisville women's basketball team now knows the road ahead of them. And, it turned out just the way the Cards wanted...logistically. Louisville will open as a #1 seed in the Lexington Region and play their first two games in Louisville, opening Friday, March 18th at noon against  #16 seed Boise State. 

Also in the Louisville first and second round site are #8 seed Marquette and #9 seed Dayton. The winner of that matchup advances to play the Cards on Sunday at the KFC YUM! Center. Going two for two would advance the Cards to Lexington for action starting March 23rd. 

A crowd of over 500 packed the Thornton's Academic Learning Center's fourth floor to witness Selection Monday with the team. A nice change of venue, with all the trappings...a free food line, cheerleaders, pep band and autograph tables lined with players. More on that later. A nice 300 seat auditorium to view the broadcast, too.  

I represented Cardinal Couple at the event and arrived a little after the doors opened. Once inside the fourth floor, I found a pretty huge crowed already at tables and in chairs awaiting the show. Right away, I saw familiar faces and spent a brief period strolling through the crowd, speaking with people and just taking it all in. I picked Sam Purcell as my first interview and you can hear that one at this link: 


SAM PURCELL SELECTION MONDAY


After my enjoyable chat with "Sammy P" I sought out the other "Sam" on the UofL coaching staff and did find Samantha Williams. She was surrounded by well-wishers, but after they slacked off a bit, I chatted with Samantha. Neither of the "Sam's" claimed any knowledge of the Central Florida Chimps Aerospace University (CFCAU), who I think might make a strong run in the "dance" and an institution that has approached me about a position as Floor Warden for Freshmen Scholarship Chimps.  Here's Samantha (who was dressed stunningly) and the ol' Pauster. Here's that audio below:  


SAMANTHA WILLIAMS SELECTION SUNDAY

I did consider another coaching interview, sisn't see any but saw my pal Lamont Russell hovering nearby and wanted to get a few words with the guy who "carries" the team. His graphic design and video coordinator work at Louisville is invaluable in helping the team prepare for opponents, and as a former DI basketball player, he also has a vast knowledge of hoops, the squad (his little sisters, per him) and can really "pick up" the players. (See photo).

Lamont and I had a great chat, I didn't probe too much into his occasional "picking up girls mid-game" and we talked about the event and team. Hear his words below: 


LAMONT RUSSELL SELECTION MONDAY



Following Lamont Russell, I went to a fan who I know pretty well and I wanted to get a little fan perspective on the event. We decided to keep him "anonymous" and we chatted about the season, the Selection Show and a few other topics, as the players entered the big room and headed to a couple of long tables to sit and sign autographs. Here is anonymous fan: 


ANONYMOUS FAN SELECTION MONDAY



I decided to get in line with those waiting for autographs after my talk with anonymous fan and while waiting to reach the tables, Jeff Walz grabbed the main microphone and talked a bit to the crowd. 

Walz thanked the fans that were in attendance and went on to cover a lot more material with them...but the line was moving pretty quickly and I decided to cut these Walz remarks short, because I was getting closer to Dana Evans, first one seated at the table. Part of Jeff's opening remarks are below: 


WALZ OPENING REMARKS



I decided to try something I thought might be fun, going through the autograph line and interviewing each player quickly as I progressed. It may be un-rivaled in interview history...it certainly was a madcap seven minutes... and I did have a 8x11 picture that was free and on the table of the team that each player signed as I strolled down the tables. You can hear my questions and the great responses here: 


WALKING PLAYERS INTERVIEWS

After the dash through the players, I needed a moment to re-compose. After resting a bit and getting a quick beverage,  I saw Walz surrounded by people and decided to see if I could get a bit more from Coach. He was gracious and chatted with me while he signed shirts and stuff. I appreciate his time and "exclusive".

Hear Coach's comments below: 



WALZ ON THE SELECTION SHOW AND ACC.



It was time to go into the auditorium and see the selections. The seats were filled and I spent a little time with the media group, stationed behind the cameras, chatting with a couple of our occasional CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR guests Mike Gilpatrick and Daryl Foust. I also chatted with Howie Lindsey and decided to follow him to the entrance to the auditorium's seats. We were able to see the big screen, see the fans and players and watched the drawing there and I took a few of the pictures you see here. 

Louisville has an interesting road to Columbus. In the Lexington bracket are also Stanford, Tennessee and Baylor. Several people I spoke with after the show was completed expressed concern about Mulkey's Bears and Kalani Brown. At least her dad...ex NBA'er Dee Brown...has no eligibility. 

It's all about survival and advancement now.

Just survive somehow.

As I prepared to leave the facility, Walz got hold of the microphone again and thanked everyone for attending. He also made a heartfelt plea to the fans in attendance to get their tickets and bring a couple of friends. Louisville was been allotted 3500 tickets for rounds 1 & 2 and he'd like to see all those gobbled up by start of NCAA action.  

Leaving the Learning Center, I had a sense of pride about the huge turnout I had just been a part of. It was a fun-packed two hours and I hope the University definitely considers this venue again. A lot of familiar faces and great fans. This program has a lot of love for it out there in our community and beyond and if most of our "media" is too short-sighted to see that on a regular basis, shame on them! Their loss. There were the TV Stations there last night, a few other journalists and website folks there to cover. I hope they stay with this team during their run. I hope many more jump on the bandwagon. Forget about all this "f@#$%&!" men's BB drama and back WBB!!!

Three tournaments of two games each. A simple but revealing way to look at the Cards March march. It's showtime, ladies and gents. Let the games begin. 

It has to be good fortune that ROBBIE BARTLETT has been chosen to sing the National Anthem on Friday....right? 


NCAA WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT "Pick-Em" CONTEST

You know who play who, where and when by now. Download a bracket, make your picks and join us in the Cardinal Couple Women's Basketball NCAA "Pick-Em" Challenge. We've got a $25 Panera Card for the winner and I'm working on a prize for runner-up as well. It's fun and simple. Be the envy of your friends and be a winner! Say you don't know much about WBB? Hey, neither do we! Enter anyway.

With Jared Anderson the analysis director of your picks, you can be assured of a comprehensive scoring reliability and frequent updates. 

1) Make your picks.
2) Enter them in any comments sections here at Cardinal Couple from now until Friday.
3) In case of tie, earliest entry wins, so don't dally. 

********************************************************

Here's an example of an entry. The CARDINAL CHIMPS went through a couple of blenders of banana smoothies to come up with their choices. They chose against Central Florida Chimps Aerospace University, since a few of them were indicated on taking fruit kickbacks and payoffs from zoo keepers and  were expelled. 

ROUND 1 PICKS: UConn, Miami, Belmont, Georgia, USF, FSU, California,  So Carolina, Notre Dame, Villanova, Drake, LSU, Ohio St., Green Bay, Oregon, Miss. St, Syracuse, Princeton, NC St., Creighton, UCLA, Ariz. St., Texas, Louisville, Dayton, FGCU, Stanford, WKU, Tenn.,Michigan, Baylor. 

THE SWEET SIXTEEN: UConn, Georgia, FSU, California, Notre Dame, LSU, Ohio St. Oregon, Syracuse, NC St., UCLA, Texas, Louisville, FGCU, Tenn., Michigan.

THE GREAT EIGHT: UConn, California, LSU, Ohio St. Syracuse, Texas, Louisville, Michigan

FINAL FOUR: UConn, Ohio St., Syracuse, Louiville.

THEN THERE WERE TWO:  Ohio st., Louisville

CHAMPS: Louisville.

Come along and join the fun! 


Paulie
xxxxx

Hoops and dancing...UofL WBB has been busy -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

CARDS GO 2-1 IN CUBA

Nothing like starting out the morning with a little dancing, right? This clip courtesy of UofL WBB assistant coach Samantha Williams...showing the Cards skills in the salsa.



LINK: EVERYBODY DANCE !


The Cards have finished the basketball portion of their trip to Cuba but the cultural experience continues...four days ahead at the Iberostar resort in Varadero for some relaxtion, exploration and cultural experiences. 

On the court, Louisville went 2-1 against the Cuban squads...winning on opening day 80-68, taking a close one on Sunday 64-61 and falling 65-51 Monday. Three different leading scorers during the triad...Asia Durr on opening day...followed by Mariya Moore and then Cortnee Walton in the final game. 

I suppose the wins and losses don't really matter in a trip like this...maybe we'll see some box-scores and break-down analysis after the team returns...one would imagine Walz played everyone pretty equally and tried a vast array of combinations. 

Learning was the main objective on this trip and in several different realms. Learning about a foreign culture and customs, learning about each other a bit on the court and learning even more about each other off the court. From the accounts we're getting...mission accomplished. 

I was speaking with Howie Lindsey on the radio this morning and we mused about what a trip to Cuba might be like. He hopes to go someday...I'm not sure if it holds the same fascination for me...too much here in our own country I have left yet to see and experience. Still, I probably wouldn't turn the trip down if offered a chance to go. I could make a cool fortune bringing back Cuban cigars for resale. Maybe we could start a Cuban branch of Cardinal Couple. 

Cardenal Pareja. Has a nice ring to it, eh? 

I would like to see more UofL teams get the opportunity. Maybe an early season football game down there in the future. Baseball and softball doing a tour of the island. Certainly our soccer teams would find a bit of competition in a trip like the one women's hoops is experiencing. 

Learning. It is what college student-athletes do. You're never really too old (or young) to learn. I make it a point to try and learn something new each day. I hope I never get to the point where I have no interest in learning. 

But, let's end today's with a little more Cuban experience. Check out this clip of Coach Walz demonstrating why he wasn't a post-player in college. Walz learned...he was taken to school! A nice post move but gotta watch those elbows, coach! 

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/762971972858843136/pu/vid/1280x720/mAhxmrriefQdUmFO.mp4

paulie
xxxxx

Becker wins pitchers' duel against Kramer -- Louisville 1 - WKU 0 -- Thursday Cardinal Couple

Becker 1-hitter, Jones homer lead Cards to 1-0 win over WKU

This time, Kelsi Jones knew it was out when it left the bat.

Kelsi went fence! 

The senior from Carmel, IN led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a home run to right-center field to give Maryssa Becker the only run she needed in a 1-0 UofL win over Western Kentucky Wednesday night at Ulmer Stadium. 

Jones had the winning home run against Virginia on March 15th. in a 5-4 triumph. She admitted to CARDINAL COUPLE in a post-game interview back then that she wasn't real sure if that shot was going to get over the left-center fence. 


Last night, she "knew it when it left the bat" and produced the only run in this pitcher-controlled contest. The count was 3-2 when Jones blasted the high-arching shot onto the berm behind the outfield fence.

Becker was magnificent in limiting the Toppers to just one hit and no runners past second base. Shawna Sadler's single up-the-middle in the fourth inning broke up Becker's no-hit bid. Becker returned the favor by getting the first hit of the game for the Cards off Miranda Kramer in the bottom of the fourth. 


Kramer also pitched a fantastic game for WKU, allowing just three hits in six innings. The nation's leader in strikeouts also fanned three Cardinals. After allowing Jones' home run, Kramer gave up a single to Jordan McNary. McNary advanced to third by stealing second and advancing on a fly-out but was left stranded when Kramer got Kayla Soles to pop out to her first baseman. 

The Cardinal infield helped Becker's cause with two stellar fielding efforts. Shortstop Whitney Arion sprinted to snag a hard hit shot in the gap by WKU's Larissa Franklin in the first inning. Third base vacuum Hailey Smith made a nice move to capture a line drive by Lexie Norfleet in the seventh.


Becker gets her second one-hitter of the year and goes to 14-5 on the season. Kramer falls to 20-8 in an effort that would have been a win nine times out of ten. 

Louisville (28-15) travels to Pittsburgh for a three game set this weekend to end the regular season. The Cards are in 4th place in the ACC with a 14-6 conference record and could tie with Notre Dame for third place (17-6) with a sweep. 

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

...ALSO APPEARING...

Some notable names in attendance last night to watch the Bat Cards perform. Noted ESPN writer Graham Hays was in the press box taking in the action. He was taking in the action to follow up on his excellent article from Wednesday morning on WKU's Miranda Kramer. You need to read this article. Link below:

http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-commentary/article/12781497/western-kentucky-miranda-kramer

Hays was also chatting up his good friend Jeff Walz...who attended the contest with the best lookin' gal in the ball-park...his daughter Lola. Walz was in great spirits and all smiles...successfully prodding my Derby pick out of me...DORTMUND. Gotta go with the "big guy"...especially out of the #8 hole. You'll find more on that over at my personal website...www.paulsykes.com

I've also got the Thursday (Thurby) Churchill Downs card handicapped over there and an early look at the Kentucky Oaks. Reader beware. 


Assistant coaches Sam & Sam were also at the ballpark and we got some great audio from the both of them that we'll play on our 5/9/15 broadcast. It very well may be the first time Samantha Williams has provided almost five minutes of radio interview in history. She should talk more often...she's great at it. 

Also representing WBB hoops were Bria Smith, Sherrone Vails, Sara Hammond and Megan Deines. The four were avid spectators of the contest between signing autographs and chatting with fans.  

Co-owner of 502 Softball and former Cardinal slugger extraordinaire Alicja Wolny was also in attendance and still looks like she could go out and clear fence on her first swing. Loved the "Big Wol" and that purposeful grimace at the plate...

HAPPY THURBY TO YOU! ( I hate the name that's been stuck on the Thursday before Derby...but it is "Louisville's Day at the Races and it'll be packed at Churchill Downs today.)

Angel wishes all our readers a Happy Derby week. She's back in town and still remains my favorite WBB Card of all time.

The Divine Ms. Mac is the standard that they all need to strive for. 

paulie
xxxxx

Sunday Cardinal Couple -- Tapley loaded for bear

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Kentucky Premier holding some potential Cards

-2015 Georgia prep star Benham verbals to UofL


In this changing and challenging world of high school recruiting, sometimes we forget that there is a second source and force besides the prospect's high school that can shape and guide a girls' decisions and rationale when it comes to a college choice.

Welcome to club ball.

Club ball, travel teams are the entity that allow the rising

prospects to play, compete and get exposure when they aren't playing for their high school team. It's present in a multitude of sports besides basketball. It's an assembly of the best players in a certain area who band together and play a competitive schedule against other club teams.

I remember several years ago going to one of these shootouts for club teams that was held in Cardinal Arena. I was new to the travel team concept...this club ball scenario was first time fact gathering to me.

One of the players who impressed me played for Kentucky Premier, probably the best program in the state and the Ohio Valley area. I approached the Premier coach...David Tapley and asked if I could interview her. And I had a delightful talk with Makayla Epps. She was dead solid and sold on UofL then.

Things change.

In today's Courier-Journal, reporter Steve Jones has a nice article about Tapley's latest "clubbers" who are picking up some major college interest. He's got several players that  UofL is targeting.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20130803/SPORTS11/308030004/Future-taking-shape-Kentucky-Premier-girls-basketball-players

I'm sure our Jenny here at Cardinal Couple has the names Krys McCune, Maci Morris, Erin Boley, Nora Kiesler, Lindsay Duvall and Alexis Robinson on her Twitter and Facebook hunt lists. A look at the Louisville Elite Camp Roster from June 26th. shows that three of the six were participants. A review of my notes from that camp reveals that I was pretty impressed with Kiesler, Morris and Duvall.

They all play for Tapley and Kentucky Premier.

If you put these six girls on the same high school team here in Kentucky, they'd win the state Girls Championship trophy going away. In club ball, though, they face teams with similar talent almost every weekend.

When a young woman announces her college choice it is usually at her high school with her parents and high school coach nearby. When the university announces the signing of this player, they always make mention of the high school. But when the recruiting services review a young lady, they base a lot of their rankings and ratings on club ball performance. What has Jeff Walz and his staff been doing for a lot of July? Going to club ball tournaments.

When I was a boy, you played either Optimist or backyard basketball until you got to the seventh grade. Then there was junior high hoops, freshman teams and varsity. Club ball? Never heard of it.

Times have changed.

Tapley has direct access to six of the best in the state. Louisville has either offered or is probably going to offer the six mentioned above.

Power broker or benevolent mentor?

Tapley has both titles. A high school coach gets a player for
maybe four months a year. A club team gets a longer time with these kids. Even in the eighth grade. Look at Lindsay Duvall. She was impressive in the Walz Skills Camp. She visited UofL on Thursday. Tapley wasn't sure whether UofL had made an offer, but Cardinal assistant coach Samantha Williams supposedly has told him, "I will not lose this kid."

These days, it's good to be David Tapley.


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Maya Benham 5-11 WF 2015 Douglas County HS GA is going ACC. Benham gave verbal to Jeff Walz & Louisville Cardinals. DOUGLASVILLE Lady Tigers

 

We now have the 2015 recruiting class underway. My notes on her from the June 26th. skills camp at UofL.

Maya Benham (2015) 5'11" Douglas Co. (GA)Loved the way she shot, passes, hustled and has a very dominating court presence. Drives in traffic to hoop well.

You're gonna love this girl, Lady Cards fans!

-Paulie

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Sunday Cardinal Couple -- Walz Skills Camp review

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Talent prevalent at Saturday skills camp.



With almost 100 girls' high school players in attendance at Jeff Walz's Elite Camp on Saturday, June 15th....the action was fast and furious as you might imagine.

Asst. WBB coach Sam Purcell with Shoni
and Syd

The UofL Staff, including most recent hire Sam Purcell and the UofL womens' basketball team put the girls...divided into six different teams...through a variety of skills' workouts and scrimmages. All six hoops at Cardinal Arena...and the court on the ground level of the SAC were busy for most of the afternoon as the attendees worked on their games under the supervision and encouragement of the Cardinal crew. We saw Asia, Shoni, Jude, Bria, newcomer Janelle Cannon, Cortnee and the other members of the Louisville WBB in a different light...not performing...but coaching, instructing and even acting as referees.

Jenny O'Bryan and I watched the players go through their motions and I wrote down a list of 12 players who impressed me with their game. This, by no means...is a list of the best
12 in attendance...just 12 who caught my eye.

Caliya Robinson  6'2" Class of 2015. Marietta, GA. Loved her outside shot for a "big" and displayed some excellent inside moves.

Zhanesha Dickerson  5'10" Class of 2014. St. Louis, MO. Great drop-step move to the basket and fights for every loose ball on the court.

Te'a Cooper  5'7" Class of 2015. Powder Springs, GA. She gave her commitment to UNC as a 8th. grader...and has wonderful passing skills, inside drives and a sweet jumper.

Alecia Sutton  5'7" Class of 2016. St. Louis, MO. One of the quickest up and down the court that I saw and the lines will be long for her on the recruiting trail when she's a junior.

Nora Kiesler  6'5" Class of 2015. Louisville, KY. What a difference a year makes! Strong, goes to the hoop with authority and isn't afraid to mix it up on the boards.

Meredith Schulte  6'1" Class of 2015. Braselton, GA. Consistant outside shot. Could turn into the pro-typical "3" college coaches dream of.

Dasia Evans  6'1" Class of 2016. Richton Park, IL. Goes to the hoop with authority and skill for her age and isn't afraid to shoot. Another to watch...just a sophomore.

Haley Bodnar  6'3" Class of 2014. St. George, UT.  First thought was "is this Sara Hammond's little sister?" Strong work ethic and her and Kiesler's battles were fun to watch.

Morgan Griffith  5'10"  Class of 2017. West Frankfort, IL.
Such a sweet baseline shot for one that will be a freshman this season. Shows quickness and involves her teammates.

Jailyn Mason  5'7"?  Class of 2016. Cincinnati, OH
Nice range on her jumper and flows very well in open court situations. Aggressive with the ball.

Maci Morris  6'0"  Class of 2015. Pineville, KY. She's all that is advertised. Does so many things so well. The Pineville Phenom has serious game.

Anna Hammaker  5'10"  Class of 2015. Knoxville, TN. A very flashy guard that distributes the ball quite well and nice jumper from mid-range.

Once again, just my observations...based on three hours of a skills camp.
I don't do evaluations of high school players for a living. What I reported on were particular or a series of  player's skills they demonstrated Saturday afternoon. All the girls at the camp are "elite" and will most likely be involved in college recruiting somewhere down the road.

It should be noted 2014 Louisville commit Syd Brackemyre was there but didn't participate in a lot of the drills...protecting the knee we assume...but the Cardinal players and coaches were chatting her up the entire time.

Both Jenny and I were constantly checking the camp roster to identify the players who impressed us with their talents. We'll keep a close eye on the attendees and wish all of them the best of luck in the years ahead.

All in all, a great afternoon watching the future stars of women's basketball. A special thanks to Mary Beth Whittaker and Adrienne Johnson for their assistance and help.

-Paulie

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