Cards Prepare for UT Martin Round 2 -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Louisville Set to Host UT Martin Again

Didn't get enough of Seygan Robins in Louisville's first go around with UT Martin this year? Well, you get to see the Mercer County grad and former Cardinal again today at 2:30 p.m.

In the first game against the SkyHawks back on Dec. 6, the Cards won soundly 85-67. Dana Evans scored 26 points in the game to lead the charge. The game started close before Louisville used an 18-3 run in the final few minutes before halftime to hold a lead they would not relinquish.

UT Martin now holds a 2-2 record on the year but has yet to play at home. They are currently 1-1 in the Ohio Valley Conference. 

Senior Chelsey Perry has been a leader for the SkyHawks this year. She is averaging 27.0 points and 8.0 rebounds. The 27.0 points per game ranks third nationally. The Middleton, TN. native has shot an impressive 53% from the floor. She posted a 26 point, four rebound mark in the first game against Louisville.

Robins scored six points while adding four assists and a rebounds against her former team in December. She is averaging 8.0 ppg and 4.5 assists per game right now, but has had some trouble with turnovers. The Coach Walz influence has left a mark as she is a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line.

Louisville holds a perfect 10-0 mark all-time against UT Martin, with all games coming under Jeff Walz's tenure. The Cards are averaging a 25.6 point margin of victory in those 10 games, but only won by 18 in December and had to go to overtime to steal a win on the road last season.

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CARDS WBB STILL #2 IN NATION

The Cards remained #2 in the latest AP Poll and hope to continue to show why they have earned that ranking today. Stanford still holds the top spot. UConn is the #3 team and Cards conference rival NC State checks in at #4. The top four are all undefeated. One-loss South Carolina rounds out the top five. 

Rounding out the top ten are Baylor, Arizona, Texas A&M, UCLA and Kentucky. ACC schools in the top 25 besides the Cards and Wolfpack are #24 Syracuse. In the "also receiving votes" category is North Carolina. 

By conference in the Top 25, The SEC and Big 10 have five schools, the Pac 12 four, and the ACC and Big 12 three programs. The Big East has two teams and the AAC, WCC and MVC one school each. 

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Today's game is an early 2:30 p.m. tipoff. A lot of fans have scratched their heads at the early game time on a weekday, but the fact this game will be aired on ACC Network is the most logical answer.

That segways me into stating that duty calls and I will be counting money instead of taking pictures (😔) but I'll gladly make my coworkers watch it on TV with me.  Paulie will be present for the game and he will break it all down for us in tomorrow's write-up.  You can follow his live Tweets at @cardinalcouple

Of course, if watching on TV isn't accessible for you at that2:30 p.m. time, I highly recommend turning on 790AM WKRD Cards Radio to listen to Nick Curran and AJ call this game. Their color commentary and highly in-depth, in-game analysis can't be beat.

Following tomorrow's game, the Cards have a few days rest before staying downtown to host Clemson on Sunday. Game time has been announced for noon so tell your preachers to keep the sermons short and pray for a win. This one will also be aired on ACC Network.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared 

Cards ground SkyHawks 85-67 -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 EVANS ERUPTS FOR 26 IN CARDS WIN 

The thing about Dana Evans is that she'll sneak up on you and put you away out of nowhere. 

To quote post-game Dana:

"If shots aren't falling for us, I gotta find a way to get to the bucket....doing something to get this team going. Like I always say, we're young, we're talented but I still have to be that leader." 

She led admirably on Sunday. 

After a first quarter where neither team seemed very adept at scoring -- ostensibly because of the defense each squad was playing -- Louisville clung to a 15-14 lead and the UT Martin SkyHawks had succeeded in slowing down the Cardinal Cannonball and was making a game of it. Dana and the Cards were not exactly looking like a top five team in the nation and had produced a less-than-satisfying 4-19  shooting effort (21%) in the first 10 minutes. Against a squad who was playing their first game of the year and been practicing sparingly with just 10 players. 

Cards fans were waiting for the explosion. waiting for Dana leadership to emerge, and it finally came with about seven minutes until half time. Dana nails a three to give the Cards a 25-24 lead, A minute later she puts in two free throws to increase that lead to three. Ready for the run, it's Elizabeth Balogun playing heady "D" with the steal and layup. After a UTM miss, Louisville is off and running and it's Dana with the layup. Good bye SkyHawks lead and hello Louisville seven point edge at 31-24.

The Cards were not done with the second quarter surge. Norika Konno, Liz Dixon, Dana again and Hailey Van Lith all added points in the impressive UofL half ending, 18-3 run that vaulted the Cards into a 40-27 halftime lead, And Dana? 16 points on two threes, 4-5 on free throws in 20 minutes -- playing the entire first half with a combination of 10 other Cardinals. 

The Cards would go on to win the third and fourth quarter but give a lot of credit to the SkyHawks for making Louisville earn the buckets.  An Evans 10-0 run on the foe, starting with a steal for a layup, followed by two threes in a two minute stretch early in the third quarter and then another successful Evans jumper may have been the killing blow for UTM. It put them behind 49-33 and they would get within 12 a couple of times, but Kianna Smith's three with 6:14 to go (off a nice pass from Mykasa Robinson, put Louisville up 74-54 and UTM could not recover. 

This is a UTM team that will be a solid one, maybe the front-runner in the OVC. Former Cardinal Seygan Robins drew the start for them and seemed quite comfortable helping direct the offense. Last year's OVC Player of the Year Chelsey Perry looks like she'll be a thorn-in-the-side of future opponents again -- she poured in 26 points against the Cards and helped lead UTM to a not-so-bad 21-51 (41.2%) shooting percentage. 

Louisville is going to play a lot of people in games this year it appears and you never know just who is going to step up and take the lead with Dana. Van Lith overcame a rough shooting afternoon by getting to the line and sinking six of her seven free throws.  Konno is playing some very great ball for the Cards right now -- and the combination of Dixon and Olivia Cochran inside produced 14 points, 12 rebounds and helped give Louisville a 43-35 rebounding edge. 

I like this "pick a Card, any Card" attack this year. Louisville is solid from starter to sub and can go 12 deep on opponents. That is a huge advantage when your reserve play/quality isn't a drop off. It doesn't give the opponent any breaks. Double team Dana and Kianna, and Norika or Olivia will make you pay. Zone the Cards? Good luck...the outside shooting will make you regret that and Liz and "E" will be there to gather any misses and put points on the board. Consider that Walz played  10 players ten minutes or more.  And this wasn't a blowout. Confidence in depth, ability and performance is a beautiful thing.

UTM had a mere two second chance points and no fast break points or points-off-turnovers. That's a huge stat, and it adds credence to the phrase -- "strength in numbers". when you look at the Cards. 

THE FRED REPORT

"Lamont...can we order about 2 or 3 more Dana's?"
 

FREE THROWS -- The Cards were 20-29 from the charity stripe in a game where there were too many whistles, in my opinion. That's 68.9% and falls just  short of our standard of 70% for a letter. Evans, Van Lith and Konno, though, were 12-14 and that's impressive. No letter here, though...

REBOUNDING -- The Cards won this stat 43-35 and kudos to Cochran and Dixon who had 17 of them. What's really impressive is that Louisville had 12 offensive rebounds and UTM just three. Hailey grabbed seven. We proudly assign a CAPITAL "R" here, for grabbing missed shots. 

EFFORT/EXECUTION -- Despite the slow start, Louisville was pretty careful in ball control with just nine turnovers. 12 assists on 29 baskets could be a little better, but they had a dominating 40 to 24 points-in-the-paint edge and shot over 50% in the middle two quarters. I'll offer the CAPITAL "E" for this category. 

DEFENSE --  The defense looked good with nine steals and forcing 19 turnovers but UTM shot 41.2% from the floor and Perry was pretty unstoppable for the SkyHawks. 26 Cardinal fouls is way higher than I like, but I attribute most of that to a crew that was calling even breathing hard on a player. I'll award a small case "d" for the defense.  

FINALL FRED TALLY:  _-R-E-d

So, 4-0 now and the SBB squad is averaging 94 points a contest. Jeff Walz has scorers, no doubt, and depth. With the pre-conference slate (maybe) behind the Cards now, they'' turn their attention to a trip to Durham to face a Duke squad that is 3-0 under new head coach Kara Lawson.

A silent Cameron Indoor Stadium will be weird, but the Blue Devils will try and make a little noise with six players averaging double-figure scoring. Wins over ECU, WCU and Longwood, by an average of 27 points is an impressive start for a team under a freshman head coach. 

This one takes place on Wednesday night and the 7 p.m. tip is scheduled to be shown on the RSN Network. 

(THANKS TO JARED ANDERSON FOR THE EXCELLENT PHOTOS IN TODAY'S ARTICLE! I got to chat with him briefly after the game...we were the only two in the normally packed Media Room after the game....and that was so eerie. Always good to see my bud, though, and  he'll bring you Tuesday's article with (I'm guessing) a ton more of excellent photos from his floor spot at games.)

paulie

  

Robins to UT Martin -- Cheerleading Debate -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Seygan Robins to UT Martin

Seygan (left) with Kasa Robinson

Seygan Robins announced yesterday that she will continue her student-athlete/basketball pursuits at UT Martin.  Robins will have three years of eligibility remaining with the defending Ohio Valley Conference champions.

Robins hails from Harrodsburg, KY., and was 2018 Miss Kentucky Basketball.  She was also a two-time state champion at Mercer County.

"We are so excited to have Seygan join our women's basketball program," said UT Martin head coach Kevin McMillan.  "Seygan's versatility could put her in a lot of places that can help us.  The thing I like most about her is that she is a tough, hard-nosed winner after playing for Jeff Walz, Chris Souder and David Tapley.  She is a great kid and a perfect fit to the culture of our program."

Louisville and UT Martin have played every year for the last six years with the Cards winning all of the meetings.  It is likely that the two will face each other next season.

Emma Davis

Robins played in 26 games as a Cardinal in 2018-19. She matched her career high in 2018 against UT Martin with sic points. The 2019-20 season was a rough one for her. She injured an ankle and went in for surgery after just playing in two games. She successfully applied for red-shirt status.

At UT Martin, she'll join her former Mercer County H.S. teammate Emma Davis. . Davis, a 5'10" guard, will be a junior for the 2020-21 season. Emma has  played in 54 games as a SkyHawk and started two. She has 104 career points.

Everyone at Cardinal Couple wishes Seygan Robins the best in her time at UT Martin and we look forward to seeing the impact she makes in her time there
.

Cheerleading Debate

Yesterday went from the wild news of the firing of Kentucky's four cheer coaches following a three-month investigation to a highly controversial article posted by a local news station.

If you're waiting to see what I have to say about what happened at UK keep on scrolling.  I am not here to bash another college athletics program.

For those who did not read the article, it went from discussing the investigation and what led to the firing of the coaches to accusing cheerleading (and dancing) student-athletes as being nothing but a distraction and a sexual objectification at games with words like "underdressed", "overexposed", and "titillating" used.  The article was met with plenty of disagreements, including myself as I voiced my opinion.

By the time the sun set the article was heavily revised from its original version, with the sexist remarks removed altogether.

As someone who photographs cheer and dance and has gotten to know many of the members over the years I can vouch that cheer and dance activities are much more than supposedly being targeted at slutty clothing and sexual objectification.

The student-athletes put forth ample hours of practice and gym time as they stay in shape and perfect their routine.  Like other sports, they compete for a national championship either through UCA/UDA or NCA/NDA.

Note: UofL competes through NCA/NDA while UK competes in UCA/UDA, so the two never directly compete against each other.

The stunts they pull off are impressive and something a majority of us could not do even if we tried.  From the easier skills such as tumbling to the more difficult routines that involve multiple members and some of them going airborne, each move requires precision to execute it to perfection, just like other sports.

Outfits have often been controversial with many people claiming the outfits being too revealing.  However, the outfits are designed for both comfort and flexibility.  The same as volleyball players wearing spandex, tennis players wearing skirts, or swimmers wearing form-fitting clothing, outfits are designed for more than just visual pleasure.

A longtime cheerleader shared her thoughts in a response to the local reporter in an article posted by Kentucky Sports Radio.  I shared it on my Facebook and Twitter (@mrandersonjared) if you want to read her response.

If you got a chance to read the original article where many accusations were thrown around, we would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

As we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic but also slowly start to reopen things make sure to take precautions and also use common sense.  Please stay safe.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Chris Stallings Interview -- Portal and Verbal News -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

CHRIS STALLINGS INTERVIEW

Today I catch up with the 2020 Kentucky Girls High School Coach of the Year Chris Stallings and the magical run his Bullitt East Lady Chargers girls basketball team went on  in the 2019-20 season. 

Our interview covers the players, the moments, the past, the future and Chris's health. It is a chat you definitely don't want to miss. 

My thanks to my ol' buddy Chris for his insight and willingness to do this. He (and I) look forward to the day when the student-athletes can gather together as a group again and practice and play.  I know you, the reader, look forward to these days as well. 

We hope you enjoy the interview. Click the link below to hear it. 

LINK:  CHRIS STALLINGS INTERVIEW

INTO THE PORTAL ONCE MORE

We got news yesterday that a second UofL women's basketball player has entered the transfer portal.

Seygan Robins, a sophomore guard from Mercer County High School (Harrodsburg, KY) is testing the waters to see if she can find a place where she can get more playing time. The 5'10" guard played in 26 games as a freshman for the Cards in the 2018-19 season, averaging 1.6 points and 0.8 assists. In the 2019-20 season, she appeared in two contests before a foot injury necessitated a redshirt for her. 

Robins was the Kentucky Girls Basketball Player of the Year with Mercer County in the 2018 season. she finished her high school career with over 2500 points, 800 assists and 500 steals.

Jeff Walz says of Seygan: 

"She wanted the opportunity to play more. Same thing as Lindsey Duvall. She'll still have a scholarship here if she doesn't find the fit." 

We will miss her style and smile and wish her the things she seeks as she moves on to the next stage of her collegiate student-athlete journey. 

NEW VERBAL

Sydni Schetnan, a 6'5" post from Sioux Falls, SD is the latest 2021 verbal commit to the University of Louisville women's basketball and volleyball squads. The duo sports star attended Washington High School in Sioux Falls. It seems the Cards have had their eye on her for quite some time. Beginning with Volleyball.  Sydni Schetnan has long been a target for the Louisville volleyball program, having played for Cardinal associate head coach Dan Meske, formerly of Augustana University, when she was 13.

This summer, however, the Washington High standout also began drawing interest for her basketball prowess, having caught the attention of multiple college coaches (including the Cardinals) during an AAU tournament. Not only did that event springboard her basketball recruitment, it also ignited her interest in the sport.

"I started to really like basketball a lot (over the summer)," Schetnan said. "By the end of this basketball season, it was super hard to choose if I wanted to do one or the other."

At Louisville, she'll be able to do both. 

paulie

Tuesday Cardinal Couple - Volleyball Wrap-Up and UT-Martin in Basketball

Volleyball Wrap-Up

Fall sports are done for the year.  Volleyball was the last of the fall sports still in action, and with their loss to Illinois, their season is officially over.  I always like to take a look back at the season for this squad and look at what's in the future.

A season that all enjoyed and a season that, unfortunately, is the final one for some very memorable and productive players on Dani Busboom Kelly's roster. 

Injury Update

First, let's run down the latest info on injuries from the squad this year.

Melanie McHenry's knee continues to be a bit sore, but no permanent damage was done.  With a bit of time to rest and recover, she'll be back good as new in the spring and next fall.  With the exception of missing a couple of matches, she has mostly been back to full speed and power, just playing with some pain.

Emily Scott's diagnosis took a little longer to nail down.  Eventually it was determined that she had a broken bone.  Specifically the fibula, the smaller of the lower leg bones.  She was able to play for a couple of rotations in Illinois because the fibula is not weight bearing, and again, there was no danger of greater injury.  The break is not fully across the bone, and there are already signs of healing.  She should be back and full speed in the spring as well.

Alexis Hamilton will probably not be back to 100% for spring play, but there's no reason to think she won't make a full recovery.  She, of course, suffered an ACL tear just before the season started.    At this point, she is walking without a brace and without a noticeable limp.  Recovery of full strength and mobility of her knee will continue and she is expected to be back to full strength for the fall.

Kelly O'Neil's back issue is proving even harder to nail down than Emily's leg.  I had the opportunity to speak with her parents in Illinois, they reported that they are finding nothing "structurally" wrong, and that the problems are soft tissue in nature, but still not clear as to their nature.  I certainly don't have enough knowledge and experience to have any real thoughts about her return.  We are hopeful, of course, but with no certain answers, questions remain.

The Good and the Bad

So, analysis of the season...what went well, what needs to be improved, how did the team fare compared to expectations.

In reverse order:

The team did about as well as was expected.  They were picked to finish third in the ACC and
finished tied for 3rd with Syracuse (with a better overall record than the Orange).  They largely beat the teams they were expected to beat, lost to the teams that are national powerhouses.  In several of those matches, including against Pitt and Illinois, this team showed that they could play at the level of top teams for some time, but they were not able to show that they could do so enough to take the match.  The foundation is there, it just needs to be built upon.

The largest single point of improvement available to this team is service errors.  I compare these to free throws in basketball a lot.  Like a missed free throw, a service error is basically a gift to the other team.  Now, I do understand the need to serve aggressively, and how that leads to high risk/high reward serves, so the comparison with free throws isn't perfect.  The other way in which the comparison does work, however, is that volleyball players can get in the gym and practice serves on their own.  Beyond cleaning up service errors, it's a case of bigger, faster, stronger and other sorts of incremental improvements.  There was no glaring probably with this team keeping them from success, it's just a question of increasing the level of play to match the top teams.

Finally,  what went well?  This team did show that they have the talent and ability to play at a top level, they showed that they could seriously threaten the likes of Pitt and Illinois.  They had a goal of getting a black banner this year, and they didn't quite reach it, they will try again next year and hopefully be closer as they build on the solid foundation.

So what does that building look like?  We lose some great players, but honestly, I think we're in pretty good shape in most positions.

Molly Sauer was, in my estimation, probably the best libero in college volleyball this year, but Alexis Hamilton is a phenom in the making, Kelly O'Neil is fantastic if she can get back healthy.  We were pleasantly surprised by the emergence of the freshman Mia Stander who stepped up clutch to fill the DS role opened up by O'Neil's vacancy.

Jasmine Bennett was a fantastic middle for us, and with her graduation, expect to look to Emily Scott, on a fully healed leg, to step into a major role in the middle.  Piper Roe will be back for only her Junior season (she red-shirted a year) and continues to improve.  We also have a middle blocker joining next year, Amaya Tillman, that looks to have an impact.

Amanda Green quietly, somewhat in the shadow of Melanie McHenry, developed into a fantastic player.  Honestly, I think she has a shot at playing professionally if she chooses.  On the outside, though, we have a couple of players in the wings that can contribute well.  Claire Chaussee showed that she can play at that level, and just needs to work on reducing errors and playing more consistently.  Aiko Jones is an incredible athlete, that needs some volleyball polish, but has the possibility of being an explosive right side hitter.  Megan Sloan continues to improve year over year and will be back for her senior season.  Finally Marijke van Dyke showed that she can play well at that level as well.  Again, some polish and finesse will help her game improve.

Setter is the position that is concerning to me.  We do have a freshman coming in that looks to have the potential of being a good setter, but I'm always nervous leaning on a freshman setter.  I wouldn't be surprised if the coaching staff were out looking at and talking to some setters with the potential of transferring to plug this bit of gap.  Anaya Martin is listed on the roster as a setter, having now completed her freshman season, but at 5'7" I just don't know if she can be effective in a 5-1 system where the setter needs to be able to be a strong blocker as well.

In general, this team is ready to build into a stronger season next year.  If we have an answer in the setter position, I think we'll have the potential to get that black banner.

Basketball Tonight

The UT Martin Skyhawks come to the KFC Yum! Center tonight.  The Cards beat the Skyhawks last year 91-56.

Frankly, this one shouldn't be that much of a contest, but let's hope this squad isn't looking past this one to the UK game Sunday.  Look for contributions for UT Martin of 6'0" Damiah Griffen, 5'8" Emanye Robertson, 5'11" Aundrea Adams, and 6'2" Chelsey Perry.

The Skyhawks arrive with a 5-2 record, with losses to IUPUI, and Northwestern and notable wins over Arkansas State, Chattanooga, Southern Illinois, and Samford.

Perry, a 6'2" sophomore post leads UTM in scoring with 12.1 a night. UTM has several Kentucky high school players on the roster, including 5'10" freshman Emma Davis. She played on the Mercer County 2018 State Championship team and will get a chance to catch up with Seygan Robins, who was also on the title-winning squad.

The Skyhawks are coached by Kevin McMillian, who shouldn't be confused with Billy Bob Thornton, and who has been there nine years. He gave Paulie a very memorable interview a couple of years ago in Martin, after the Cards traveled there and dispatched of UTM 100-57. Louisville is 7-0 against the SkyHawks all time. 

The Cards should be looking to dispatch another mid-major, spread some playing time around to
continue getting everyone comfortable on the court, and take advantage of the development time while keeping key players rested and healthy for more challenging games ahead.

Kentucky next on Sunday.

Tonight's officiating crew consists of "Silly" Ed Sidlasky, Maggie Tieman and "Flyin'" Ryan Durham. We could do a lot worse...

If you can't make it out to the KFC Yum! Center for the 7 p.m. tip-off, it should be available on the ACC Network Extra. Listening to Louisville on 790 Cards Radio WKRD is always a good option with Nick and A.J.'s excellent commentary.


Next up...

EDITOR NOTE: Hi, Paulie butting in here to talk about the Football hire. Don't like that? Such is life.

Steve Satterfield, as many already know, is expected to be named the new UofL Football Coach today after the Board gives their approval. He's the sixth FB coach in the 21st. century at UofL (counting Bobby twice).

Mainstream Louisville sports media now goes to "Coaching Hire Review and Thoughts" phase after going through "Coach Replacement Need", "Coach Watch" "Brohm Watch", Brohm Decision",  "Coach Watch II" and "Satterfield Selection Scenarios".  From Appalachian State. Is there an "app" for that?

It's always something...

We'll remain Louisville women's athletics focused here at CARDINAL COUPLE  and wish "Satty" the best of luck and many successes. Starting next year with Notre Dame isn't exactly the way to get in the water and begin a swim, but, it's going to take some time to re-tool Cardinal football and you gotta start somewhere.

Returning player response has been favorable and positive about the hire. Not many details about the contract, but it is reported that UofL paid $1.5 for the buyout for App. State. From Boone, NC to Louisville. That's going to take some time, for sure, in climate adjustment and such.

SONG FOR THE SITUATION? Why, the classic Carpenter's "It's Going To Take Some Time This Time". of course!

LINK:

IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME THIS TIME





(Some of today's photos from Jared Anderson...and even a few Paulie cell phone pics are added) 

-- 

Jeff

Future Cards Succeeding; Triple Crown Contention - SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Kentucky Girls Win Game 1

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

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

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

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

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

Justify Favorite for Triple Crown

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

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

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

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

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

Ryan Rougeux Hired as Head Diving Coach

Photo from gocards.com

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

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

Photo from gocards.com

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

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

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

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

Photo from gocards.com

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

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

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

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

Other News and Notes

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

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

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

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


Happy Friday and Go Cards!

- Jared -

Souder a Sycamore -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

CHRIS SOUDER LEAVING MERCER COUNTY TO ACCEPT ASSISTANT JOB AT INDIANA STATE.

Chris Souder probably won't be at a lot of Seygan Robins games for UofL this year. He and Robins were essential in getting Mercer Country girls high school basketball to two straight Kentucky titles in 2016-17 and 2017-18. His team last year had four seniors headed off to play college basketball...Robins maybe the most significant...with her joining Jeff Walz's Cards. 

And it now looks like Chris Souder will be departing with those seniors. After being named the Coach of the Year for two straight years in Kentucky girls basketball venue, he's leaving the high school scene for the collegiate ranks. He'll be an assistant on first year coach Vicki Hall's staff at Indiana State University.  Hall took over the Sycamores WBB program on March 21st...after ISU finished 11-19 and 9-9 in Missouri Valley Conference play. The ISU squad saw their head coach Joey Wells resign after a 2-11 start in the 2017-18 season and finished the season under interim Josh Keister. 

"I will not be returning to the sidelines (at Mercer County) next season to pursue an opportunity I just can't pass up".  Souder texted. "This is definitely bittersweet for me."

A chance to be a part of something from ground level. A chance to work with an up and coming former assistant coach at Toledo who helped build the resurgence in Rockets basketball. It has to be quite hard for Souder to just walk away from all that he had built at Mercer County over the past 19 years. A 490-214 record. Teams that won 20 or more games in 16 of those 19 seasons. 

Be there no doubt about the next statement. Chris Souder knows high school basketball talent. A very wise move by Hall to bring someone on board who has been evaluating, scouting and developing high school girl cagers for the last 19+ years. That's a huge boon to Indiana State recruiting possibilities. The Sycamores also have five seniors listed on a ten-player roster...so new troops will be needed. With the dynamic Hall in charge, it shouldn't be too hard for ISU coaches to get into living rooms and talk to student-athletes and parents. 

Hall was the 1988 Indiana Miss Basketball at Brebeuf High School in Indianapolis...plus the Gatorade and Naismith national player of the year. A Hoosier legend, so to speak.  Terre Haute and Indiana State is one hour west of Indy....on I-70. 

Souder was a 1984 graduate from Harrodsburg High School, the county seat of Mercer County. Leaving an area where he basically grew up and has many relatives can't be easy. I know that the decision has to be rough. I'll follow the Sycamores next year. After all, Larry Bird went to and prospered at ISU. Basketball has a history in Terre Haute.  The Missouri Valley conference is a strong one in women's basketball with Bradley, Drake, Evansville, Illinois State, Loyola, Missouri State, Northern Illinois, Southern Illinois and Valparaiso being members along with Indiana State. 

Cardinal Couple became a fan of Souder and Mercer County back when Robins was a sophomore in high school. His dynamic style on the court, his down-home friendly approach in media interviews and his willingness to talk to Cardinal Couple and have his players do the same won us over. Paulie made travels to Harrordsburg to watch Mercer County play, to interview Robins and Souder and also caught up with them at Girls' LIT events and when they would traverse to Louisville for games against the Jefferson County schools. 

Souder invited me to watch a practice during last year's season. I arrived in Harrodsburg to catch about the last half hour. Entering through a side door to the Mercer County gym, I may have caught the participants a bit off guard. Souder stopped practice, though, came over to me, shook my hand and took a brief minute to introduce me to the team before resuming the practice. 

I stood in the end zone watching the drills and the scrimmage that ended practice. There with me was one of the Lake sisters, (Lexy), who was icing a sore ankle. We chatted about the team casually, what it was like to play for Coach and eventually...I got my interview with Coach Souder and Seygan. A fun and informative interview. You can find it here in our archives, if you want to recall it, on the Thursday Nov. 17th, 2017 edition of Cardinal Couple.  

LINK: https://cardinalcouple.blogspot.com/2017/11/seygan-robins-interviewwbb-faces.html

Souder cared about all of his players. If a player's ride or parents were late to pick them up after practice, he would tease them that it was a long walk home...but would wait with them until they were safely picked up. His niece Emmy was on those championship squads. Stories of Sunday cookouts and get together's lent a "we are all family" approach to what is Mercer County girls basketball. Exactly what you want to see in a program. 

A new opportunity. A chance to see if the principals and theories that Souder used in high school and which got multiple Mercer County girls to the NCAA, Division I and college work once you are coaching college hoops. Souder won't be the most popular man in the county like he was in Mercer, nor will he be the top dog of hoops in Terre Haute. What he will be is an experienced, successful and engaging staff member that will try and help to right the ship in Terre Haute after three years of less-than-stellar-ISU WBB.  

Bittersweet. I hate seeing him go but wish him well. 


I'll miss my chats with Coach in the Mercer County venue. I'll miss the drives to Harrordsburg and stopping on the way for a few pieces of Bojangles chicken and fixins. There are no Bojangles in Illinois. J Ford's Black Angus Steakhouse serves up a quite decent rib eye and you have to try their their lobster corn dogs...yes, you read that right...lobster corn dogs.  Cackleberry's served a pretty good breakfast last time I was up there...I hope they're still around. 

Maybe we'll get a chance to chat with him in his new role as a assistant. We can only hope that Mercer County's loss turns into the Wabash Valley's gain.

New horizons. 

Coach Souder was one that I figured would eventually retire from Mercer County after 30 or so years of coaching. A native son of that area. Sometimes, though, you have to take the chance. Grab that golden ring of opportunity and see what it can get you. Where will it lead you? I have no doubt that Chris could return to just about any high school gig he wanted if it didn't work out at ISU...but let's take the positive and high road approach here. I'm sure there was a lot of thought involved in the move. 

Remember, a kid from Iroquois High School took a chance and left the safety of Rick Pitino's staff years ago and that move turned into a love affair between Scott Davenport and Bellarmine.

A journeyman assistant coach took a gamble and asked for an interview at a major university right after he had been on a staff that had won a national championship. UofL and Tom Jurich took a chance on Jeff Walz and that worked out pretty well, right?  Remember the players coaches took chances on who turned out to be relevant parts of championship teams? It's your turn to see where the road of opportunity takes you. Travel confidently. After all, one never knows until they try. 

Go pursue that dream, Coach Souder. See where it will take you. Go...knowing that there are a whole lot of fans in your corner wishing you the best and want to see you succeed. Players that are grateful for your guidance. Reporters who enjoyed interviewing you. Friends and family who want the best for you. Ride the tiger, climb the Sycamore, join the staff and grow with the trees. The Sycamore variety. 



paulie
xxxxx 

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

Weather, Weather Go Away

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

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

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

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

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

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


Hanging on for Dear Life

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

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

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

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

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


Bass-Rudd's Indoor Warmth

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

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

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

Future Basketball Stars

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

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

Daytona Days

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

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

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


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

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

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

www.paulsykes.com

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

Happy Friday and Go Cards!

-- Jared --