Mavunga chooses Buckeyes -- Monday Cardinal Couple

STEPHANIE MAVUNGA HEADED TO OSU

Mavunga was the innovator of synchronized falling with
your hands up in the air while at North Carolina.  

The speculation is over on where ex-UNC center Stephanie Mavunga will finish her career as a student-athlete. 

Hello, Columbus...goodbye Chapel Hill. 

OSU head coach Kevin McGuff will have the Brownsburg, IN native for two years competing in BIG 10 action. She'll sit out the 2015-16 season and suit up for the Buckeyes after that. McGuff will have a powerhouse trio starting 2016 with transfer from Duke Sierra Calhoun, 2015 Co-Player of the year Kelsey Mitchell and Mavunga.


Mavunga spent the summer playing for TEAM USA at the Pan American games in Toronto. She was first team All-ACC last season at UNC and had 27 points and 14 rebounds in a win over the Buckeyes in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

And thus endth the distribution of the highly-heralded 2013 freshman class that arrived at Chapel Hill for Sylvia Hatchell. Allisha Gray is now a Gamecock. Diamond DeShields a Volunteer and Jessica Washington a Jayhawk.

Kevin McGuff is one of the "young guns" coaches...along with Jeff Walz, Matthew Mitchell and Quentin Hillsman that are in and around their second decade of head coaching. McGuff's successes at Xavier and Washington got him to OSU...where he replaced the veteran Jim Foster. 


The "old guard" of Geno Auriemma, C. Vivian Stringer, Kim Mulkey and Tara Vanderveer couldn't be blamed if they occasionally look over their shoulder to see who might be gaining on them. With Walz's stellar 2014 and 2015 classes and two NCAA Championship game trips, Hillsman's transformation of the "Cuse" into a powerhouse and Mitchell turning UK into a SEC contender year-in and year-out...this could be a very interesting 2015-16 season.

paulie
xxxxx 

The Fallout continues in Chapel Hill -- Monday Cardinal Couple

MAVUNGA LATEST TO SEEK AND RECEIVE RELEASE FROM UNC

The latest joke going around about the UNC women's basketball program is an oldie but goodie. 

Will the last transfer from the program please turn out the lights in Carmichael Arena? 

Sylvia Hatchell...how life has changed in your locker room since 2013. It began with Diamond DeShields deciding to defect to Volunteerland last year. In May of 2015, Jessica Washington asked for her tab. A few days ago, Allishia Gray informed the desk clerk not to hold her room. Now it's Stephanie Mavunga's turn to apply for an address change. 

The heralded UNC Class of 2013? Vanished like Tommy Tutone after their 1981 pop/rock classic "Jenny, Jenny".

Mavunga is an interesting development in the continued fallout over UNC questionable academics. The returning starting center and first team All-ACC selection. 14.4 ppg and 9.8 grabs. 

The wording is interesting:

"It's with a heavy heart that I have asked for and been granted permission to talk to other teams and explore transfer opportunities...I have decided to look at transfer opportunities for personal reasons. As we all know, once a Tar Heel, always a Tar Heel."

She's got a future in politics with concession statements like that. 

The question arises if Louisville will be in the mad-scramble melee to have the Brownsburg, IN. native tour the campus?

After all, she was on Walz's list in the recruiting wars of 2012. 

She's played in and seemed to be impressed with the KFC YUM! Center. It's less than a 90 minute drive from her hometown. She would still be in the ACC and -- after sitting a year -- would have two years of playing time at a school that could be looking for a strong paint player to compliment the wealth of guards, wings and forwards that Jeff Walz is adding to his arsenal. 

The Louisville roster currently stands at 11 if you add in the five freshmen. 

After hearing Stephanie speak to the media after a tough UNC loss to Louisville in the KFC YUM! Center last season, I was impressed with her dedication towards the game, her intelligent, matter-of-fact straight forward approach in answering questions and how happy she was to have "around 40 or so" friends and family getting a chance to see her play in Louisville.

Hey, Steph...how about 35-40 more chances for them to do that beginning in 2016? 

Sure...it's speculation. We went down that road a few fortnights back when Cardinal killer Lexie Brown left the Turtles and checked out the Belknap Campus. We know of no plans or nothing concerning any possible Mavunga motives to matriculate with Mariya or Myisha.

Just wondering aloud here on the potential and possibilities. 

We'll keep an eye open and ear to the keyhole. Personally, we think she'd look great in Cardinal Red and Black. 

And, in Chapel Hill, Sylvia Hatchell...who overcame a awe-inspiring battle against leukemia a couple of years ago now faces a new challenge. 

Filling three jerseys and 37 points from the #9 team in the nation last year. 

The life of a college basketball coach. Easiest job on the planet, right? 

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Our weekly radio show was not on WCHQ 100.9 FM Saturday because the station had been knocked off the air due to the recent storms in the area. It was broadcast on the Internet, though, at CrescentHillRadio.com and is available for listening on the SoundCloud. 

Worldwide Jeff and Sam the Dry Weather Intern joined me in the studio to discuss women's sports and the boys fared well on the weekly quiz. Can you beat them? 

LINK BELOW:

WOMEN'S SPORTS ON THE AIR!  


paulie
xxxxx

Late run leads Louisville past UNC 75-66 -- Monday Cardinal Couple

15-4 UofL run gives Cards 22nd win

All photos by Charlie Springer. UofLCardgame.com
Be sure to check out Charlie's daily commentary at
www.uoflcardgame.com

With six minutes to go in Sunday's women's basketball game between UofL and UNC, it was anyone's contest. The Cards trailed 62-60 to the TarHeels and a nailbiter finish appeared to be in the offing. 

Two things happened that changed the outcome.

UNC star guard Allisha Gray went to the bench with her fifth foul and the TarHeels stopped scoring. Maybe related? Definitely a turning point. 

Louisville outscored Sylvia Hatchell's squad 15-4 the rest of the way and took  a hard fought 11 point win in ACC play in front of 13115 fans in the KFC YUM Center.


Mariya Moore hit a layup to give Louisville to tie it up and Sherrone Vails gave UofL their first lead since Moore had hit a three just 63 seconds into the game to make it 5-2. 

Emmonnie Henderson followed with a jumper at the 3:32 to make it 65-62 Cards. A Moore jumper stretched the advantage to 67-62. UNC's Stephanie Mavunga would counter inside to close it to 67-64...but the Cards got a inside jumper from Sara Hammond to go up 69-64 with 54 seconds to play and two Jude Schimmel free throws put Louisville ahead by seven with 30 ticks left on the clock.

Game over.

The Cards got four free throws from Moore and Bria Smith late to get to 75 points and beat UNC for the first time in school history. 

The star of this one for the Cards was freshman Mariya Moore. 28 points on 7-17 shooting (including all three Louisville threes) and 11-12 from the charity stripe. Myisha Hines-Allen was the other Cardinal in double figures with 13. Sara Hammond had eight points...six in the second half in a game where the three mentioned took 41 of Louisville's 62 shots and made 17 of UofL's 23 baskets. 

Sit down for this next stat.

Louisville made 26-30 free throws for a 86.7%.


Unfortunately, Louisville was only 1-4 on chances to score after the missed free throw attempts...putting the Walzian Theorem of "3 is better than 2" to a stiff test in this afternoon contest. 

The Cards did go 3-for-2 one time. In the first half Moore was fouled while shooting at 3:11. After a TV timeout she made the first and missed the second. Dyer got the rebound, passed to Moore who missed a 3-pointer, Hammond got the rebound and passed to Moore in the post who made two free throws after being fouled while shooting at 3:02

Sorry, Coach. It was 25% effective today. But, the free throw shooting was divine.

The Cards were tested...big time...for 34 minutes by a Carolina team that outshot Louisville 38.7% to 37.1%, made 12 of their 14 free throws and scored 25 points off 21 Louisville turnovers. The Cards trailed by ten with 7:28 left in the first half and allowed 15 UNC steals and 6 blocked shots. The comeback was great to watch, though...and erased any earlier first half worries about UofL's inside efficiency. 

They play the game for 40 minutes, though...and Louisville got scores from six different players over the final six minutes to win.

Bria Smith might have dug herself a bit out of the Walz doghouse with a useful and effective 15 minutes off the bench with 6-6 free throw shooting and eight points.

Emmonnie Henderson left the game with 30 seconds remaining to a standing ovation with her inspired performance of eight points and six rebounds in 18 minutes. Shawnta' Dyer's nine rebounds and five points helped the Cards out-rebound UNC 47-33 after holding a 23-22 rebounding edge at halftime. 

The Cards are still missing way too many point blank jumpers and putbacks in the paint underneath the basket...but when push came to shove in crunch time against the TarHeels...the Cards went seven for eight from the free throw stripe and hit four of their final eight shots.

And 22-3 and 10-2 in the ACC is a slam dunk...

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LAX BEATS BEARCATS BEHIND KOLOSKI'S SIX PACK

Nikki Boltja's playing days have ended but you can add a

new name to the scoring juggernauts on the Louisville Lacrosse team. Hannah Koloski had six goals in Louisville 17-8 win over Cincinnati Sunday afternoon at the UalofL Lacrosse Stadium. 

The sophomore out of Lakeville, MN. scored the first goal for the Cards against UC and Kaylin Morissette followed to put UofL ahead 2-0 and the Cards got off 28 shots to UC's 5 to hold a 7-3 edge at the half. Koloski had three of the Cardinal scores...Morissette won seven of the 11 draw controls.

The Cards ramped up the offense attack in the final half...scoring four times in the first two minutes on two goals from Koloski and tallies from Morissette and Faye Brust. UC would offer a brief challenge with three straight to cut the Louisville lead to 11-6...but the Cards responded with six out of the next seven scores to lead 17-7. 

Besides Koloski's six pack...Cortnee Daley had five goals and Brust, Morissette and Cat Gordon finished with two each. 

Louisville (1-0) hosts Canisius next...a 1 p.m. draw on Feb. 21st. 

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SOFTBALL FALLS 5-3 IN ORLANDO FINAL

Louisville Softball ended their stay at the Dot Richardson Invitational in Orlando, FL with a 5-3 loss in eight innings to Middle Tennessee State University Sunday morning. 

The Cards ended regulation tied with the Blue Raiders 3-3...getting all three scores in the bottom of the fourth. 

Maryssa Becker began the inning with a fence clearer and the Cards loaded the bases against MTSU after that...pushing home two more runs. 

MTSU countered with three runs in the top of the fifth. 

Louisville put Madi Norman on the mound to start the eighth after Shelby McCombs started the game...going five innings and giving way to Becker's two scoreless innings of relief.

In extra innings, a runner is put at second base to begin the

inning and a MTSU double brought that runner home to make it 4-3 Blue Raiders. Norman would allow one more run before the Cards had a chance to tie in the bottom of the eighth...but UofL would leave two runners on base in taking their second loss in three days.  

The Cards return to Kentucky and will play in the Eastern Kentucky Invitational next week...facing EKU, Kent State and Western Michigan beginning Feb. 21st.   





paulie  

Basketball in the ACC

THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

( Staff columnist Jenny O'Bryan gives us today's column and it's a look at ACC basketball.)

- A look at ACC WBB

-Corral picked for All-Region

-Charlie staying put. (Good Charlie!)

Louisville Women’s basketball is slated to make their debut in the ACC in 2014, if not before.   Actual arrival is dependent upon when exiting member Maryland makes their way to the Big 10. 

The coaching staff is pretty familiar with the conference.  Coach Walz cut his proverbial coaching teeth in the ACC while at Maryland as an assistant under Brenda Frese for 5 years.  He helped to lead the Terps to a National Championship in 2006.  Coach Samantha Williams found her way to the ACC as Coach Walz was leaving, in 2007.  Alongside Coach Joanne McCallie, Coach Sam spent 4 years as an assistant at Duke.   While both are now at Louisville, Coach Sam’s hometown and Coach Walz’s home state, the ACC is familiar territory.

The standings going in to the 2012 season have Duke atop the conference followed by Virginia Tech, Maryland (whose exit makes our arrival possible), Miami (FL) North Carolina, Virginia, NC State, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Wake Forest and Boston College.  Arriving in 2013 is Notre Dame, Syracuse and Pittsburgh.  With the way things stand today, Louisville will arrive in 2014. Add Notre Dame and it looks like a very strong competition level.  

The 2012 NCAA Tournament had 4 teams (Duke, Maryland, Georgia Tech, Miami (FL)) from the ACC.   Of those 4, Duke was knocked out in the Elite 8, the other 3 getting knocked out in the Sweet Sixteen.    Duke, in particular, is stacked with talent and looks to be a force for the years to come. 

The recent recruiting class of 2013’s top 50 prospects was raided by the ACC.  Of the top 50, 15 of those recruits have signed with ACC schools.  Of the top 10 in the class, 6 have signed with the ACC.   Of the top 5 overall recruiting classes, 3 go to the ACC with North Carolina coming in at #1, Duke at #2 and the newly arriving Notre Dame at # 4.  That is a boatload of talent in one conference!

North Carolina, who did not make the NCAA Tournament last year, and who snubbed an invite to participate in the NIT, got a huge haul from this class.  Diamond DeShields is the top recruit coming in at #3 in the class, followed by #7 Allisha Gray, #14 Jessica Washington and #23 Stephanie Mavunga (a recruiting target of Louisville).  The 4 hope to return North Carolina and Coach Sylvia Hatchell back to prominence in the women’s game, and atop the ACC. 

Duke, coming off of a nice post season run, scored some huge recruits as well.  Rebecca Greenwell, # 6 in the class, Kentucky native and former Louisville target as well, headlines the class at Duke.  She is joined by #10 Oderah Chidom, #12 Kendall Cooper and #32 Kianna Holland.   With the current talent at Duke, and incoming stellar class, they look to be the continued team to beat. 

Notre Dame is the other recruiting class of note.  This class is headlined by #4 Taya Reimer, # 25 Lindsay Allen and # 39 Kristina Nelson.  While Notre Dame has long been atop the Big East alongside Connecticut, they look to continue alongside strong competition in the ACC next season. 

While Georgia Tech was not mentioned in the top 5 of recruiting classes they signed # 2 in the class of 2013, Kaela Davis.  As Louisville fans know, one outstanding recruit can really change the landscape of a team and bring in future talent.  The hope here is certainly that Georgia Tech can climb out of the bottom 3^rd of the conference. 

While the Big East has long been thought of as a premiere women’s basketball conference, with Notre Dame leaving, us to follow and Connecticut looking for a way out, the ACC seems to be measuring up pretty well, especially with the very strong haul from the class of 2013.   I certainly believe with the Big East falling apart (Notre Dame and Rutgers already on the way out), the ACC seems to offer as much of a competitive nature, if not more, than the new fangled Big East. 

The Big East has been a very good home to Louisville Women’s Basketball.  I am sorry to see it unraveling, as it pertains to the competitive nature of women’s basketball.  I am grateful to see the move to the ACC and I look forward to many competitive games as we move forward.  As we all know, women’s basketball (and all women’s sports) is just along for the ride in conference realignment.  In this case, it looks to be a step up for what the ever-changing Big East is beginning to look like. 

Thank you, Big East.  Hello, ACC. 

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Louisville women's soccer junior Charlyn Corral was named First Team All-Region (Northeast) by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America earlier this week.

Corral, the 2012 BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year and a First-Team All-BIG EAST selection, led the Cards with eight goals and a team-high seven assists during her first season at UofL. She transferred to Louisville from Tecnologico de Monterrey. Corral started all 18 games for Karen Ferguson-Dayes' squad.

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(The following is EDITORIAL COMMENTARY from your senior, senile CARINAL COUPLE owner Paulie and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the rest of the CARDINAL COUPLE writers, staff or animals.)

CHARLIE STRONG SAYS "NO" TO TENNESSEE

Looks like Charlie Strong won't have to learn the words to "Rocky Top" after all. The UofL head football coach turned down two Tennessee offers Wednesday and is staying at Louisville. He's undergoing contract re-neogtiations with Tom Jurich and the scuttlebutt is that Charlie could become another $4 million man at UofL along with Rick Pitino.

I need a little car work done guys....who's your buddy, who's your pal?

I approve of Charlie's decision to stay in the (502). Was it all posturizing to get a better deal? Was Charlie seriously thinking of heading to Knoxville? Will he hire a media-relations coach with the extra benjamins to school him on how to avoid upsetting the press and the fans?

All this and more, at least until the next school comes knocking at the door. It is impressive that he turned down a SEC school to remain with the Cards. That usually doesn't happen. 

Cardinal fans have squirmed under the tag that UofL wasn't a "destination school" for coaches for years. Maybe that's changing.

Or, if you can't win them over with your winning record, "wow" them with your wallet...how many schools will come after a guy that's making more than most schools' athletic budget?

Something that struck me in Charlie's interview today was that he kept coming back to two things. Relationships and family. It's wasn't about the money, the glamour of SEC football or personal ego. It was about how he wanted to finish what he has started here, how his family loves Louisville and the relationships he has built up with his players, staff and town.

I'm beginning to like this guy even more than when he was hired.

Looks like Cardinal football is in good shape, we can move on to the next drama.

Jeff Walz's new look.
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Tuesday Cardinal Couple : Cards Wolny takes BIG EAST honors

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TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Amanda Zahui to Minnesota


-Alicja Wolny named BIG EAST Player of the Week


-BIG EAST Softball Tournament pairings


-UNC pulls off verbal coup in WBB


-Post-Derby ennui


LATE BREAKING UPDATE:


Amanda Zahui to Minnesota. 


Swedish center Amanda Zahui visited the United States recently to decide on where she wanted to attend college and play basketball. Louisville, Minnesota and Washington were the schools she was considering. She has chosen, and the choice is Minnesota. 


Zahui revealed that her final two were the Cards and the Gophers but picked Minnesota because she felt her playing time would come more quickly and be more

"gonna be a Gopher"


significant with the Gophers....instead of with the "more talented Louisville players." 

 She also indicated that "she felt at home right away with the surroundings and players at Minnesota and they accepted her as one of them immediately." 


Back to the drawing board for Coach Walz.


(Thanks to Jenny who broke the story and confirmed the information with her Swedish journalist contact.) 


Here is the translated link...but it reads like something the Swedish Chef from SESAME STREET might have come up with. Original is at:


http://lt.se/sport/basket/1.1649757-amanda-till-minnesota


Teige's center star Amanda Zahui has made its choice. In August, she goes to Minnesota to continue his basketball career. 


After SM-Gold went Amanda Zahui to the U.S. to visit the three schools - Minnesota, Louisville and Washington - that she was considering to start playing for the fall.


Now she has decided to Minnesota.


- It feels great. I'm happy with my choice. I velade bit between Minnesota and Louisville, but both have Louisville more great players so it would be tougher to get some playing time there. And above all I felt really that one of the girls on the team in Minnesota, right from the first minute I was there, says Amanda Zahui.


Amanda expects to move to the U.S. in late August. 


Robert Tate
rickard.pettersson@lt.se


(Whew, I think I need a drink after that one...)




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Louisville junior first baseman/designated hitter Alicja Wolny has been named the BIG EAST Softball Player of the Week after the 13th week of softball action. 


Wolny's numbers were impressive for the Cards 3-1 record last week:


-Batted .462 in 4 games


-Had a .533 on base average


-Registered six hits, scored four runs and had six RBI's


-Two home runs and a 1.000 slugging percentage


It's the second time Wolny has been named BIG EAST Player of the Week this season. Louisville swept St. John's on Saturday and Sunday to clinch the #1 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament. 


USF, who had been just a game behind the Cards, faltered at Syracuse over the weekend and dropped to a #4 seed. 


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The BIG EAST Softball Tournament pairings are set for the three days of action that'll take place beginning Thursday, May 10th in South Bend, IN. Louisville, as a #1 seed will face #8 seed UConn at 12:30 p.m. in the second game of the day. Louisville finished conference regular season play 20-2. The Huskies were 9-13 in the BIG EAST. Here's the rest of the first day games:


10 a.m. -- #4 USF (17-5) vs.#5 DePaul (14-8)


4 p.m. -- #3 Syracuse (17-5) vs. #6 St. John's (10-12)


6:30 p.m. -- #2 Notre Dame (16-3) vs. #7 Rutgers (9-13)

All first and second round games can be seen on BIG EAST TV.  


It's the second time since joining the BIG EAST that the Cards have won the regular season title. Louisville also gave head coach Sandy Pearsall her 500th win since taking the head coaching job and starting the softball program from ground up back in 2000. 


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UNC women's basketball pulled off a recruiting coup Saturday when four of the top 2013 recruiting targets called on the same day to verbal to Tar Heel head coach Sylvia Hatchell. One of them was Brownsburg, IN. native Stephanie Mavunga...who Louisville was courting. Mercedes Russell, the #1 prospect for 2013 has not verballed anywhere yet, despite pressure from Mavunga to do so. 


Here's a link from CARDINAL COUPLE writers Jenny and Sandy about the Mercedes timeline:


Mercedes Russell isn't close to making choice


The roster of 2013-14 at Chapel Hill has nineteen potential players if all the verbals hold up and the returning players come back. With the addition of these four, UNC actually has seven verbals for the class of 2013. 


Credit the hard work of UNC associate coach Trisha Stafford-Odom here. She left Duke in August of last year and obviously brought a lot of phone numbers and contacts with here. She did get Elizabeth Williams, the #1 recruit in the class of 2011 according to many, to Duke before her differences with Blue Devils head coach Joanne P. McCauley reached boiling point. Coach "P" must have a way with assistants, Samantha Williams left Cameron Indoor Stadium to hook up with Walz at Louisville.  


Thanks to CARDINAL COUPLE writer Jenny for the find and additional information on this subject. 


Here's a link to the verbal commits: 


Another FAB FIVE?



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Baffert finished second in the Derby

-- We all know that Union Rags was the Derby favorite, right? Not so fast, my friend...as Lee Corso would say. A late influx of money in the final minutes before the race actually made Bodemeister the post time favorite. A million dollars plus poured in during the last minute of wagering on the Bob Baffert trained 3 yr. old to edge him past "Ragsie".  


-- Bodemeister went off at $4.20 -1 odds to win. It sure looked like there was going to be a payout, too. Can you imagine the feeling the person or syndicate that threw down the massive amount of money had after seeing the "almost" win? 

-- The winner I'll Have Another was actually named because of owner J. Paul Reddam's fondness for a certain kind of cookie, not a request for another beverage at a local pub. 


-- Gotta love the fact that Derby winner I'll Have Another has already hopped a plane and flown to Pimilco Race Track, where the Preakness will be held on May 19th. Horses aren't usually shipped out so quickly after a major win like that. Less than 48 hours after receiving the roses, he's looking for Black-Eyed Susans. We like the "arrive early" theory. 

"Security? Sonja's in the lot five hours before kickoff!" 

Been doing it for years when it comes to Cardinal Football tailgating. Not 12 days in advance, mind you...but several hours before kickoff. Sometimes, you just got nothing else to do and people that you want to see...


-- Found this scary prediction at a website about horse-racing:


"The 138th running of the Kentucky Derby will have a longshot winner and I'm going with I'll Have Another. He'll come flying down the stretch to overtake the leader -- which will probably be Bodemeister. Finishing third, another late closer in Dullahan."

Nostradamus predictions...

This prophetic and exact order of the top-three finishers was written and posted on May 3rd, two
days before the Derby. 


Nostradamus, have you returned? 


And, if you have...whaddya thinking about the Preakness? 
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WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Softball travels to Tennessee (and loses 8-1)


-WBB: Walz offers 6'3" Andrijana Cvitkovic


-The Kentucky Oaks: A two horse race? 


GAME FINAL...Tennessee 8 - Louisville 1


The #5 Lady Vols tag three Louisville pitchers for 10 hits and eight runs in a win at Knoxville Wednesday night.


#8 Louisville managed just two hits against junior Ivy Renfroe and sees their 18 game win streak end. Louisville goes to 47-3 with the loss.


The Cards scored in the second inning and it was 1-1 after two...but U.T. exploded for four runs in the bottom of the third, two in the fifth and a final run in the sixth for the win. 


It is the highest hit and run production against the Cards this season. 1511 in attendance tonight. 


The game was a make-up game from a rain-out back in early March. 


Wouldn't want to be on that bus headed back up I-75 tonight...


WE'LL have a full recap in the Thursday edition of CARDINAL COUPLE. 


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The University of Louisville softball team travels to Knoxville today to play the Tennessee Lady Vols in a 6 p.m. game. U.T. is ranked #5 or #7 in the nation, depending which poll you go by and Louisville is #8 or #9. We can safely say it's a top 10 match-up. 

Non-conference games like this at the end of the season usually don't account for a whole lot...but this one peaks interest for a couple of reasons. 


-- Win streaks on the line. One of these two will see their winning streak end. The Cards have won their last 18, U.T. their last 17. The streaks are the two longest right now in college softball. 


-- Cards look to end the drought. UofL is 0-4 against the Lady Vols lifetime. They last met in the NCAA Regionals back on May 23rd, 2010 in Knoxville. Extra innings until UT broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth to defeat the Cards 3-1. 

These two were scheduled to meet back on March 3rd. in Knoxville in the Tennessee Classic...but rain postponed the game. 


We wonder...


-- Will Tori Collins get the start? UofL has a very important three game, regular ending season visit to St. John's this weekend. Do you risk pitching your ace against the Lady Vols or rest her up for a series that you hopefully will sweep to win the regular season title?


-- How will the Cardinal bats fare against the first Top Ten opponent Louisville has faced this year? Kristin Austin is batting .408 for the season. Over .400 is a rarity anymore in college softball. Taner Fowler isn't too far behind at .378 and Alicja Wolny close to those two at .364. 

-- Which Renfroe will the Cards face in the pitching circle? It's been a sister act this year for Tennessee when it comes to hurlers. Sophomore Ellen Renfroe is 26-3 on the year and Junior Ivy Renfroe is 18-6. They hail from Jackson, TN. and Trinity Christian Academy. 

Good barbecue in Jackson. Been a few years since we've been down there. Wonder if Brooksie's Barn is still as fantastic as it was last time we were there? It's a "must stop" if you're ever in the area...go hungry.

Should be a good one. CARDINAL COUPLE will try to post the final tonight as soon as the contest ends.


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Add another name to the 2013 UofL women's basketball recruit watch-list. 6'3" Andrijana Cvitkovic is a junior post player at Culver (IN) Girls Academy. This one is ironic...because we were taking a look at BIG 10 recruiting the other night and her name seemed to appear on about half the schools' wish list. Add Louisville to the suitors...Walz offered her yesterday. 


Originally from Croatia, "A.C." is expected to probably play at power forward in college. She does possess a nice outside jumper and is said to be able to punish teams from the high post. 


CARDINAL COUPLE writer and recruiting expert Jenny O' Bryan muses:

this picture is Stephanie, not Jenny...

Does this mean that the Cards are lessening up on efforts to land Stephanie Mavunga?


The 6'3" junior forward from Brownsburg, IN is on just about everyone's "got to get her" list and was the 2012 P.O.Y. in Indiana Girls' High School basketball, according to ESPN.


WE don't think that this is a sign that Louisville has lost interest in Stephanie. Instead, we see it as a sign that Walz is looking to add even more depth and skill to the Cards that will be back to patrol the paint in 2013-14. Remember, Asia Taylor will have graduated by then. Vails and Slaughter will be seniors that year. Hammond and Dyer juniors and Walton a sophomore. 


Depth is good. Height is great. Go after the big girls, Jeff. Get as many as you can. 


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We've given you a lot of Derby coverage so far (hope you're reading Darren Rogers) but we're going to look at the 138th running of the Kentucky Oaks today. The "Lillies for the Fillies" takes place on Friday, May 4th. 

The post position drawing was held yesterday and it looks like a full field of 14 three year old fillies, plus one 'also eligible', will compete over the Churchill track at a mile and one eighth. 


We'll make no bones about it. WE see this as a two horse race. On Fire Baby and Grace Hall have distanced themselves from the rest of this field, in our opinion, and will most likely be bet down to 5-2 odds or lower. 


Just for argument's sake...or in case you're looking to fill out a trifecta...who might be there if these two fall apart? 


We'll offer Broadway's Alibi, Summer Applause and Jemima's Pearl as choices to contend for third place.


I got into a bit of a "discussion" about the two Bob Baffert horses in the Oaks last night with a Churchill "regular". He's thinking Jemima's Pearl and Eden's Moon both hit the board at a big price. Honestly, I just don't see it...but a "back-up" wager on the two might not be a bad idea. 

For once...(Oh, Lord...it's a miracle!) Sonja and I are in complete agreement on a horse race. We only differ on who we think will finish third. Give me Broadway's Alibi...she's looking at long-shot Karlovy Vary. As far as who we think will win between Grace Hall and On Fire Baby...we'll wait until Oaks Day to decide that. 


Honestly, it's just too close to call right now...we'll look for developments over the next few days and give them a close scrutiny in the paddock before the race. 


Take a look for yourself. We've got links for the two in their most recent races. 


On Fire Baby


Grace Hall
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