Louisville women's basketball -- Getting on the train or get left at the station edict gets its first stop tonight -- Thursday CARDINAL COUPL

CARDS FACE #19 SPARTANS IN ACC VS. BIG TEN SHOWDOWN ON ESPN 2.

The phrase "Get on the train or get left at the station" first surfaced at UofL prior to the 2012 Cardinal football season. It's been revived by the Louisville basketball program for the 2015-16 season.

Faced with a 1-4 start and headed to East Lansing to play a top 20 opponent on nation television tonight, Jeff Walz has reverted to "the old Coach Walz". The Cardinal head coach is looking for defense, court-awareness and...did we mention defense?...and those who can follow the train schedule will get the ride. 

First stop is East Lansing...a city probably still buzzing after Izzo's come from behind win last night over the UofL men's team...where a 4-1 Suzy Merchant coached squad awaits.
This one will be played in the Breslin Center and a 7 p.m. tip is scheduled for ESPN 2 viewers.

We're getting Pam Ward and Rebecca Lobo tonight behind the microphones. It's time to play "Lobo says"...where you take a shot or sip every time she mentions "UConn" or "Geno". (Be sure to designate a driver if you're watching this one away from your home).  

MSU lost to #4 Baylor by eight last time out in the Junkanoo Jam Tournament in the Bahamas for their first loss of the season. They beat Cincinnati by 40 the night before and also have home wins over Georgia, Western Michigan and Idaho. 

Junior guard Tori Jankoska will be one the Cards will have to throw off the tracks. She lit the Bearcats up for 30 and Baylor for 23...making the All-Tournament team. Junior forward Aerial Powers (surely a candidate for Worldwide's All-Name team) is the active career Big Ten rebounding leader...so the Cards will need to throw a boxcar or two in her path as well.

For the Cards, it's hard these days to predict who will actually start...or finish...a contest but we'll expect that the M&M girls, Action Jackson and Taja Cole will be prowling the court for Walz. After that, Cortnee Walton's rebounding strength will need to be retrieved from the caboose and Arica Carter's engineering skills at driving the Cardinal Express will be essential if UofL is going to pick up their second win of the season.

After that, it's anyone's guess. Sam Fuehring and Erin De Grate have drawn a couple of starts this season but look to be specific role players. Asia Durr's availability will depend on how she feels and what the doctor's say. Walz has mentioned several times that he feels she's done for the season. She sat out the triad in Estero and we'd be surprised to see her 

Syd Brackemyer, Dakota Weatherford and Brianna Jones may or may not get time off the bench. They didn't see a lot of time on the court in Florida and when you play three games in three days..especially when it is early in the season...you normally figure a coaching staff might go deep into their bench to rest a few starters (or finishers) and to get a look at a few combinations. 

From what we've seen so far this year, Weatherford's hustle and tenacity would seem to be something Louisville could use these days. Brackemyer is as good as her knee will allow her to be but can be a lock-down defender and complimentary passer when 100%. Jones can shoot but her defensive skills are a work in progress. 

I'm pretty sure all these girls want to be on the train and achieve success this season. What they will have to endure is a relentless, driving, no-excuses coaching style that they'll be under now. Maybe even a return to the checkered shirts Jeff used to wear. 

The train is at the East Lansing station. We'll know who the conductor, engineer, brakeman are and who's asleep at the switch around 9:00 tonight...

paulie
zzzzz

WBB to face Mich. St. in Big Ten/ACC Challenge...Volleyball adds transfer -- Thursday Cardinal Couple

CARDS VS. SPARTANS ON DEC. 3RD.

Louisville WBB will head to East Lansing, MI. to face Suzy Merchant's Michigan State Spartans in the BIG 10/ACC Challenge on Thursday, Dec. 3rd the leagues announced yesterday. 

Last year in the Cards first appearance in the event they blew out Lisa Bluder and the Iowa Hawkeyes 86-52 in Iowa City, IA that was a rematch of a 2014 NCAA Tournament game. 

Louisville has faced "Spartie" twice in the past, taking down MSU in the 2012 first round of the NCAA Tournament 67-55 and losing 82-73 in the 1990-91 season. 

Last season, MSU went 16-15 overall and posted a 7-11 Big 10 record. They do return honorable mention All-American Aerial Powers, who averaged 21.9 ppg for Merchant. 

All told, 14 games will be played over two days between the ACC and Big 10. The other matchups are:

Dec 2

Georgia Tech @ Indiana             Illinois @ Miami
Northwestern @ UNC                Ohio St. @ Notre Dame
Syracuse @ Maryland                 Iowa @ Virginia
Wisconsin @ Wake Forest

Dec 3

Boston College @ Purdue           Minnesota @ Duke
Rutgers @ Florida State             NC State @ Nebraska
Pittsburgh @ Michigan               Virginia Tech @ Penn State

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

VOLLEYBALL ADDS KALI EAKEN

Anne Kordes announced Wednesday that redshirt freshman setter Kali Eaken is transferring to Louisville from Kansas State. 

Eaken sat out last season and will have four years of eligibility for the VolleyCards. 

She was recruited by Kordes when she was in high school and was a three-time Kansas All-State selection. She was named 2013-14 Gatorade Kansas Volleyball Player of the Year and 2013-14 First Team Under Armour All-American.

She'll add depth to a position that Katie George held last season. Lyndsay Palmer, a transfer from Gonzaga is also listed as a setter on the 2015 roster. The duo are in their last year of eligibility. 

Eaken is also solid in the classroom...being named to the Big 12  Commissioner's Honor Roll in the fall of 2014. 

paulie
xxxxx

For Merchant, the merchandise is moving well.

Michigan State head women's basketball coach Suzy Merchant faces a tough University of Kentucky hoops squad Monday night at 7:30 in Freedom Hall in the second round of the Women's NCAA Tournament.

Know your foe. During tournament time, it can be a difficult task given the short turnaround time between first and second round games. For Suzy Merchant, it was a trip to the courtside media table after her post game interviews following Michigan State's 72-62 first round win over Bowling Green. Not for face time or congratulatory greetings from fans...along with members of her staff, the popular Spartan coach was scouting the two teams vying to play the Spartans.

What she saw was a UK team that used excellent guard play to pull away from Liberty in the second half and advance to the next round for a match up against Michigan State.

The similarities between Liberty and Michigan State are remarkably similiar. Both teams have imposing front lines. 6'9" MSU center Allyssa DeHaan will tower over UK center Victoria Dunlap. Both MSU and Liberty place a priority in outscoring opponents in the paint and winning the rebounding battle. MSU has a balanced scoring attack and six players scored eight or more points against Bowling Green Saturday.

How will Michigan State succeed where Liberty failed...stopping UK freshman point guard Adia Mathies? Part of the answer may actually come from how well the Spartans can advance the ball against UK's devastating press. UK and Mathies used the defensive pressure to create turnovers and easy baskets for Mathies and her teammates. MSU will need to find a way to circumvent the intensity and advance the ball into the front court to set up the front line. The Kentucky press is susceptable to over the top passing to create mismatches and breakaway situations. It was something Liberty had limited success with but the athletic MSU guards and superior front line height should fare better.

The guards will be the key for MSU in foiling the UK full court pressure attack. Earlier in the season, in a game I got to see in person against Louisville, the Wildcats had a superior tactical advantage in quickness and experience against Louisville's weak backcourt and had a field day in netting points off turnovers. MSU guards Brittany and Jasmine Thomas (no relation) only had four turnovers, created five steals and scored eleven points each in 63 total minutes against Bowling Green. They're a bit more athletic and quicker that the Liberty guards Kentucky faced and the matchup should be a fun and interesting component of the game.

Another factor for Merchant and her team to deal with will be the pro-UK crowd in the Hall. At times, Liberty appeared slightly rattled by the noise level and fervor the UK fan base created from the Freedom Hall seats. The Spartans had a decent turnout for their game against Bowling Green but it is expected that the Big Blue Nation will take advantage of the short drive west to Louisville and pack the stands tonight. Wildcat fans are among the best in the nation at following their teams on the road and women's basketball is no exception. Their numbers should far exceed the Spartan fans in attendance tonight.

We'll have full postgame coverage of tonight's matchup here at CARDINAL COUPLE shortly after the action. Good seats remain for the game.

Written by Paul
3/22/10