CARDINAL COUPLE

CARDINAL COUPLE
We report on the joy and excitement of UofL women's sports here. Thanks for checking us out! Click the picture of Louie to hear the latest Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast!!
Showing posts with label Taner Fowler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taner Fowler. Show all posts

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Thursday Cardinal Couple -- Cards will face Temple in AAC Softball Tourney today



THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Louisville swept Owls two weekends ago at Ulmer

- If you are not busy...


The AAC Softball Tournament gets underway in Houston this morning at 11 a.m. when third seeded Louisville (33-20) will face Temple (15-29) in the opener.




The Tournament seedings:

#1  UCF                     #5 Rutgers
#2  USF                     #6 Temple
#3  Louisville             #7 Memphis
#4  Houston               #8 Connecticut

Cincinnati and SMU do not field softball teams.


If the Cards take care of business, they'll get the winner of the USF vs. Memphis game on Friday at 5 p.m. The Tournament final is scheduled to take place Saturday at 4 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN2.

All of today and tomorrow's games will be shown at the American Digital Network.  It can be found at:

http://www.theamerican.org/DN


The Cards swept the home regular season finale against the Owls 14-6, 5-0 and 11-3 over April 26-27. They looked very impressive in doing so. Taner Fowler went 8-10 over the three games and the Cards got good pitching out of Caralisa Connell, Rachel Le Coq and Maryssa Becker. 

Louisville finished the remainder of the regular season 2-2...losing to UK but taking 2 out of 3 in Memphis on Derby weekend.


Some final regular season stats (Worldwide loves these!)

- Louisville batted .302 as a team. Leading the way was Katie Keller (go vote for her!) at .384. Five Cards batted over .300

- Kelsi Jones was the home run leader with 11. She also led the Cards in RBI's with 36. She also scored the most runs with 44. Rumors that the team is changing their nickname to the "Kelsi's" is unconfirmed.

We owe the University of Missouri a large "thank you" for letting her hone her skills there two years before transferring to "the Ville".

- Freshman pitcher Maryssa Becker went 12-7 on the season. Caralisa Connell finished 10-5. Rachel LeCoq was 11-8. Both are seniors.

The University of Louisville place five players on the American All-Conference Softball teams as announced at the league banquet Wednesday, May 7. Seniors Katie Keller and Taner Fowler earned first team honors while juniors Whitney Arion and Kayla Soles and freshman Maryssa Becker were named to the second team.


This award recognition is great for the five that got selected but it also provides indisputable evidence that the selection committee is dumber than a box of cereal. How do you leave Jones off the list?

One of the many reasons that make me sooooo very happy UofL is dropping an "A" and adding a "C" next season. ACC...we're on the way. AAC? Thanks for the invite...time to go now. Prosper in your mediocrity.

We'll have a full report on the action in the Friday edition of Cardinal Couple...plus a preview of The BIG EAST Lacrosse tournament. 

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *         *


Lacrosse is headed to Evanston. This from the UofL SID office:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville women's lacrosse team is inviting the public to a send-off for the program's first NCAA Tournament in school history on Thursday just outside the Yum! Center, adjacent to the UofL Lacrosse Stadium, on Floyd Street at 10:20 a.m. ET.  The Cardinals will face Ohio State in a first-round game on May 9 in Evanston, Ill., with the winner playing No. 5-seed Northwestern on May 11 on the Wildcats' home field. The Buckeyes earned one of the 13 at-large bids.  Louisville (15-3) secured the BIG EAST's automatic berth after beating Georgetown on Saturday for the first conference tournament title in school history. Winners of 11 straight, Louisville rolled its way also to the school's first regular-season crown

paulie
                 

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Cardinal Couple Tuesday-Selection Monday

TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 

Selection Monday

Yesterday was Selection Monday for the NCAA Tournament.  What?  You didn't know?

72 teams and 18 individuals were announced as participants in the NCAA Women's Golf Championship to be held between May 8th and 23rd.  The Louisville women were guaranteed a position in the Championship, due to having won the American Athletic Conference Championship, but tuned in to find out their seeding and in which region they would be playing.

The answers are: 13th seed, and in the East Region.

The East Region is hosted by Florida State and will be played at Southwood Golf Club in Tallahassee, FL.  All regionals will be played between May 8th and 10th, with the National Championship occurring May 20th through the 23rd at Tulsa Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Sophomore Laura Restrepo leads the Cardinals with a 72.68 stroke average. She is ranked 63rd in the nation by Golfstat. Junior Emily Haas ranks second on the team with a 73.14. She's 9th, according to Golfstat. Junior Katie Petrino has a 73.71 average and comes in at 142nd with Golfstat. Senior Tara Lyons and freshman Shannon Gramerly fill out the usual fivesome the Cards put out on the links.

In addition to Louisville, American Conference members UCF and SMU also made the cut for regional play, with UCF being a sixth seed and also in the East Region.  Meanwhile, SMU got an 18th seed in the Central Region.

Future ACC conference-mates make appearances:

East:
1. Duke
7. Virginia
9. NC State
10. Florida State

Central:
8. North Carolina
10. Miami (FL)

West:
5. Clemson
6. Wake Forest
18. Notre Dame

There are three regions with 24 teams and six individuals playing in each region.

Softball Tidbits

Last Home Game

The Kentucky Wildcats come in to Ulmer Stadium tomorrow night for Softball.  This is a ticketed
event, unlike most softball games at Ulmer, and the stadium is expected to sell-out, but there is always room to watch from the outfield berm, which still provides excellent vantage points for the game.

With Ulmer having been newly renovated and more seats added, its expected that there will be a record crowd on hand.

The rains are expected to clear and Ulmer has fantastic drainage and a world class ground-crew tending it.  With the forecast calling for rain ending overnight Tuesday night, with only a slim chance for rain remaining, it should make for a great evening.

First pitch is at 6pm.  This will likely be your last chance to see this year's six seniors play at home, with the last three regular season games being at Memphis.

Softball Spotlight

 
For the past several weeks, Softball has let one of the players take over the @UofLSoftball twitter account one afternoon of the week.  While a date hasn't been set for this week's Spotlight, we're expecting Taner Fowler to step up to the virtual mic.  Expect about an hour of good fun on twitter as Taner answers your questions tweeted to @UofLSoftball.  As soon as we find out a date and time for this week's Softball Spotlight, we'll let you know.

Taner is one of the graduating seniors and is frequently listed as Utility for her position and this year has showed it.  She's played just about equal time at catcher, first base, third base and left field at various times this season.  Taner is from Morganfield, Kentucky, in Union County about midway between Owensboro and Paducah.

jeffmca

Monday, April 28, 2014

Monday Cardinal Couple --- Softball completes the sweep...Cards 11 - Owls 3




MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Cards improve to 12-6 in AAC with Temple win

- Vote for Katie!


The Louisville Softball team has found their bats and used them to bombard the Owls again Sunday. Spotting the Owls an early 3-0 advanage...Louisville proceeded to score the final 11 runs of the contest and sweeps the series on Senior Day at Ulmer Stadium.

The fans said an official goodbye to Taner Fowler, Hannah Kiyohara, Caralisa Connell, Katie Keller, Maggie Ruckenbrod and Rachel LeCoq yesterday (they actually will have one more home game Wednesday when they host UK) and then proceeded to say goodbye to several softballs and Owl pitchers.

After a three run homer in the top of the first put the Cards and Caralisa Connell behind, UofL wasted no time in putting some numbers on the left field scoreboard. The Cards got one back in the bottom of the first when Kelsi Jones doubled and scored on a Brittany Duncan sac fly.

The fourth inning proved to be fruitful for the Cards offense...five runs on five hits...and Louisville led 6-3.

Maryssa Becker went fence with Brittany Duncan onboard in the fifth to increase the lead to five at 8-3. By then, Caralisa had given away to Becker in the circle.

The Cards ended it in the sixth when Jones led off the inning with her team-best ninth home run of the season. Four singles from Jordan McNary, Kristina Dillard, Autumn McDuffie and Taner Fowler produced the final two runs to stop the game at 11-3.

Cats Wednesday. This one will cost you $5 to watch inside Ulmer, but free seating will be available on the outfield berm.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


Vote for Katie Keller! The senior and nine other softball players are in competition for college Player of the Year. You can vote once a day and Katie could use your help for the Senior Class Award title.

Link below:

VOTE FOR KATIE EVERY DAY!

( UNFORTUNATELY, YOU'LL NEED TO COPY AND PASTE THE LINK WHEN YOU GET OVER THERE . I VOTED OFF THE LINK ABOVE EARLIER AND IT WOULDN'T LET ME VOTE AGAIN WHEN I WENT BACK A FEW MINUTES LATER TO TEST IT)

Katie Keller

Katie Keller

School
Louisville
Position
Second Base
Major
Communications
 

Classroom

Katie Keller Text Screen for printingKatie Keller currently carries a 3.118 overall GPA and has had solid performances in the classroom throughout her career. The communications major has been named to the Athletic Director’s honor roll (3.0 or higher for the semester)three times and was a member of the Dean’s List. Following her junior season, when she earned All-America honor on the field, she was also selected to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team.

Character

Katie Keller is a leader both on and off the field. As a freshman, she stepped into a starting role at second base and gained the respect of her teammates and coaches with her communication skills. Her work ethic has never been called into question. She is dedicated and determined to improve herself and her teammates. Over the years, she has grown into a leader off the field as well, giving encouragement to teammates. Katie is always able to lighten up a tense moment with her sense of humor, but knows when to be serious. She is an intense competitor and a great teammate. We are fortunate to have Katie as a member of our team.

Community

Katie Keller has dedicated community service hours to several organizations including: Dreams with Wings, the Down Syndrome Buddy Walk, the Humane Society, and the Hunger Walk. She has donated her time to help carve pumpkins with special needs children and assisted with a dance for people with disabilities who are residents of the Douglas Community Center in Louisville. Keller has also spent hours working with the Fit4Me program, in which UofL female athletes work with middle-school girls to improve their nutrition and fitness and encourage healthy habits,

Competition

Katie Kopeeller was recently named to the Top 50 Watch List for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. She earned NFCA All-America second team honors in 2013 after registering a .402 batting average and 54 RBIs and belting out a team-best 12 home runs. She was also named to the All-Great Lakes Region and All-BIG EAST first teams as a junior. In 2013, Keller was one of the Top 25 Finalists for the 2013 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.

The three-year starter and three-time All-BIG EAST selection became the first player in program history to sweep Louisville Slugger/NFCA and USA Softball National Player of the Week honors on March 5, 2013. She is also two-time All-Great Lakes Region selection. She has an innate knowledge of the game and performs well under pressure.

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Our latest broadcast on the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour is now available on the SoundCloud. Several of you have e-mailed me about not being able to find the archived broadcasts. I hope the link below helps:

CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO 04-26-14

Let us know...

WE will be out of the studio Derby Day...and back live again on 5/10/14.

We have (5) different Lacrosse interviews to hear on the 4/26/14 broadcast...two with Coach Kellie Young, two with Faye Brust and one with Kay Morissette. 



paulie

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Sunday Cardinal Couple -- Softball Cards fly past Owls 14-6 and 5-0



SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Cards improve to 11-6 in AAC with sweep

-  Downs After Dark 


Softball the way we're used to it at Ulmer Saturday. Louisville unleashed the bats against the Owls and Carl
found her groove again in the sweep against Temple.

Cards 14 - Temple 6  (five innings)

Louisville put together 14 runs and 13 hits in the opener...three from Taner Fowler in the drubbing of Temple. After a scoreless first inning, Louisville went to work in the second frame...a two RBI single from Kelsi Jones and two run double by Fowler doing the major damage.

Maybe just as impressive...Brittany Duncan scoring from first on a Kayla Soles two RBI double. Make it 6-0 Cards after two. Call her "wheels"?

After Temple went fence on Rachel LeCoq in the third, Fowler returned the favor...pounding one over the left field fence and doing irreparable harm to the maple tree on the berm. Louisville added two more runs to make it 9-1 after three.

Temple countered with three runs off of LeCoq and Tierra Sanabria in the fourth to make it a five run Cardinal lead...but Louisville responded with four runs...on four singles to give Temple a 13-4 deficit to overcome. The Owls did score twice in the top of the fifth...forcing Louisville to bat in the bottom of the inning...but walks to Soles and Maryssa Becker and a double from Fowler ended the game.

LOUISVILLE 5 - TEMPLE 0

Good Carl is back.

The nightcap belonged to Caralisa Connell. 12 strikeouts and just two hits allowed gave the senior her eighth win of the year.  We got to see the pitcher that we knew from last year and 2012...mowing down batters like a weed-eater attacks clumps of grass.

And, in a rarity for the second game of a UofL double-header, the bats backed her up.

The Cards scored three in the second inning...singles from Soles, Fowler, Maggie Ruckenbrod and Hannah Kiyohara doing the damage and added two in the third inning. Becker's double off the centerfield fence drove in Whitney Arion and Keller to give Connell a five run lead to work with. 

Tomorrow is Senior Day and the Cards will honor Fowler, Keller, Kiyohara, LeCoq, Connell and Ruckenbrod. They've won 170 games as Cardinals, played in two conference title games and played in three NCAA Tournaments.

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


I've posted the second of my articles about Derby Week over at paulsykes.com


This one isn't roses and champagne toasts. Yeah, I'm a little edgy about the $hur$hill Down$ gouging.

This piece probably won't endear me to John Asher or Darrin Rogers, the communciations brain-trust on Central Avenue.

The new projection screen, though...is totally awesome.

LINK:

DERBY TRIAL AND DOLLARS AFTER DARK

paulie

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Thursday Cardinal Couple -- Softball ranked 19th in USA Today Preseason poll



THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Cards, USF only AAC teams in top 25


The USA Today/Coaches poll was released a couple of days ago and the University of Louisville softball team has been ranked 19th. The poll is voted on by 32 NCAA Division I head coaches...one from each conference.

Louisville finished the 2013 season with a 47-13 record and went to the NCAA Tournament for the tenth season in a row. The Cards were a #18 preseason selection last year and were ranked as high as eighth in the regular season.

Louisville also hosted regional action in the tournament last year but was sent to the sidelines by UCLA in a game most Cardinal softball fans would like to forget...the Bruins putting a 19-2 pasting on UofL. The Cards went 18-4 in their final season in the BIG EAST Conference but got eliminated in the conference tournament by USF.

USF is the only other AAC team in the preseason top 25...sneaking in at 25th. They are a dangerous bunch and talented pitcher Sara Nevins returns for them.

As for Sandy Pearsall's sluggers...plenty of talent returns for the 2014 season. All BIG EAST team members Whitney Arion, Caralisa Connell, Hannah Kiyohara, Caralisa Connell, Rachel Le Coq and Maggie Ruckenbrod will suit up and take the field. 2012 All-American Taner Fowler is back also.

Oh, yeah...some kid named Keller is returning. It's said she can hit a bit. She was also on the 2013 All-American team.

Louisville adds 10 newcomers to the lineup and the pitching staff that fell apart at the seams because of injuries at the end of the 2013 season gets Connell and LeCoq back and is bolstered by the arrival of two highly heralded freshmen flamethrowers.

One other team from Kentucky was selected in the top 25...that school located in Lexington. They check in at 12th.

UK will be on the Cards schedule again this season twice and Sandy's squad will also face in-state schools EKU, WKU, and NKU. The Cards will also go up against preseason ranked #5 Michigan and get a rematch against #16 UCLA.

The Top Ten in the poll?

1) Tennessee              6) Alabama
2) Oklahoma               7) Arizona State
3) Washington             8) Oregon
4) Florida                    9) Nebraska
5) Michigan                 10) Texas

The Cards get it started on Feb. 7th. in Boca Raton, FL. at the FAU Kickoff. UofL's first home game will be in the Cardinal Classic against Northern Kentucky on Feb. 21st.

Louisville will play 56 regular season games before American Athletic Conference Tournament action starts on May 8th. in Houston, TX.

Softball in Louisville in late Feburary...

With the current arctic blast encompassing Louisville today on Jan 23rd...it sounds foreboding. We all know how weather can be around this region, though, in late Feb.-early March. T-shirts and shorts one week and parka and gloves the next.

UofL staff underlings duck and cover as Paulie takes a
photo of Coach Sandy Pearsall and Sonja
With the returning crew and a cast of talented newcomers, it looks like Pearsall has plentiful and powerful players to punish the patsies in AAC play. USF will be a threat. Houston got a couple of "others receiving votes".

As we've said in several sports this year...we're not looking to buy, we're just renting for a year before moving into the mansion...when it comes to the AAC. It is interesting to note...however...that only (1) ACC school got top-25 recognition. Florida State landed 15th. in the poll.

Ulmer Stadium is undergoing a facelift/renovation and the press box is being enlarged. That's good...means I won't have to sit on milk crates or in the utility closet this year.

Maybe...

Chalk up the baselines, warm "Marge-Peg's" arm up and stock up on the Texas Roadhouse peanuts. The annual ding of the bat and bombardment of the grassy knoll at Arthur and Brandeis streets is less than a month away.

paulie
...
..
.







Thursday, October 17, 2013

Thursday Cardinal Couple -- Soccer hits the road...Softball releases schedule



THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Temple awaits Kickin' Cards

-Softball releases schedule


The Owls.

Again.

Seems like Louisville athletic squads have been in  battles with the Philadelphia school a lot lately. Karen Ferguson-Dayes' soccer team gets their turn in the birdbath today with a 3:00 p.m. start against Temple in Philadelphia.

It'll be the first match in history between the two in soccer.

Temple comes into the contest with a 6-7-1 record and 1-4 in the AAC. They fell the last time out to UConn 3-1...a team Louisville will face in Storrs, CT on Sunday.

The Cards, who at times this year have been scoring-challenged, will face the AAC leader in shutouts in sophomore goalie Shauni Kerkoff...who has seven "no soup for you" efforts on the season. Against UConn, she an amazing night with 15 saves.

UofL, who is 9-4-1 overall and 5-1 in the AAC, fell 1-0 to UCF on Sunday. It was the first time the Cards had been blanked since Labor Day weekend. Another goalie of note, Louisville's Paige Brown, had eight saves against the UCF Knights.

This one could very well be decided a lone score. The question is...which team will kick it?


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


The 2014 Cardinal softball schedule has been released and it looks to be a challenging one for Sandy Pearsall's sluggers


12 participants from the 2013 NCAA tournament are on the docket. #8 Michigan, #11 Missouri, #14 Kentucky and #21 UCLA will all do battle with the BatCards.

Things get underway Feb 7-9 in Boca Raton, FL. Louisville plays in the FAU Kickoff Classic and will get their swings in against Ohio St., St. John's, Northern Illinois and host FAU.

The Cards will head to Jacksonville the following weekend for another four games...facing Missouri, Notre Dame, UNC and host Jacksonville.

The home opener will take place Feb. 21st. when the Cards
host the Cardinal Classic. EKU, IUPUI and Central Michigan lace them up in Ulmer to challenge Fowler and company.

A trip to California ends Feb. and ushers in March where the Cards will participate in Cal State-Fullerton's Mayfair Tournament. UCLA, Oregon State, Northwestern, UC-Santa Barbara and host Cal State Fullerton will also swing for the fences in this one.

Louisville returns home for 10 straight games beginning March 7th. after the west coast jaunt...the Red and Black Classic brings UMass, Ohio U., Illinois State, and THE OHIO STATE University. The following weekend...The Louisville Classic will pit the Cards against Michigan and Wisconsin.

Louisville will travel to Bowling Green for a March 19 battle with the WKU Hilltoppers and then start AAC play three days later when Rutgers visits. Former BIG EAST for DePaul comes to town on the 26th. Louisville hits the road to strike out Houston and USF the next two weekends.

Louisville battles UK in Lexington this year.
The game goes down on April 2nd. Louisville will get a return match in Ulmer on April 30th.

Other foes include UConn @ Ulmer, at UCF, Temple @ Ulmer and a trip to Memphis winds up the regular season May 3rd-4th.

The AAC Championship Tournament is at Houston and will take place May 8-11.

We'll have all the action and results here at CC. Hard to believe the season starts in less than four months!
 
 
     
Season
2013-2014 SCHEDULE
Overall
0-0
Conf.
0-0
Home
0-0
Away
0-0
Neutral
0-0
DateOpponent / EventLocationTime / Result
FAU "KICK-OFF" Classic
02/07/14vs. Northern IllinoisBoca Raton, Fla.4:00 p.m. ET
vs. Florida AtlanticBoca Raton, Fla.8:00 p.m. ET
02/08/14vs. Ohio StateBoca Raton, Fla.1:00 p.m. ET
vs. TulsaBoca Raton, Fla.4:00 p.m. ET
02/09/14vs. St. John'sBoca Raton, Fla.9:00 p.m. ET
Jacksonville Softball Tournament
02/14/14vs. MissouriJacksonville, Fla.12:45 p.m. ET
vs. JacksonvilleJacksonville, Fla.3:00 p.m. ET
02/15/14vs. Notre DameJacksonville, Fla.9:30 a.m. ET
vs. North CarolinaJacksonville, Fla.11:45 a.m. ET
02/16/14vs. North CarolinaJacksonville, Fla.9:00 a.m. ET
Cardinal Classic
02/21/14vs. Northern KentuckyULMER STADIUM2:00 p.m. ET
vs. Eastern KentuckyULMER STADIUM4:00 p.m. ET
02/22/14vs. IUPUIULMER STADIUM2:00 p.m. ET
vs. Central MichiganULMER STADIUM4:00 p.m. ET
02/23/14vs. IUPUIULMER STADIUM12:00 p.m. ET
MAYFAIR Tournament
02/28/14vs. NorthwesternFullerton, Cal.4:30 p.m. ET
vs. Cal State FullertonFullerton, Cal.7:00 p.m. ET
03/01/14vs. UC Santa BarbaraFullerton, Cal.12:00 p.m. ET
vs. UCLAFullerton, Cal.5:00 p.m. ET
03/02/14vs. Oregon StateFullerton, Cal.2:15 p.m. ET
Red and Black Classic
03/07/14vs. UMass-BostonULMER STADIUM2:00 p.m. ET
03/08/14vs. OhioULMER STADIUM2:00 p.m. ET
vs. Illinois StateULMER STADIUM4:00 p.m. ET
03/09/14vs. Ohio StateULMER STADIUM2:00 p.m. ET
vs. OhioULMER STADIUM4:00 p.m. ET
Louisville Classic
03/14/14vs. Kent StateULMER STADIUM4:30 p.m. ET
03/15/14vs. MichiganULMER STADIUM4:00 p.m. ET
03/16/14vs. MichiganULMER STADIUM2:00 p.m. ET
03/17/14vs. WisconsinULMER STADIUM12:00 p.m. ET
vs. WisconsinULMER STADIUM2:00 p.m. ET
03/19/14at Western KentuckyBowling Green, Ky.TBA
03/22/14vs. Rutgers #ULMER STADIUM12:00 p.m. ET
03/23/14vs. Rutgers #ULMER STADIUM12:00 p.m. ET
03/26/14at DePaulChicago, Ill.2:00 p.m. ET
at DePaulChicago, Ill.4:30 p.m. ET
03/29/14at Houston #Houston, Texas12:00 p.m. ET
at Houston #Houston, Texas2:30 p.m. ET
03/30/14at Houston #Houston, Texas12:00 p.m. ET
04/02/14at KentuckyLexington, Ky.6:00 p.m. ET
04/05/14at USF #Tampa, Fla.12:00 p.m. ET
at USF #Tampa, Fla.2:30 p.m. ET
04/06/14at USF #Tampa, Fla.12:00 p.m. ET
04/12/14vs. Connecticut #ULMER STADIUM12:00 p.m. ET
vs. Connecticut #ULMER STADIUM2:30 p.m. ET
04/13/14vs. Connecticut #ULMER STADIUM12:00 p.m. ET
04/18/14at UCF #Orlando, Fla.12:00 p.m. ET
at UCF #Orlando, Fla.2:30 p.m. ET
04/19/14at UCF #Orlando, Fla.12:00 p.m. ET
04/23/14at IndianaBloomington, Ind.TBA
04/26/14vs. Temple #ULMER STADIUM12:00 p.m. ET
vs. Temple #ULMER STADIUM2:30 p.m. ET
04/27/14vs. Temple #ULMER STADIUM12:00 p.m. ET
04/30/14vs. Kentucky #ULMER STADIUM6:00 p.m. ET
05/03/14at Memphis #Memphis, Tenn.2:00 p.m. ET
at Memphis #Memphis, Tenn.4:00 p.m. ET
05/04/14at Memphis #Memphis, Tenn.1:00 p.m. ET

-Paulie

...

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Proposed basketball rule changes



WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

( Staff Columnist Jenny O'Bryan alerts us in today's column about a possible rule change being considered for womens college basketball. It could have a pronounced effect on the game...)



-Rule change could greatly alter WBB

-Rutgers finally decides on vote for AD: Julie Hermann

-Media Tuesday for Louisville Softball


If you have listened to Paulie, Jeff and I on Crescent Hill Radio on the Cardinal Couple radio hour you have likely heard us reference NCAA and their affinity for rules.  There are so many rules and regulations that it makes my head spin just thinking about it. 

However, the NCAA Women’s Basketball Rules Committee made a recommendation for a rule change at their annual meeting in Indianapolis.  This is one rule I can get behind. 

The committee is recommending that a 10-second backcourt rule be implemented in the women’s game.   In order for this to become a rule for the 2013-14 season the Playing Rules Oversight Panel must approve it.  They will convene June 18  in a conference call.

Below is an excerpt from the NCAA website regarding the recommendation:

Women’s 10-second backcourt rule
In women’s basketball, committee members added the 10-second rule in the backcourt for the first time since the NCAA began administering women’s championships in 1981-82.
Previously, teams could take as much time off the 30-second shot clock as they wanted before crossing the mid-court line.
Officials will use the shot clock to determine if a 10-second violation has occurred.
Committee members believe adding the 10-second rule will increase the tempo of the game and create more offensive scoring opportunities.
Women’s intercollegiate basketball is the only level in the sport throughout the world that does not have a backcourt rule in place.
If this rule is adopted by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel, the committee is also recommending that the closely guarded rule in the backcourt be eliminated from the rules book.
The closely guarded rule in the frontcourt would read that a player holding the ball for five seconds with a defender not exceeding six feet will be a violation. Previously, the defender had to be within three feet of the offensive player with the ball to force a 5-second violation.
“Given feedback from stakeholders through the years, this is the right time to approve the rule,” said Barbara Burke, Women’s Basketball Rules Committee chair and director of athletics at Eastern Illinois. “Overall, we discussed pace of play, creating scoring opportunities and flow of the game. Adding the 10-second backcourt rule adds another element of strategy, and this rule fits into the concepts of growing the game.”

I have to say this is one NCAA rule I welcome.  Not only will it increase the pace of the game and provide more scoring opportunities, I believe it really works to the advantage of a team like Louisville that likes to play pressure defense.  The thought of some combination of Bria Smith, Tia Gibbs and Jude Schimmel wrecking havoc in the backcourt with pressure has me bemoaning the fact that basketball season is 6 months away!

While this rule is not a done deal, yet, it does sound like the support is there pretty unanimously.  We should know more in late June. 

For more about proposed rule changes check out the full article (mentioned above) at:

RULE CHANGE

-Jenny O Bryan

( One thing that we should see here at CARDINAL COUPLE if this rule goes through is our readers won't be bemoaning the fact the Louisville guards are taking 10-15 seconds to get the ball across the timeline on occasions. We'll follow this proposal with interest...the  CARDINAL WBB full court press was very productive at times last season.  -- Paulie)


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The search for an Athletic Director at Rutgers University had come down to Frazier and Hermann. The six-member committee couldn't decide, though. Until today.

Word is...that a vote last night resulted in a 3-3 tie on who will become the new AD for the Scarlet Knights. There are three men and three women on the committee.

They tried again, today, through the eleven member Board of Governors, to break the deadlock. Julie wins! Julie wins! There are only three schools in Division I athletics with a female Athletic Director...California and North Carolina State...and now Rutgers. 

Sean Frazier is the deputy athletic director at Wisconsin. It's widely known that Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez lets Sean handle most of the day-to-day operations. Julie Hermann supervises 20 of the UofL sports and also keeps tabs on marketing at UofL.  Frazier would probably mutter that getting close only matters in horseshoes and hand grenades.

WE have to ask the question...why didn't they appoint seven (or five) people to the first decision-making committee?  

Good luck, Julie! Rutgers has a whole bunch of issues to resolve...one of them being how to break a tie...We're going to miss you!

Be sure to catch the Thursday editon of CARDINAL COUPLE...Jeff McAdams will review Hermann's appointment.


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I had a blast down at Tuesday's Media Day for the UofL Softball team. Got there a little early and learned quite a bit watching practice...the Cards do a full field  and full speed drill where they put the team in situational aspects of a game and see how they perform. Two outs, bottom of the seventh inning Alicja Wolny at bat and Rachel LeCoq on the mound....as an example. Even though the wind was blowing straight out of the ball park, I didn't see any home runs today. I'm guessing their saving those for IPFW, UAB and UCLA.

I also got some great interviews for our Saturday radio show on Crescent Hill Radio. Without giving anything away...here are 10 teasers you can listen for Saturday (or on the archived broadcasts that stay up on the site for several weeks...) You can listen to Crescent Hill Radio 24/7 if you wish on the internet. The station is applying for a low wattage FM license that will dramatically increase the "over the airwaves" broadcast area and hopes to obtain the permission to being this in November.  You can listen to Crescent Hill Radio at the link below

CRESCENT HILL RADIO

Here's your teasers:

1) What do geese and a certain UofL softball player have in common?
2) Who is the best stand-up comic on the team?
3) One of the players reveals her most embarrassing moment on the field.
4) Just how many dogs is Coach Pearsall keeping track of these days?
5) Does a certain Cardinal softball player accept my challenge to a 60 yd. race?
6) How does Coach Pearsall feel the Cards have done with "small ball"?
7) Which Cardinal softball player is a big fan of THE WALKING DEAD?
8) Which softball player defeated Shoni Schimmel in a game of "HORSE"?
9) Who picked whole wheat bread over white and rye bread?
10) Which player prefers Katy Perry over Pink, Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars?

See you Saturday 11 a.m. for CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO on Crescent Hill Radio!

-Paulie

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