The Incredible YUM, BIG EAST review

MONDAY @ C.C.

-Louisville 2nd in nation in WBB attendance

-BIG EAST still crowded at top
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-gone too soon...
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The University of Louisville womens basketball team is in their first season of home games in the KFC YUM Center. The beautiful, state of the art downtown arena has been a popular venue to watch the Lady Cards play hoops in...Louisville is second in the nation (behind Tennessee) in womens basketball home game attendance...averaging 10901 per game after 11 contests. The Cards seem to like it there...going 10-1 in games played there.
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How are the other attendance figures per game in the BIG EAST for womens basketball? Here's a breakdown by school:

CINCINNATI 1,041.... NOTRE DAME 8557.... SETON HALL 543
CONNECTICUT 9885.... PITTSBURGH ....2348....SOUTH FLORIDA 1195
DE PAUL 2512 ....PROVIDENCE 249.... SYRACUSE 1259
GEORGETOWN 964.... RUTGERS 2938.... VILLANOVA 569
MARQUETTE 1417.... ST. JOHN'S 2635.... WEST VIRGINIA 2671

Several of the schools have more than one place where they play home games. Connecticut uses the XL Center and Gampel Pavillion. St. John's has played in Carnesecca Arena and Madison Square Garden...Seton Hall has both Walsh Arena and the Prudential Center available. Taking all sixteen schools into account, BIG EAST womens basketball averages 3125 a home game.
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We have to wonder what kind of effect it has on a visiting team in the KFC YUM Center...used to crowds of 1200 or less to encounter over 10,000 screaming UofL fans. A few of the visiting players and coaches we've heard from claim it doesn't distract them...but we think that may just be "coach and player speak." We know what other fans think about it...a Rutgers fan in attendance Saturday for the game against Louisville commented that "it sounded like a 747 about to take off" several times during the game. A couple of visiting fans from Dayton told us that the YUM is "the loudest place we've ever attended a womens college basketball game."
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Arena size and other competition for the dollar no doubt affects attendance levels. Three schools play in arenas that seat less than 3000 (Providence, Seton Hall and Georgetown). Six schools have home contests in arena designed to seat under 10,000 (DePaul, Marquette, Notre Dame, Rutgers, St, John's, Villanova). 15,000 and under seating is the case at Cincinnati, Connecticut, Pittsburgh, South Florida, and West Virginia. Only Louisville and Syracuse are over 20,000 in seating capacity. Major pro sports are present and taking place at the same time of year in nine of the BIG EAST school locations.
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It is a testament to the support and fervor of the Louisville fan base that the LADY CARDS are second in the nation. Coincidentally, attendance started to soar for Louisville women's basketball when a young lady from Baltimore, Maryland showed up on campus. Attendance increased each year Angel McCoughtry played for Louisville. After her graduation, the fan base still grew...fawning over diminutive Shelby Harper and the gutsy night after night efforts of Monique Reid. Both are back this year and Shoni "Showtime" Schimmel was recently voted your favorite Lady Card here at CARDINAL COUPLE. T.o hear the roar of Louisville fans when the team gets on a run...or Schimmel or Burke knock down a three is pretty incredible. Gives you goose bumps and makes you glad you're a part of the "magic on Main." Monique Reid calls it amazing and reports that the players get very pumped up for each appearance in the palace by the Ohio.
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A little past the halfway point in the BIG EAST regular season schedule finds two teams still undefeated in conference play...Connecticut and DePaul. Those two will face each other this Saturday at Gampel Pavillion. Notre Dame has one loss (to UConn). They get a rematch with the Huskies at Gampel on Saturday, February 19th. The Irish end the regular season at DePaul on Monday, February 28th. Rutgers has two defeats (Louisville and UConn) but are faced with the tough task of playing Notre Dame and DePaul back to back and on the road in mid-February. It gets crowded after that...five BIG EAST teams have three losses (Louisville, West Virginia, Marquette, Georgetown and Syracuse). Although all nine statistically have a shot at winning the regular season...we surmise here at CARDINAL COUPLE that whoever wins the UConn vs. DePaul matchup Saturday is the team that will take the title.
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Villanova and Seton Hall are winless in BIG EAST play. Both remain on Louisville's schedule. Pittsburgh, USF and Cincy have but one win. The Cards face USF on the road Saturday, February 19th. Louisville has played and defeated Cincy (twice) and Pitt.
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Maya Moore looks to be well on her way to gather another BIG EAST player of the year honor for Connecticut...but who will join her on the All-BIG EAST team? If we had to vote today, we'd have to select Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame), Kayla Alexander (Syracuse), Keisha Hampton (DePaul), Liz Repella (West Virginia) and Sugar Rodgers (Georgetown) to join her. We'll offer Monique Reid (Louisville), Tiffany Hayes (UConn), Angel Robinson (Marquette), Devereaux Peters (Notre Dame) and Da'Shena Stevens (St. John's) for a second team.
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BIG EAST Freshman of the Year looks to be a two way battle between Bria Hartley (UConn) and Shoni Schimmel (Louisville). Trailing them is Natalie Achonwa (Notre Dame) and Katie Plouffe (Marquette).
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BIG EAST COACH of the YEAR has some interesting possibilities. Doug Bruno at DePaul has done a masterful job so far. You always have to consider Geno Auriemma (UConn) and Muffet McGraw (Notre Dame). Jeff Walz (Louisville), Terri Mitchell (Marquette) and Quentin Hillsman (Syracuse) are just behind the leaders.
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Disappointment of the year so far? Maybe the way St. John's stumbled from a 5th preseason ranking to 4-4 in the conference and double digit drubbings by Louisville, DePaul, UConn and Notre Dame. The Red Storm does have the majority of the tough opponents out of the way, though...and if they can accomplish wins on the road at Marquette and West Virginia and defend the home court against Rutgers, Georgetown and Syracuse...we'll reconsider the tag.
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Pleasant surprise of the year so far? We're going with the LADY CARDS. Losses to UConn and Notre Dame were pretty much expected, the Marquette loss we can see...but wins over Rutgers and St. John's wern't envisioned by many. Louisville has several tough tests left and they have struggled away from the YUM CENTER...but if they can survive at Syracuse and continue the home advantage against DePaul, Georgetown and WVU...we think the selection is valid.
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CARDINAL COUPLE was saddened to hear about the recent death of UofL fan Dr. David Decker. He was a fixture at many UofL sporting events over the years and was a regular visitor here at our site. The friendly family physician loved Cardinal football with a passion and will be missed. Dr. Dave was also an accomplished pianist...we remember him tickling the ivories 'back in the day' with local legendary band CITY LIGHTS. Go easy, bro.
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Manual wins LIT, Cardinal Win Dissected

SUNDAY AT CARDINAL COUPLE:

-Manual wins Girls LIT.

-Louisville win was "by the numbers"

-David Watson weighs in on the win.





Becky Burke and Shoni Schimmel get the last laugh in the 11 point Cardinal win over Rutgers Saturday night in the KFC YUM Center. They're probably not chuckling about the Lady Cards 6-26 effort from 3 point range, though. Schimmel and Tia Gibbs were 5-20...but hit when it mattered for the Cards...who are now 5-3 lifetime against the Scarlet Knights.

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Led by a balanced team effort, Stacy Pendleton's Louisville Manual girls basketball squad captured the Republic Bank LIT at Bellarmine Saturday night. The Crimsons held off a late Mercy Academy run to emerge victorious 48-46. Manual's Mechael Guess was named MVP of the tournament and April Wilson took the defensive player of the tournament for Manual. They led by double digits early in the second half before Mercy made a game of it late.

To reach the finals, Manual had to withstand a tough battle from Sacred Heart in the semis. Guess's 20 points were the deciding factor in a 53-51 win over SHA. Monica McCreal had 18 for the Valkyries...Morgan Clemons added 13 points and 13 boards in the narrow defeat.

In the other semifinal game, Mercy upended Boone County 75-68...Whitney Hartlage getting 16 for the Jags and Julianne Miller adding 12. Boone County's Sydney Moss showed why she is the best junior in the state with 21 points. Mercy outscored Boone County 25-12 in the 4th.

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( Jeff Walz pictured here in his Tony
from 'Saturday Night Fever' gear
prepares to talk to the BIG EAST
announcers after the Louisville win.
He didn't dance, as far as we know.)
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Some interesting numbers from the Louisville v. Rutgers matchup. WE figured here at CARDINAL COUPLE that Louisville would get destroyed on the boards...but Rutgers and Louisville finished with 27 rebounds each. WE also thought that Rutgers would punish Louisville from inside the paint. Not so...Chelsey Lee and Monique Oliver combined for only 12 points...Louisville front line starters Monique Reid and Keisha Hines were good for 21 points.

WE'RE not sure why Rutgers abandoned the inside game late and went to the 3 point attack...but it didn't work for them...they went scoreless for nearly ten minutes and missed six threes in that period of time. They were 5-11 from the deep before the slump.

Louisville forced Rutgers into 23 turnovers, while committing only 11. The Scarlet Knights committed 15 fouls while Louisville was whistled for only eight. WE'RE proud of Keisha Hines...only two fouls in 29 minutes. WE are distressed by this particular officiating crew's obsession with calling 'travelling' though...I know Rutgers got whistled for it a least 10 times and Louisville close to that. Not a familiar crew either, in terms of working Louisville games in the YUM Center. Maybe the crowd of 15,000 + got to them....

We saw a Cincinnati team play only seven against Louisville last week and C. Viv. Stringer followed suit...putting only seven Scarlet Knights on the court against the Cards. It is obvious that Rutgers misses guard Nikki Speed, out with an injury, but Rutgers looked tired and worn out at the end of the game last night. Jeff Walz trotted out nine Lady Cards in the win.



Rutgers shot a respectable 51.4% for the game (18-35) but cooled off from a blistering first half where they went 11-17..finishing 7-18 in the final twenty minutes. Louisville ended up 20-53 (37.7%)...picking up the pace in the final stanza with a 13-27 effort (48.1%) after starting with an ice cold 7-26 (26.9%) in the first twenty minutes.

Louisville's four freshmen that played accounted for 22 points, seven rebounds, five turnovers and no steals. Walz used the bench for only 34 of the 200 possible player minutes in the game.

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(David Watson, special correspondent to CARDINAL COUPLE, offers his always frank and sometimes entertaining views on LADY CARDS Hoops. He discusses the Rutgers win.)
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First of all, let me get this out of the way. I no longer consider C.Vivian Stringer the enemy. And , I offer a hearty apology if I upset any Rutgers (or Louisville) fans with my assessment of her in a previous column here at CARDINAL COUPLE. Instead, I feel bad for the esteemed Coach this Sunday morning. For 30 minutes yesterday, her Scarlet Knights took the fight to a Louisville squad that couldn't seem to climb the final hill and see the view from the top of the scoring mountain. Then, the wheels fell off the bus. The Cards rolled over the hill, jumped on the bobsled and enjoyed a merry ten minute downhill ride through the Scarlet Knight snowbank. 17-0 hurts. Especially when you see shot after shot from downtown Louisville clang off the rim and the ball fall into the opponent's hands. Not even Bill Murray in 'Groundhog Day' had it this bad.
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And it is the shot selection that baffles me here. Rutgers wasn't doing a bad job getting inside and pummelling Louisville's front line. They scored their first three baskets of the second half in the paint and Louisville appeared to have no answer to Chesley Lee or Monique Oliver down low.
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Maybe it was three straight threes made by April Sykes and Erica Wheeler after that, pushing the Scarlet Knights into a 3 point lead, that effected the change in offensive philosophy. A Hindenburg decision...I've seen toddlers toss their stuffed animals into the toy bin with more accuracy than the futile effort that occurred after the 11:00 minute mark.
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Rutgers will recover. They'll take the fight to St John's Tuesday night and win. Speaking of fights...what in the world was April Sykes trying to prove near the end of last night's contest?
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Frustration over the loss, sure...I get that...but to risk injuring Louisville's leading scorer with a
uncalled for, cowardly shove is strictly ghetto, no class b.s. She deserves suspension, disciplinary action at the very least, but it'll probably go unpunished. Hey April, just scream out an obscenity next time or stand there sullenly. Then again, she's from Starksville, Mississippi. That explains a lot. Good game, poor game ending response. I'll wait for the public apology that won't come.
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So, call it a Louisville win that wasn't a high scoring, up and down the court track meet but still a convincing display that the Cards do know the definition of 'defense' and the term 'get the ball to Monique Reid...Shoni !!'. A win I fully expected, being in the KFC YUM! Center and all. Put this one in the 'RAC' on Rutgers campus and the Scarlet Knights probably double digit the Cards. Nevertheless, CARDS WIN, CARDS WIN and it's one more notch on the pistol handle and one more payback delivered by Reid and company. 15,000 plus for women's college hoops. Possibility City, indeed.
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Cards "Mo" prevails...Louisville 56 - Rutgers 45

REID HAS 17 in 11 point
LOUISVILLE win.

In a game that could have been pre-billed as the 'battle of Mo'...Louisville's Monique Reid scored 12 second half points and Louisville went on an improbable but exciting ten minute 17-0 run late in the second half to defeat Rutgers in the KFC YUM Center Saturday night before 15061 fans.

Monique Oliver, talented post for C.Vivian Stringer's Rutgers squad, was held to eight points...two in the final twenty minutes of play. Stringer is pictured here, dejectedly leaving after the loss.

Louisville trailed 42-39 with 11:21 to go in the game, following an April Sykes 3 pointer. The Scarlet Knights would not score again until 1:33 remained in the contest...another Sykes three that pulled Rutgers to the final margin of 56-45. The ball simply wouldn't go through the net for Rutgers...as they missed seven shots in the almost ten minute span...six of them 3 point attempts. They also committed five turnovers in that stretch.

It was the 3 ball that had Rutgers rolling and in the lead prior to that. Using a three from Erica Wheeler to take an early lead...the Scarlet Knights went a torrid 11-17 from the field in the first twenty minutes (64.7%) and led by as many as seven during the first half before a 11-4 Louisville run gave the Cards a 19-18 lead with 6:20 in the first half. The half found the Cards down by two...Shoni Schimmel missing two three point attempts in the final five seconds when she probably could have gone to the hoop for a layup. April Sykes torched the Cardinal defense for 12 first half points...and Louisville produced an anemic 26.9% (7-26) shooting...lucky to be down by only two at the intermission. Tia Gibbs led the Cards with eight first half points.

At halftime, Jeff Walz preached defensive intensity and promised his squad that if they turned up the pressure...56 points would be enough to win the game. He ought to play the lottery tonight...the Cards finished with 56 exactly and Louisville forced Rutgers into 13 second half turnovers and out rebounded the Scarlet Knights by three.

The 17-0 run was a deceptive thing of beauty. Following Sykes's three, Antonita Slaughter returned the favor to tie the score at 42 all. Reid put the Cards ahead to stay on a layup with a Shoni Schimmel assist. Becky Burke canned a three on the next Cards possession and a Rutgers turnover provided Monique Reid a layup that made it 47-42. Another Rutgers turnover gave Reid another layup and a deep Scmimmel three had the Lady Cards up 52-42 with six minutes to go. That stretch may well have been the loudest the KFC YUM Center has been for a womens' game this year. Louisville got a layup from Keshia Hines and a Burke jumper over the next four minutes to hold a 14 point lead before Sykes's three broke the spell.

Things got a little ugly with 33 seconds to go when Sykes shoved Reid to the floor following a missed Rutgers 3 point attempt. Cardinal teammates restrained Reid from retaliating and the game ended with a half court Schimmel three falling short at the buzzer.

Reid was comical about the incident after the game.

"Yeah, she (Sykes) shoved me down for no reason and I was cool about it...but I had to go after her to show her I'm not a punk...but Shoni and Nita were stopping me...laughing...reminding me we were up by eleven."

Reid led the Cards with 17 points and a hard fought six rebounds in 36 minutes of play. Schimmel added 12 with five boards and Tia Gibbs finished with eight points and seven rebounds during 38 minutes on the court. Sykes led all scorers with 20 points...Erica Wheeler drilled three 3 balls for her nine points.

The win pushes Louisville to 14-8 and 5-3 in the BIG EAST. Rutgers takes their second straight BIG EAST loss and falls to 12-8, 5-2. Louisville returns to action Tuesday Night when Georgetown comes to the YUM for a 7 p.m. tip off.

Girls LIT results and Rutgers Game Day

SATURDAY EDITION: CARDINAL COUPLE



-Quarterfinal LIT RESULTS


-Swimming splits dual meet


-Rutgers Game Day...David Watson checks in

-Lora Brown gets a PANERA Card!



The University of Louisville women's swimming and diving squad competed against Virginia Tech and Indiana University in a dual meet Friday at the Ralph Wright Natorium. The Cards downed the Hokies 205-95, but fell to the Hoosiers 181-119. Winners for the "Ville" were Therese Bergstrom (pictured above) in the 100 and 200 breaststroke and Aileen Cole (also pictured above) in the 50 and 100 freestyle. The 200 medley relay team also hit the finish line first...Raine Thompson, Krissie Brandenburg, Cole and Bergstrom getting the win.

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Quarterfinal results from the Republic Bank LIT at Bellarmine:

MERCY knocks off MARION COUNTY with a last second shot 52-20. Bre Edler had 18 for the visitors from Lebanon, KY. Kyvin Goodin-Rogers and Makayla Epps also hit double figures for MARION COUNTY.

BOONE COUNTY slipped by BUTLER 71-69. Sydney Moss had a huge game for the Northern Kentucky visitors in one that also went to the wire.

SACRED HEART skipped by SCOTT COUNTY 72-50 after leading by just two at halftime. Another big game for SHA's Monica McGreal.

MANUAL had no trouble in defeating OWENSBORO CATHOLIC 66-44. Stacy Pendleton's Mechael Guess and Leasia Wright led the Manual charge over the Western Kentucky visitors.

Semifinal action faces MERCY vs. BOONE COUNTY and MANUAL and SACRED HEART do battle. Final tonight at 8 p.m.

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(Special correspondent David Watson takes a look at Rutgers vs. Louisville...who will square off Saturday 6 p.m. in the KFC YUM ARENA. Neither team may ever be the same...)

First of all, I am not a C. Vivian Stringer fan today. Before you dump me in the Don Imus category or Sonja comes after me with attack yorkies and her old field hockey stick. let me explain. It has nothing to do with race, creed, color or 'nappy hoes'. I just don't like her coaching style. Rutgers beats opponents up on every possession. It is not fast break transition hoops. Some people dislike John Calipari or Bob Huggins (I happen to be O.K. with both) but C. Vivian Stringer is the enemy, the foe, the competition today.

Even though Louisville holds a narrow 4-3 margin in lifetime wins over the Scarlet Knights since the series began in 2006 and Jeff Walz 3-2 vs. Stringer, you cannot take the Scarlet Knights lightly. I suspect that there may be a few of these moments tonight. Remember the classic staredown between Kia Vaughn and Gwen Rucker two years ago? Godzilla, meet King Kong.
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C. Vivian Stringer is one of the most successful coaches in women's college basketball. She poses an immediate threat to the success of my University of Louisville Lady Cards this evening and, therefore, I do not like her today.
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I will make the drive down I-65 to watch tonight's game in the KFC YUM! CENTER tonight with my wife and two of my children. We'll arrive early, dine at Impelliazari's and go watch warmups. I hope to see and say "Hi" to Paul and Sonja there. I will not say "Hi" to C. Vivian Stringer today, though. Not even if she comes up to the seats, buys me a beer and wants to discuss crappie fishing trips this spring. She is the enemy, it's game day and we cannot be ebony and ivory, Whoopie and Patrick Swayze or Oprah and Dr. Phil.
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I will probably cheer for Rutgers later on this year. I like Monique Oliver. I like April Sykes and even the goofy Rutgers mascot. I am a reasonable man but I have some priorities.
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I do not like C.Vivian Stringer today. Maybe, probably tomorrow I will. It depends on the outcome of the game. Time to make her sad. She can rejoice, celebrate and do the happy dance the remaining eight BIG EAST games for her after this one today. I don't want her happy today.
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(David Watson does not like broccoli or artichokes either. We'll bring him Rutgers pom-poms and a Scarlet Knight hoodie to tonight's game...he won't wear or wave them but he'll be okay with the Rutgers head coach come Monday.)

SONJA OFFERS A COUNTERPOINT
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David, chill out. It's a classic women's college basketball game between two of the best programs out there. I fully expect a good game, no fights and certainly no tiff between Walz and Stringer. The two are good friends. Two years ago, the joy and pleasure on C.Viv's face when she held and talked to Jeff's two children before the game was priceless. I rather lose to Rugters than anyone else in the BIG EAST.

A class program, class coach and great rivalry. Good luck to both teams.

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Congratulations to Lora Brown for the winning e-mail for $10 in Panera Gift Cards. Lora likes the Elizabethtown, KY. location and all the friendly servers and counter people there. "They always are glad to see me and very friendly." she writes. "I like Panera's breakfast sandwiches and their coffee." She also mentions that the manager and Archie are always nice to her when she sees them.
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Want some? Send your e-mail here to us at cardinalcouple@insightbb.com and get some. Who doesn't want $10? WE'll draw again next Saturday...
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True Card Fans and Their Habits - Game Day 101

Mary and Brandon Springer

As much as our love for our Cards grow, the more thankful we are for washing machines.

What does that mean? It means Brandon L. Springer wearing number "19" (Michael Bush), pair of khaki pants, my watch, boots and hair fixed and clean...yes clean shaving for each game. I can't look sloppy for my Cards! That's what I did for the 05-06' season.

I can't really go into what I wore for the Kragthorpe era cause I think I changed so much and tried so many different things that nothing worked so I gave up. But I still cheered on my Cards, but not so much the coach.

OK...yeah....OW!!..STRONG ERA!!! So let me see...what did I do? Oh yeah... so my wife and I got season tickets this past year (finally) and what a fun year it was. Habits continued this year and went into full effect. Outfit was a black UofL Tshirt, khaki shorts and new to this year, a FOSSIL UofL watch purchased out of town from my wife as a gift to me!! Guys, each game I did this.


Some would call this OCD. Would I? Hmm......yes. Seriously, why do I need to wash my hands after anything I touch that's not UofL on game day? OCD. Why would I shut off a light because before I turned it on, we had a scoring drive? OCD. Why would I kick my sister out of a room every time UofL plays? OK, that's just damn bad luck on her end but come on!! There's other TV's chica! Don't worry, she's still my darling older sister...between February and August.

I mean, is what I'm saying all that weird? I heard a guy totally revamped his basement to a entertainment system that Bose and Samsung would piss themselves over, then cause the Cards lost two games in a row he has not watched a game down there since then cause he feels somehow that's tied together and doesn't want another loss. That was 3 years ago. OCD? Maybe, but I would not take anything away from that guy cause I would do the same thing.

So what is it you do? Do you shave your head? Do you say a UofL chant? Do you shower 4 times before game and paint your nails red and black? I bet there is a guy who just read that and screamed "HOW DID HE KNOW THAT!?"

Let me know what you all do cause this will be awesome to share. Again thanks for letting me share.

As always, stay classy Louisville and I'll see you in the lot!!

Brandon L. Springer

One UofL Fan’s Late Night Driving Course - Review of Local Post Game Grub Spots Around Louisville!

Cardinal Hall of Fame Cafe, two blocks from the University of Louisville campus

By Steve Springer of UofL Card Game

Watching a Big East basketball game is a great experience, whether in person or on TV. The sights and sounds of a collegiate game day in a huge arena can reward a fan with a lifetime of memories. But why limit oneself to only two senses. There can be more to it than that. Much more.

A die-hard fan of Big East Basketball participates in the game day activities inside the arena, but doesn’t limit oneself to just watching one’s team fly up and down the floor, basking in the cheers, chants, whistles, and squeaking of hightops on the hardwood. There are three other senses that can indulge the fan into making the most out of the experience.

Tailgating is an excellent way to dive into the tastes and smells of college football. It’s not, however, ideal during basketball season, at least not traditionally. The majority of the Big East hoops season falls during the cold winter months, with many of the schools located in the bitterly cold Northeast. We can’t all have home games in sunny Tampa, Florida like the Bulls do. So the rest of us are forced to find good grub and spirits indoors. The following is an attempt to narrow the best post game and late-night dining establishments in Louisville into a top five as we slide behind the wheel of a Naughty Volvo S60:

• Cardinal Hall of Fame Café — There’s no other restaurant in the world that represents a team better than the Cardinal Hall of Fame Cafe represents the University of Louisville. The restaurant resides in the shadow of the nicest on-campus stadium in the country, Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. Stepping into the restaurant you are surrounded by reminders of Cardinal greatness, with your feet traversing the Walk of Fame, consisting of tiles that display the name, sport, years played, and induction year of the finest athletes in the school’s history. The entryway includes dozens of trophies, jerseys, balls, and all sorts of memorabilia. On one wall is a giant mural featuring the likenesses of Darrell Griffith, Wes Unseld, Pervis Ellison, Howard Schnellenberger, and of course, Hall of Fame coach Denny Crum, amongst many others. Quite the nostalgic feeling, having a two-time championship coach, Fiesta Bowl winning coach, and hardwood and pigskin giants along with the steaks, pizza, seafood, and everything else on an eclectic menu. A literal sensory overload of everything Cardinal.

• Denny’s Restaurant — What collegiate midnight munchies marathon would be complete without the world famous Grand Slam Breakfast from the Denny’s on Eastern Parkway? After a game’s worth of seven dollar beers at the arena, partying your tail off celebrating a hard-earned Big East victory and yet more brew, you could be celebrating into the wee hours of the morning and quickly approaching the break of dawn. Denny’s would be the destination of choice, as long as all the other breakfast places aren’t open yet. Pancakes, bacon, eggs, French toast- easy on the wallet, but not the arteries.

• Papa John’s — A dedicated UofL fan will always find a way to support his school, even when it’s satisfying late night hunger. What better way to accomplish that than patronizing one of UofL’s largest contributors? Papa John Schnatter of Louisville started his worldwide pizza chain in Louisville in the closet of his father’s business and it grew into the best pizza chain in the world. He drops major coinage on UofL whenever possible, contributing to many different athletic facilities/events, scholarships, and to top it off, he donated so much to the construction of the football stadium that he earned the naming rights, thus “Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.” He really represents the spirit of generosity and a true Cardinal fan always stops by Papa’s when craving a pizza.
  
  
  The Granville Inn keeps attracting U of L partisans long after graduation

• Granville Inn — A unique local spot on our dining tour would be the Granville Inn on Third Street, just off the campus. The atmosphere on game day during the season is electric. The party is always rockin’ here after a victory and they have the best burger in town. It combines an historic look (1930’s) with the contemporary sounds of college bands and music, partying the night away after a big win over rival West Virginia, or a blowout of Cincinnati. Jessica, the day manager, has been a UofL fan her entire life, and her being revolves around keeping them full and happy, after wins and losses.

• White Castle — Finally, at any time of night after a game, no matter how tired, wasted, hungover, almost broke you are, there’s always White Castle. The mini hamburgers are available 24 hours a day, which is great because some people’s hunger is available 24 hours a day, or especially after late night celebrations. The hamburgers aren’t too bad if you can fill up on a couple (not likely). But after about five or six, they all start to taste the same and really just serve the purpose of filling your gullet instead of pleasing your tastebuds. One caveat, however. They do have a drive thru, but the smell and the grease that permeates the bag, your clothes, everything, should not be allowed into the luxurious cabin of the Naughty S60. Put them in the trunk, on the roof, whatever you have to do to keep from soiling the leather.

We’ve covered four of the five senses, leaving only the sense of touch. What better way to cap off the full sensory experience than by feeling the quiet rumble of the 300 horsepower engine throw you back in your seat as you race to get that pizza back to your dorm room or wherever you call home before it gets cold, or as you hug the turns with the all wheel drive suspension to make sure you get those burgers out of the trunk before the smell of onions and fries drown out that new car smell. Combine the Naughty S60 and any (or all if you dare) of these dining experiences to make your late night driving and dining course really special.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW and PHOTO ALBUM - 2011 Commit 3* SF Ryan Taylor - The Latest on Taylor

CD Photo - 1 27 2011 - SF Ryan Taylor

CD Photo Album

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Cardinal Dominance staff had a great time scouting and interviewing 2011 verbal commit 3* SF Ryan Taylor, along with Western head coach and also the uncle of Ryan Taylor, Paul Handley.

CD Photo - 1 27 2011 - Western HC Paul Handley

Handley is now coaching his nephew Taylor, after Taylor made the switch from North Lawrence HS in Indianapolis to Western HS in Louisville. North Lawrence will have great talent, but many of the players seem to have academic issues. So Taylor making the switch to play for Uncle Paul was a great move.

Taylor is on track to possibly still become qualified by the Fall of 2011, with another ACT test scheduled for February 12th. If he does not become qualified by Fall for some reason, Taylor will be attending prep school. Which prep school will be decided by Taylor and his family if they have to cross that bridge, states Handley.

Pitino has told Taylor and Handley that he is a man of his word, and that he wants Taylor to play at Louisville. Whether it is Fall of 2011, or if Taylor reclassifies to the 2012 class, Taylor will be proudly sporting the Red and Black in the end.

Taylor has never even considered playing anywhere but Louisville.

A special thanks goes out to Western HC Paul Handley for taking his time out for Cardinal Dominance to bring you this exclusive.

CD Scouting Report - SF Ryan Taylor

Mobility - Has great speed and footwork, and can blow-by small, quick defenders with ease.

Passing - We were almost shocked at how well he passes.

Shooting - He has a sweet, smooth jumper with great mechanics.

Closer - He finishes strong at the rack.

Contact - He welcomes contact, and likes to bang and hustle.

Motor - He never stops or looks winded. Has great work ethic.

Leader - The leader of his Western team, who motivates the other players and mentors his team mates.

Off the Court - A stellar young man who is a great person as well from all reports.

Monique faces Monique on Saturday

FRIDAY @ C.C.

-Rutgers visits the Bucket Saturday

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-LIT action/results

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Monique is coming to town. As in Monique Oliver, the sophomore center for C.Vivian Stringer's Rutgers womens' basketball team.

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Monique is already in town and waiting. As in Monique Reid, junior forward for Jeff Walz's Lady Cards.

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The Saturday matchup at 6 p.m. will be a good one. The Scarlet Knights, fresh off a loss to visiting Connecticut 63-44 on Wednesday, are looking for their sixth win in seven BIG EAST contests. Louisville...who fell by eleven on the road to Marquette...is hoping for a win to keep from going to 4-4 in conference play. For the Cards to be successful, they'll need to stop Monique and get a big game out of Monique. Let's look at the visiting Monique...

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"She's going to be a big time player," head coach C.Vivian Stringer notes. "I knew the minute she signed with us. I don't normally make that kind of comment about a player. She was sharing time last year. She knows it's her time now."

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And, she has responded. A 27 point performance at Syracuse against standout center Kayla Alexander in a Rutgers win. 21 points and 17 rebounds in another upset win over Georgetown.

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"She realizes that she can take over a game now." says junior guard Khadijah Rushdan. Her sophomore year has brought a knowledge and maturity that benefits the Scarlet Knights.

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"Last season, I was just trying to get to know the program and do what coach Stringer asked. This year, I'm more focused and confident." Oliver reveals. She's not the only Scarlet Knight that is on the improve, either.

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Guard Rushdan is averaging 14 points a game and 3 point specialist April Sykes (no relation) is in double figures also for Rutgers. Add forward Chelsey Lee to the mix and Rutgers can hurt you several different ways. They'll most likely try to use their power game inside and the pressure defense that is a staple of Stringer coached teams to control the pace against the free-wheeling Cards and keep the score in the sixties.

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Louisville will try to counter with the dangerous transition game that allows the Cards to score in waves against opponents. They must find a way to compete on the boards, however...something that Louisville has had trouble with in losses to Notre Dame, Connecticut and Marquette. Monique Reid will find the going tough in the paint against the aggressive Scarlet Knight front line and if the Cards are to pull this one out...the 3 point shooting of Becky Burke, Shoni Schimmel, Tia Gibbs and Antonita Slaughter will have to be clicking.

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Should be a fun one. It's "White Out" night...so if you go, dress accordingly.

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(some information for this article is from nj.com)

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

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Action continues in the Republic Bank LIT Tournament. Thursday's scores:

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#1 Manual 68 - Assumption 55

#2 Mercy 52 - Bullitt East 43

#10 Sacred Heart 57 - J'Town 42

#11 Butler 57 - Christian Academy 40

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Four games on tap for Friday.

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#2 Mercy vs. #.7 Marion County 4 p.m.

#10 Sacred Heart vs. #9 Scott County 5:30 p.m.

#1 Manual vs. Owensboro Catholic 7 p.m.

#11 Butler vs. #6 Boone County 8:30 p.m.

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The action is heating up...so head over to Knights Gym at Bellarmine today to catch four excellent matchups.

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Lady Cards fall to Marquette 76-65

THURSDAY @ CARDINAL COUPLE

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-Cards lose on road

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-Men win against WVU

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-Softball picked to finish 3rd in BIG EAST.

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It's a tale that has been told several times this year and the Lady Cards added another chapter to it last night in Milwaukee...staggering out of the gate and dropping another BIG EAST road game. Doing their best Cincinnati Bearcat impression, Louisville spotted the Golden Eagles a dozen before Shoni Schimmel (pictured right) dropped a 3 pointer a little over three minutes into the contest. By then, even the popcorn vendors had lost interest and switched over to watch ESPN in the hallways...but the teams kept playing anyway. The 1200 in attendance must have been wondering what all the hoopla was about the upstart Louisville team...or whether Coach Walz got the right 12 girls on the airplane.

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Call it lack of Kryptonite, separation anxiety..call it whatever you want...but the fact of the matter is that this team of talented Cardinals can't play on the road. Take them across town to Bellarmine...they'd lose by eight. Since buying out games is not permitted in women's college basketball, Cardinal fans will probably celebrate five more times this season (home games remaining) and gnash their teeth four occasions (road games remaining). They use blindfolds to lead horses into the starting gate sometimes...maybe Louisville's head coach Jeff Walz should employ the same tactic when the team gets on the bus to hit the Interstate and goes to the airport.

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The game was a teaser. Louisville would rally to get near the lead and then Marquette would put a streak together to push the lead back out to close to double digits. The Cards had it narrowed to two with 12 minutes remaining in the first half but the Golden Eagles got interested again and sprinted out on a 12-2 run to lead 30-17. Halftime found the Lady Cards on the short end of a 38-26 game. Marquette shot 66.7% in the first half...taking advantage of the obvious Louisville pre-game strategy to make defense optional.

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After the intermission, whatever Walz discussed with the girls seemed to sink in briefly. Maybe he told them they were back in the YUM Center and Owsley Frazier was at half court. Louisville began the half with a 9-3 run to make it a 41-35 game. Marquette, slightly ruffled by the intrusion, promptly pushed the lead back out to eleven. Tortoise...meet hare.

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And so it went the rest of the way. Carrot and stick, greyhound and rabbit...fox and hounds. Louisville chipped away at the lead and Marquette regained focus and extended it. Shoni Schimmel showed why she is the best freshman in the nation by producing 25 points. Monique Reid notched a double-double with 19 points and 11 boards. The end result, though...was a "L" next to the schedule hanging on the wall.

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Rutgers comes to town Saturday. Stinging from their first conference defeat last night from the hands of UConn...they'll be a surly bunch looking for a road win and probably won't be intimidated by the 15,000 or so that will pour into the Bucket for the 6 p.m. game. Let's hope Walz had some pixie dust left to sprinkle on Denny Crum Court to turn his team back into an elite BIG EAST squad for a few hours.

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UofL is designating this one as a 'white out' game. Too early to get out the black mourning clothes, I guess. And, for the majority that will attend and wear white...it's all about the excitement and watching Shoni work her magic, Becky drill a few threes, Monique post another double-double and maybe Shelby will get in! They have no idea that Louisville lost last night, could probably care less...because Lady Cards basketball in the KFC YUM Center is an exciting event and there are no Jeff Walz or Shoni Schimmel bashers out there. Wouldn't Pitino and Siva love that? They'll get what they came for Saturday night...Louisville will defeat Rutgers in an exciting game in the Bucket and all will be right with the world again.

'

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Wow...congratulations to the guys last night. An exciting win over Huggie Bear and the couch burners in the YUM. A Peyton Siva layup with 4 ticks on the clock clinches it. Out of control, driving wildly down the lane...another Siva layup that normally gets swatted into the sideline seats finds its way past two defenders and drops through the net. He was due some luck...

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REMINDER, WE DRAW FOR A PANERA GIFT CARD TOMORROW. GOT YOUR E-MAIL IN YET? IT'S FREE TO ENTER AND YOU COULD WIN !!!!!!!!!.

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The BIG EAST softball coaches have spoke and Louisville has been picked to finish third in the upcoming softball season. Believe it or not, the season begins in two weeks. Louisville was ranked behind perennial softball power DePaul, who garnered 10 of the first place votes and Notre Dame, who got the other three first place nods. Here's how the skippers see it:

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1) DePaul

2) Notre Dame

3) Louisville

4) Syracuse

5) Pittsburgh

6) USF

7) Villanova

8) Providence

9) Connecticut

10) Rutgers

11) St. John's

12) Seton Hall

13) Georgetown

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West Virginia, Cincinnati and Marquette do not field softball teams. The Cards have hitting and pitching back galore from last year's team...including 2010 BIG EAST Player of the Year Chelsea Bemis. Other All-Conference players returning for Sandy Pearsall are Kristin Austin, Tori Collins, Colby Wherry and Alicja Wolny. Louisville went 41-19 last season and begins play on Feb.11th. in the Texas Invitational in Austin, TX.

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Softball is a fun and fast paced sport on the college level and Louisville has a state of the art facility to play it in with Ulmer Stadium. The BIG EAST Tournament returns to Louisville for the fourth year in a row beginning May 12th. I guess the 'Ville is the softball version of the XL/Hartford, CT. of BIG EAST women's hoops. Without Geno.

Lady Cards at Marquette tonight

WEDNESDAY @ CARDINAL COUPLE:

-Our apologies...

-Walz & Crew tangle with Golden Eagles.

-Girls LIT 1st round results.

First off, our apologies for being "down" for the last 36 hours. Computers, can't live with them, can't live without them.

CARDINAL COUPLE got slammed by a vicious virus...but is all better now and back on the keyboards. We thank Shannon Ruffra, top banana over at CARDINAL DOMINANCE, for filling in for us. Mean ol' Internet...

Rest assured, we're not turning into a football recruiting site....we thought the change of pace while we were out of commission could be interesting to you, the reader. Only a couple of phone calls disagreed.

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Louisville takes a 13-7, 4-2 record to Milwaukee tonight to face a dangerous Terri Mitchell coached squad that sits at 15-4, 3-3 for the season. The Golden Eagles recently dropped one to visiting Syracuse 69-63,

Marquette is led by center Angel Robinson and forward Sarina Simmons. The do have a win over West Virginia recently and get quality minutes from Paige Fiedorowicz, Tatiyana McMorris and Jasmine Collins. Marquette averages 68 ppg. and holds opponents to 56.2.

For Louisville, it's a matter of overcoming the road jinx. The Cards dropped two last week while travelling and will need big games out of Reid, Schimmel and Burke in order to contend with Marquette.

Game time is 8 p.m. and WKRD 790/101.7 will have the broadcast. Jim Kelch and (take your pick) will provide the call.

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

Girls LIT action began last night at Bellarmine and Asuumption, J-Town, Christian Academy and Bulitt East were winners in first round action. They continue tonight.

2011 UK Commit 4* TE/ATH Jon Davis Ready to Commit to Louisville?

I did a live interview with the talented TE/ATH from Eastern HS back in December at Miami Dade Jr. College during a basketball tournament in which Eastern HS was part off and won. Davis sounded to me as wanting to enroll at Louisville and talked very well of the school.

At times during our chat session, it was very clear Davis was not going to be playing at Kentucky and had other schools in mind like Illinois, in which he told me that Brohm and Petrino were recruiting him heavily.

Now seven weeks later, we at Cardinal Dominance along with other sources, are almost convinced that Jon Davis will be playing for Louisville.

I expect within the next two days for Davis to announce his plans and to jump the fence for Louisville.

JANUARY 24th MEN'S BASKETBALL POLLS - LOUISVILLE 23rd AP, 19th USA Today

Rohit Nahata and Tom Jurich LOVE Cards Basketball!

By Rohit Nahata

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville Cardinals are ranked 23rd in the AP and 19th in the USA Today Coaches poll in the latest rankings which are updated every Monday during the college basketball season. The Cardinals fell 4 spots in each poll from the previous week. The Big East conference leads the nation with 7 ranked teams.

Click below to view the full rankings of both polls:

Jan. 24th AP Poll / USA Today Poll

Is 2011 Prospect OG Kaleb Johnson Ready to Commit to the Cards?

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Now that UM has hired the legendary OL Coach Art Kehoe to once again to roam their sidelines, could 2011 OG Kaleb Johnson be ready to commit to Cards or to the U?

Our sources from Jacksonville tell us they are sure it will be the Cards, since Johnson had a great visit and felt right at home at Louisville.

2011 Prospect 5* DE Ray Drew - Could the Cards be in the Mix?

Shannon Ruffra here from Cardinal Dominance, who will be giving the Cardinal Couple readers some juicy Louisville football updates, just days before National Signing Day on February 2nd!

On paper, Louisville is on track to have the BEST football signing class in school history under head coach Charlie Strong and defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Clinton Hurtt.

Louisville went from recruiting JUCOs, to 5* players like this under Strong and Hurtt...

GREAT DAY TO BE A CARD!

Ray Drew

Defensive End

CLASS: 2011

85

SCOUTS GRADE
Grading Scale

• Thomasville, GA Hometown
• Thomas County Central High School

• 6'5" Height
• 253 lbs Weight

• 13 Overall Rank
• 2 Position Rank

Status Undeclared

Considering: Georgia Bulldogs, Auburn Tigers, LSU Tigers, Clemson Tigers, Tennessee Volunteers

THOMASVILLE, Ga. - 2011 Prospect 5* DE Ray Drew, one of the most talented defensive ends in the nation is ready to make his decision this weekend, and this is the latest on what he has to say:

"I'm ready to schock the world. It won't be Georgia, Auburn, Bama, or Florida".

Who will it be for Drew, who proved again in the U.S. Army All Star Bowl in San Antonio, that he is one of the BEST!!

DAVID WATSON LOOKS AT THE BIG EAST..

MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:

-David Watson looks at WBB in the BIG EAST.

-Tennis wins two on Sunday

-Know it all?

Jed Clampett and Jethro Bodine, pictured here, are big fans of BIG EAST womens' basketball. The two are dressed for a recent WVU game here and had their rifles handy just in case the WVU mascot experienced any difficulties or the officiating got out of hand...Wheeee Doggies!!!!

"Lookie, there...Jethro. Mr. Drysdale is teaching Miss Hathaway how to post up and set a pick down by the cement pond!"

(David Watson checks in from time to time to give us his unique and entertaining views on women's sports. He comments today on BIG EAST women's hoops):

I took the family to South Bend today to watch Notre Dame play womens' basketball against St. John's. At least it started out as basketball. Notre Dame turned the event into a lopsided romp and I found myself cheering for the Red Storm late in the game in hopes that they'd make a contest of it. They didn't.

Mind you, we are not Notre Dame fans. We cheer for Louisville and sometimes Ball State. Both are Cardinals, so we're pretty safe there. My oldest is contemplating applying to Notre Dame, though, so we thought a day on the campus might be a fun thing to do. She's a fairly decent soccer player, probably not good enough to play in the BIG EAST, but you never know, so we went for a look. Our student host for the day was a wonderfully delightful guide and we saw a lot of things in the few brief hours before tipoff.

The campus is lovely. Historic and pristine in the winter snow. It's a short ninety minute drive from the house also, in case homesickness sets in. Whether or not she'll follow through with the application process, get accepted and attend is anyone's guess right now, but I could handle attending a few more games up there. Irish fans support their teams. Loudly and proudly. The renovated Joyce Center is an excellent athletic facility. I give the trip a big thumbs up. I'll be watching, Irish.

I'll also be watching this BIG EAST women's basketball race pretty closely, too. It amazes me that half of the schools have only five overall losses or less so far. A couple of key games take place on Tuesday and Wednesday of the upcoming week. West Virginia goes to Georgetown. Was the Mountaineers loss to Marquette a fluke last week and can Georgetown do the same to WVU? Wednesday brings Louisville to Marquette and Connecticut to Rutgers. Tough road tests for each visitor and by Thursday morning, there could be some interesting changes in the top eight standings in the conference.

I did get back home in time to see Pittsburgh hold off the NY Jets. Honestly, by halftime, I thought about switching over and watching a movie. I'm glad I didn't. My dog in the playoff fight, New England, is no longer a factor but I did want to see the Jets do well. That being said and both teams I actually root for now eliminated, I'll just watch the Super Bowl for the commercials and halftime show. Don't we all?

Nice job by former UofL football player William Gay with the scoop and run with the fumble for a Steelers TD. Always good to see former Cardinals do well. I apologize for groaning about all those blown assignments when you were in the red and black, #22.

(David Watson sends us articles from time to time and whines and snivels like an overpopular drama queen if we don't post them immediately. Other than that...we're pretty fly with him.)

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The University of Louisville women's tennis team won a double-header Sunday at the Bass-Rudd tennis center...shutting out BIG EAST rival WVU 7-0 in the morning and then blanking Morehead State 7-0 in the afternoon. Mandy Brown, pictured right won both of her #1 seed doubles matches with Julie Fellerhoff and also won both of her#2 singles matches. The box score:

Louisville 7 - West Virginia 0

Doubles

Brown/Fellerhoff (UL) def. Chupa/Cardenas 8-3

Villajuan/Harris (UL) def. Tanil/Mathis 8-7

Miller/Shine (UL) def. Petterrson/Pilsbury 8-2

Singles

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Fellerhoff (UL) def. Tanik 6-1, 6-1

Brown (UL) def. Mathis 6-3, 6-1

Shine (UL) def. Cardenas 6-3, 6-3

Bokhari (UL) def. Chupa 6-1, 6-2

Miller (UL) def. Pilsbury 6-2, 6-1

Duncan (UL) def Pettersson 6-4, 6-0

Louisville 7 - Morehead State 0

Doubles

Brown/Fellerhoff (UL) def. Delaney/Antero 8-1

Villajuan/Harris (UL) def. Cran/Montemeyer 8-4

Shine/Miller (UL) def. Young/Rydberg 8-1

Singles

Fellerhoff (UL) def. Young 6-1, 6-1

Brown (UL) def. Rydberg 6-2, 6-2

Shine (UL) def. Antern 6-1, 6-3

Mandry (UL) def. Montemayer 6-2, 6-3

Bokhari (UL) def. Cran 6-2, 6-1

Harris (UL) def Delaney 6-1, 6-1

The Cards won 192 games on Sunday and lost only 60. That's a lot of serving. Louisville goes Friday to play Murray State and Southern Illinois in Paducah next. Looks like Mark Beckham has another powerhouse on campus again this year with this edition of the Tennis Cards.

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We're going to miss Keith Olbermann on MSNBC. His Countdown show weeknights was a refreshing and sometimes cynical look at our world. Keith and Dan Patrick also did some of the best Sportscenters ever back in the day on ESPN.

His final story on the show is a classic...we'll link it here for you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnNEqoJxxtQ

(It is better to ask some of the questions than to think you know all of the answers)

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Reviewing the win over UC

Sunday at CARDINAL COUPLE ( in HD!)


-Breaking down the UC win.


-Review of the Raatz Classic


-Swimming sinks UK.



Pictured above with the brains of the family, his honor the Professor reviews statistics of the UofL vs. Cincinnati game. Professor Jer finds these useful during referee baiting and when castigating the striped participants. Madeline gets in a brief cat nap...Jerry has a bag packed and nearby in case of an academic emergency.

The 31-2 run that the Cards administered to UC yesterday in the KFC YUM Center is the largest and longest domination Louisville has had over an opponent this season. Cincy's Kayla Cook sank a 3 pointer with 15:30 to go in the first half to tie the game at 6-6. Louisville responded with the next 13 points. Cook managed a jumper with 11:06 remaining to make it 19-8. Louisville answered with 18 straight and led 37-8 with 1:17 left in the first half. Over 14 minutes...two opponent points scored. Not too shabby, neighbor.

The question arose after the contest concerning the issue of changing your style of play when faced with an inferior opponent like UC. Do you 'let up'?. Both Becky Burke and Jeff Walz say "no". Burke pointed out to the media in the post game press conference that Louisville was in the same boat last year against several BIG EAST foes and no one took the foot off the accelerator against them. Walz concurred, stating that it is Louisville's goal to keep improving each and every game...and to alter or change your style of play just because you are playing well would be detrimental to your original goal. Walz did call off the press in the second half. Jamelle Elliott, UC's coach, will eventually build a great squad at Cincinnati. It's just going to take a few recruiting classes. In the meantime, you weather the bumps and bruises you encounter during the fight to improve. UC could very easily pull an upset or two in their remaining BIG EAST schedule but with DePaul, Connecticut, Pittsburgh and Georgetown the next four in line...there could be some more bumps ahead. Seton Hall, Providence and Villanova after that could be a possible three game UC win streak. The Bearcats are a rough and tumble bunch...ask Keisha Hines or Shoni Schimmel.

Louisville shot 54.4% against the Bearcats, including a torrid 18-29 (62.1%) in the final twenty minutes. They held UC to 17-55 shooting (30.9%) for the game, punishing the Bearcats into 4-27 marksmanship in the first twenty minutes (14.8%). Louisville got three threes each from Burke, Shoni Schimmel and Antonita Slaughter. Rachel Story added one to give the Cards 43.5% from long range (10-23). The Bearcats went 7-29 (24.1%) past the stripe...Cook making 3-7, Shareese Ulis 2-10 and Bjonee Reaves 2-5.

We like Asia Taylor continued improvement in the paint for Walz's bunch. The Columbus, Ohio sophomore turned in 17 minutes of solid interior play for the Cards yesterday with six rebounds and lockdown defense against UC's Jeanise Randolph and Tiffany Turner. She also made the only shot she attempted. Marquette, Louisville's next opponent on Wednesday in Milwaukee, gets solid paint play from Angel Robinson and Sarina Simmons. Taylor's effectiveness could be a key factor if the Cards are to win this mid-week matchup...

The Cardinal freshmen accounted for 38 Cardinal points and 11 of Louisville's 36 rebounds. They distributed 16 of Louisville's 20 assists and committed only three of the Lady Cards nine turnovers. All twelve available for action played at least seven minutes...no Cardinal played more than 25 minutes Saturday. Louisville dominated in points in the paint (36-16), points off turnovers (30-6) and 2nd chance points (12-7). Louisville had seven fast break points to UC's 0 and the Cardinal bench outscored UC's thin one 36-10.

Jeff Walz admittedly doesn't pay a lot of attention to rankings...but his Cardinals are 36th. in the NCAA RPi rankings and 35th at CollegeRPI.com. The BIG EAST has nine schools in the top 50.

We got a chance to sit with and talk to UofL womens' golf coach Kelly "Coach K" Rothberg during the first half of the basketball game. Coach "K" is excited about her returning team and we're promised a great interview with her down the road about this year's squad. Rothberg was one of the Cardinal womens' coaches in attendance yesterday to honor UofL benefactor Owsley Frazier at halftime for his many contributions to womens' sports at Louisville. Maybe she and Kim Pemberton can hook Paul up with a golf cart for one of the home matches and he can do a live report. Then again, he loves the Caddyshack, Tin Cup and Happy Gilmore movies...they might be best served leaving him in the clubhouse.

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Exciting action yesterday in the Raatz Classic at Mercy Academy for several high school girls teams. Manual rolled out to a quick start to defeat Marion County 56-45 in the nightcap, getting 16 points from forward Mechael Guess and eight each from Leasia Wright and April Wilson. The Crimsons led 14-9 after one, 32-24 at halftime and 46-29 after three before holding off a late Marion County run to win by 11. Future UofL target Makayla Epps led all scorers with 18 points and but Manual held Kyvin Goodin Rogers and Bre Elder to just 6 each. Marion County returns to Louisville Friday to take part in the Louisville Invitational Tournament at Bellarmine.

Mercy handled Owensboro Catholic 71-41, getting balanced scoring from all eleven Jaguar players that hit the floor. UK lean Rebecca Greenwell had 24 for Owensboro in the loss.

Lexington Bryan Station improved to 16-2 with a 55-36 win over Ballard. Ballard led at half 23-19 but could manage only 13 second half points. Bryan Station played only five players in the contest...four of them in double figures. Marissa Prince nailed three 3 pointers for the winners.

This may have been the most exciting of yesterday's games...Bullitt East broke open a close contest by outscoring Lexington Catholic 14-7 in the final quarter to win 40-34. After a Octavia Wilson three pulled Lex Cath to within two at 36-34 with a minute to go, Lindey Young sank four free throws down the stretch to secure the Mt.Washington school's win.

Sacred Heart used a fourth quarter rally to uphend Perry County Central 53-30. The Valkyries trailed Central 38-35 after three but used a 4th quarter 16-4 opening spurt to gain control and held on late to win. Sacred Heart (14-3) got 21 points and 11 boards from Morgan Clemons and Annamarie Campbell contributed 10 points and eleven grabs.

Butler overcame a slow start to vanquish Cincinnati Mt. Notre Dame 54-36. Aaeron Smith (15 points, six boards), Megan Cureton (13 points, six boards) and MacKenzie Martinez (11 points) led the way for the #9 Bearettes (16-2). Butler outscored C.M.N.D. 27-12 in the final half.

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UofL's women's swimming squad swamped UK 186-114 yesterday in Lexington. BIG EAST Swimmer of the Week Raine Thompson won in the 100 and 200 butterfly and Therese Bergstrom captured the 100 and 200 breast stroke. It was a Cardinal sweep...the men won 186-115...
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Lady Cards handle the Bearcats 83-47

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-Monique Reid's big first half sparks Cards.


She may have sounded stuffy and congested after the game but Monique Reid played with clarity and no ill effects in the Cardinal 36 point win Saturday afternoon in the KFC YUM Center. Reid kick started the Lady Cards with 11 of her team high 16 points in the first twenty minutes and Louisville went on a 31-2 run over a fourteen minute stretch to break open a 6-6 tie and lead 37-8 after an Antonita Slaughter three with 2:53 remaining in the first half.
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The Cards did it with intense defensive pressure and scoring 22 points off of 12 U.C. turnovers. Louisville held the Bearcats to 14.8% first half shooting...including 2-15 from 3 point range. Antonita Slaughter provided a spark off the bench...going 3-4 from deep and Louisville led 39-13 at the intermission break .
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Cincinnati is pretty much in the same boat this year that Louisville was last year. Jamelle Elliott has seven players on her squad. Three of them shoot fairly well. Two go to the boards pretty strong. As a unit, though...they're prone to the mistakes a young squad makes because of no depth, little experience and marginal talent. 41 of UC's points came from three players.
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A scary moment when Shoni Schimmel dropped to her knees and covered her face with 14:02 remaining in the second half. A inadvertent elbow from UC's Kayla Cook caught the Cards guard right in the mouth and Schimmel spent the rest of the game on the bench with an icepack on her face. Louisville led 56-20 at the time and Walz wisely began removing the starters from the game...going with a lineup featuring a lot of Shelby Harper, Rachel Story, Polly Harrington, Asia Taylor and Charmaine Tay. The Cards led 70-30 with 7:40 to go and all 12 Cardinals available for action scored.
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Wins like this will come few and far between the rest of the season for Walz's bunch. They travel to Milwaukee Wednesday for a tough match against Marquette and dangerous Rutgers comes to visit Saturday, Jan.29th. This afternoon, though...the Cards looked like world beaters and kept the crowd of maybe 9000 (announced as 10500) excited and thrilled most of the time.
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As mentioned earlier, Reid led Louisville with 16 points. Becky Burke added 13 and Schimmel finished with 11. Keisha Hines, engaged most of the game in battle with UC's Jeanise Randolph played only thirteen minutes before fouling out with three points and four rebounds.
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GAME DAY....CINCY

SATURDAY, SATURDAY.

saturday...saturday...saturday...saturday NIGHT'S all right! (apologies to Elton John).

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It's not a Saturday Night game against the Bearcats...tip off is 2 p.m....but the atmosphere in the KFC YUM Center will have all the excitement of a Saturday night dance fest with John Travolta and the Bee Gees. All 11,ooo tickets...gone. (I have two I'm not using...if you want them, go to the outside ticket office in front of the Center and ask for the Cardinal Couple envelope....no charge, Sarge.).

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Louisville (12-7, 3-2) looks to get back on the winning track after a morally depressing road trip last week to South Bend and Hartford. The Cards are lead by Monique Reid (16.2 ppg.) and Shoni Schimmel (16.0) a game. Put Shelby Harper out there also and you've managed to satisfy the entire Cardinal fan base...those are the three most popular Lady Cards, according to you, in a recent poll conducted here at CARDINAL COUPLE. Walz will probably use Keisha Hines for rebounding, Becky Burke (who is Bill the Goat's favorite player) to rattle the rims from beyond the arc and Tia Gibbs (Sonja says Tia looks like the fighter that messed up Hillary Swank in Clint Eastwood's movie MILLION DOLLAR BABY. WE fully expect all 12 LADY CARDS who dress for this one to play. Bring your gym shoes...Walz may ask you to fill in for a few minutes, too.

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UC isn't very good and Louisville beat them by almost 40 up in Cincinnati earlier this season. They have pulled a surprise or two since then...beating South Florida in Tampa raised our eyebrows...and they also beat North Florida this season...so we're thinking Central Florida and Florida Gulf Coast are shaking in their shoes. Shareese Ulis can score, Tiffany Turner will grab a few rebounds and they'll probably score more than the 34 they posted against St. John's. Other than that, it should be a laugh fest for the CARDS.

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We'll be back tonight with all the gory details. Don't forget, the guys play today at 5 p.m. at Providence...so get your shopping done right after you finish reading this, head to the YUM (if you have tickets) or fire up the electric radio and get ready for 5 or so hours of Cardinal hoops. If you're really bold and daring, you might try finding the WAZOO Sports Network and see who is doing the play by play on TV for the ladies game.

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UC looking for repeat

FRIDAY @ CARDINAL COUPLE:

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-Cincinnati visits the YUM Saturday.

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-High school hoops showdown this weekend.

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One couldn't blame UC head women's basketball coach Jamelle Elliott if she breaks into a smile when the UC bus rolls off I-71 as it reaches the Louisville city limits. After all, it was right here in Derby City last year when a UC team mired in the cellar of the BIG EAST pulled the shocker in Freedom Hall and defeated Louisville 74-68 in overtime. It didn't magically turn the Bearcats season around...they never climbed out of the cellar...but it did keep Louisville falling thru a 5 game losing streak that seemed to take a lot of of the fight out of the few Louisville Cardinals dressed and able to perform.

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Low numbers? Tell Elliott about it. She has played the season with 8-9 players and is currently riding a three game losing streak with her Bearcats. They did manage an eyebrow raising win against South Florida in conference play...but WVU, Rutgers and St. John's have been far from kind to the outnumbered Ohioans. They also began BIG EAST play at home with a solid thumping from the Cards. They are 8-9 on the season and 1-4 in the BIG EAST. One step out of the basement but a long way from the penthouse view. Given that UC begins an absolutely murderous stretch with this game Saturday...the synopsis here is that the Cards are going to get a initial ferocious fight from the Bearcats...but it will most likely implode on UC like it did in Cincy earlier this season.

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So...no different year, different venue, same results like last year?

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Not very likely. The Cardinals are smarting from a two game road trip that wasn't a bunch of chuckles and grins. Both Notre Dame and UConn posted 20+ points wins over Louisville...these may be the best two teams in the BIG EAST...but you figure that Jeff Walz probably would have been happier with a closer performance against the elite. Louisville limps home looking to play back yard bully against UC. They're mindful that they are already spotting a two game lead in the loss column to the front runners of the BIG EAST. No time to let the lead dogs increase the margin.

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The recent road trip served to prove that Louisville remains in that second flight of BIG EAST schools. Put them in business class with Marquette, Syracuse, Rutgers and Georgetown...not ready for the first class with perks status of a DePaul, Notre Dame or UConn just yet...but not back in coach with the Seton Hall, Villanova, Providence and Cincinnati travellers. The Cardinals are looking to get a 'feel good' win over the Bearcats before tangling with their next three BIG EAST opponents...Marquette, Rutgers and Georgetown. All three are winnable...all three are capable of handing UofL losses as well. It's the BIG EAST...there are very few cupcakes in this pantry; a lot of 'tough as rubber' steaks to cut through.

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If UC is to pull the David vs. Goliath act for the second year in a row...they'll need Shareese Ulis to perform a repeat of last February. She lit the Cards up for 23 in Freedom Hall as UC jumped out to an early lead, staggered to regulation tied with the Cards but found a second wind and took the contest in overtime. Ulis played well in the earlier 78-40 baptism this season in Cincinnati's Fifth-Third arena with 14 poins. She'll need to double that output if UC hopes to win this road contest. Ulis leads the Bearcats with 16+ points per game and the senior has been Elliott's major offensive threat this season. She'll need to be LeBron James, Kobe and Chris Paul Saturday for the Bearcats if they stand a chance of winning.

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We see Louisville winning for fun Saturday in front of the home cooking and Walz getting a chance to go deep into the bench. We also predicted the same thing last year. Maybe we should just hush up...

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Game time is 2 p.m. Sports Information Director Kim Pemberton reports to us that all 11,000 tickets available for the game are sold. (Open the 300 level, maybe?) Jim Kelch and (choose one...Paul Sanderford, A.J., Liz Sherwood, Terry Meiners, Tony Vanetti) will do the play by play and commentary on CARDS RADIO WKRD 790 AM / 101.7 FM. Wazoo Sports will also televise the contest...we're guessing Deener and Valvano in front of the cameras.

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Shelby Harper probably remembers the second game against UC last year. She was starting point guard for Louisville back then and logged 38 of the 45 minutes in the loss. She also drained five 3-pointers in the game...Louisville going 10-22 beyond the arc in the loss. Harper played only six minutes with no points in the first matchup last year. Harper hasn't seen much playing time this season but still plays with the same intensity and emotion when she does get on the floor with the other Lady Cards. It would be a great thing to see her catch a little extended playing time Saturday and knock down a couple of long range bombs. Those launches haven't been too kind to her lately...she's 1-16 on the season...her only three against UC. We also hope to see some additional minutes for Rachel Story, Polly Harrington and Antonita Slaughter against the Bearcats. Not sure of LaToya Johnson's status for the game...but if she can go...turn her loose. Let's hope the Cards can build up an significant enough lead where Walz can turn the bench loose.

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Here's your chance to see a lot of good girls' high school basketball this weekend...all in one place...as Mercy Academy hosts the Raatz Fence Classic. Seven of the top twenty teams in Kentucky...plus Cincinnati powerhouse Mount Notre Dame make up the 12 teams scheduled to do battle on Friday and Saturday night at the school off of Fegenbush Lane in southeast Jefferson County.

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The games begin Friday night with #2 Mercy facing #12 Perry County Central at 7:30 p.m. Saturday is a fiesta of hoops...Ballard begins the action against Lexington Bryan Station at 11 a.m. Bullitt East goes against #20 Lexington Catholic at 12:45 p.m. Perry County Central returns to the floor against #10 Sacred Heart at 2:30 p.m. #9 Butler plays Mount Notre Dame at 4:15 p.m. Owensboro Catholic tips off against Mercy at 6 p.m. and #1 Manual batlles #8 Marion County in the nightcap at 7:45 p.m.

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Some of the players to watch...Marion County's Makayla Epps, Kyvin Goodin-Rogers and Bre Elder. Manual's April Wilson and Kaya Styles will try to take them down. Owensboro Catholic's Rebecca Greenwell tests her skills against Mercy's Juliann Miller and Lauren Faris. Kendall Noble is having a great season for Perry County Central and Mount Notre Dame...who won four straight Ohio Championships from 2006-09...features Iowa signee Kathryn Reynolds.

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It wouldn't surprise us at all if both Jeff Walz and Jamielle Elliott make the drive over from the YUM to catch this action after their game Saturday...along with representatives from a lot of other Division I programs. Speaking of Walz...rumor has it he caught the red eye recently to watch a certain guard play in Portland, Oregon. We're guessing it WASN'T Portland Trail Blazer and Marquette sharpshooter Wes Matthews....

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Admission for the Raatz Fence Classic is $5 Friday night and $6 Saturday. (Shame they couldn't get Rockcastle County and Sara Hammond up here for this one.) Let's hope the recent winter storm doesn't prevent the out-of-city schools from getting here and that they do arrive safely...

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