2012 Top Ten girls basketball recruits...What do the Lady Cards need in 2012?....Watson on Campus?

TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:

-Looking at the 2012 Girls basketball top ten prospects

-Do the Lady Cards need a great 2012 recruiting class?

-Cortnee Walton on campus?



 WE had several questions and e-mails lately about the 2012 high school girls recruiting class top picks and whether UofL was in the running for them. We aren't huge on recruiting here at CARDINAL COUPLE...the average, everyday fan doesn't seem to get excited about it unless it's headline material and (honestly) you can spend lots of hours tracking down a potential recruiting that may be 2 or 3 years away from ever donning a college jersey. WE remember several years ago when it looked like the top three players in Louisville were headed to three different schools...Monique Reid looked the best of the trio and was headed to Louisville. WE were disappointed that Tia Gibbs was siding with Vanderbilt but got our wish further down the road when she transferred back to the "Ville." The one we couldn't figure out was Ceira Ricketts heading to Arkansas to play for Tom Collen. She's had a great career there but Arkansas is an after-thought when it comes to SEC basketball. If Ricketts had chosen UofL, chances are that Becky Burke wouldn't have de-committed from South Carolina and come to the Cardinals. Sometimes, things work out for the best. 

WE have run a list of Hoop Gurlz Top 10 2012 recruits for you, though...and note that there are still five undecided players. Never say never when Walz is on the road...

1) Breanna Stewart. F. New York. Has verballed to UConn.
2) Moriah Jefferson. PG. Texas. Also verballed to UConn.
3) Alexis Jones. PG. Texas. Undecided.
4) Jewell Loyd. G. Illinois. Has verballed to Notre Dame
5) Jordan Adams. G. California. Listing Cal., UCLA, USC, Notre Dame and Tennessee.
6) Alyson Beebe. P. California. Has verballed to Stanford.
7) Malina Howard. P. Ohio. Undecided.
8) Rachel Hollivay. P. Mississippi. Undecided.
9) Bashanna Graves. F. Tennessee. Has verballed to Tennessee.
10) Alexis Prince. W. Florida. Undecided.

The list tells us several things. First, it looks like Geno and UConn haven't lost any of their recruiting magic. Next, there are no Kentucky players on the list. In fact, only two Kentucky players in the current top 100 for 2012. We refuse to believe that. Maybe Hoop Gurlz forgot how to cross the Ohio River. Sydney Moss (#38th), Jenna Crittendon, April Wilson (#81) and Bre Elder aren't chicken feed. I'd take the four of them...add the Roush's from Mercy Academy and play any other five on Hoop Gurlz top 100 list. And, I bet I'd win.

Finally, things can change. We'll look at the top ten list is time next year and see if all ten are still there.

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The question of what will the Lady Cards and Jeff Walz need out of the class of 2012 is next. Two Lady Cards are graduating after the 2011-12 season...Monique Reid and Becky Burke. Figure in the almost expected 2-3 transfers out of the program (we hope not...but it's a developing pattern over the last 4 years) and gaps could occur. We're thinking that front line help could be the priority here...and a few 6'1" or taller leapers are never a bad thing to have at your disposal.

Remember that Monny Niamke is expected to join the Cards in 2012, so an additional 2-3

Is Sam looking for big girls? We suspect she is...

board-bangers would seem to make sense. You never pass on good guards or wings, obviously...but looking at the potential 2012-13 returning Louisville roster indicates
point guard, "2" guard, and wing still look to be in pretty good shape. One would assume that Walz has Samantha Williams spending her waking hours familiarizing herself with what's out there and making Cardinal contact.

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Cortnee Walton: A future Lady Card?

One possibility might be 6'3" front liner Cortnee (Stringbean) Walton, from St. Mary's High School in Phoenix, AZ. She's currently ranked #41 in the class of 2012 but there is plenty of upside to her game. She was in Louisville over the weekend, participating with her AAU team (Arizona Warriors) in the FILA Juniors tournament at the Basketball Skills Academy and was to visit the UofL campus on August 1st. Supposedly, over 300 college coaches attended the tournament.

Her game is described as "strong inside, rebounds well, above average defense and takes the ball to the basket with authority."

Louisville is one of several on her list so far, joining Georgia Tech, Duke Washington, Miami and St. John's.

With the Cardinals current depth inside of just 6 players...and two of those potential wings down the road...one would think Louisville might be an attractive choice for Walton. Not seeing the usual powers like UConn, Tenn. Stanford and Baylor on her list bodes well for the Cards as well.

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