Monday Cardinal Couple: Game Reports -- WBB strong second half downs DePaul....

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MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


********GAME REPORTS*******

-Smith's 21 leads Louisville WBB in 81-55 win.

-Softball shuts out Stony Brook in final day at Jacksonville

The University of Louisville women's basketball squad broke open a close game at halftime by starting the second half on a 10-3 run in the first three minutes and cruised to a 26-point crushing of DePaul Sunday afternoon in the KFC YUM! Center in front of 10,906 fans.

Sara Hammond had 13 of her 17 points in the final 20 minutes and Bria Smith went 13-15 from the free throw line as Louisville improves to 21-5 and 9-3 in the BIG EAST.

Louisville got off to a hot start and led 10-2 after the first six minutes of the game. The Cards had pushed the advantage to 19-7 with 9:44 remaining on a Monique Reid free throw...Reid making her appearance to the court at the 10:30 mark to a roaring approval from the crowd. Smith had ten of Louisville's first 19 points and was making free-throws, to the delight of her coach and the crowd.

Louisville took their biggest first half lead at 23-9 after two more Smith free throws with 7:36 on the clock. DePaul, though, wasn't throwing in the towel and responded with a seven-minute 14-4 run that pulled them within four at 27-23 after two Megan Podkowa free throws. The Cards got a layup from Hammond with two seconds left in the half to take a 29-23 lead to the locker room.

Ref Al Titus always likes making cameos in my pics...

Smith had 14 points, six rebounds and was 8-9 from the charity stripe in her best twenty minutes of the season. Sherrone Vails was a perfect 3-3 from the field for six points and Hammond had four points and six rebounds in 12 minutes. Nita Slaughter and Shoni Schimmel contributed two each and Mo made a free throw. All but Shelby Harper played. The Cards were 0-9 from three-point range, shot 31.3% in the first half but had held DePaul to 6-32 shooting (18.8%) and was 1-14 from beyond the arc.

Walz called a specific play to get Shoni untracked at the start of the second half and she responded with a three only 13 seconds into the final stanza. The Cards pushed the nine-point lead to 46-31 after a Reid layup at the 15:45 mark...and the rout was on.

A Hammond layup made it 57-38 with 9:45 to go. Hammond canned a jumper to stretch the Louisville lead to 68-42 with 6:11 on the scoreboard and the Cards led by 30 after a Vails layup with 2:43 showing to push the score to 77-47. Vails and Cortnee Walton added layups the rest of the way and the Cards won going away 81-55.

Smith's 21 led all scorers. Hammond finished with 17 and 13 boards for a double-double. Vails also reached double digits in scoring with ten points. It was good to see Mo back in action...finishing with eight points. She left the game at the 12:37 mark after hitting a layup and noticeably limping...but she was fine, according to Coach Walz in the post-game presser. Slaughter added nine points, Shoni eight and Walton four. Harper and Jude had two each. Megan Deines played six minutes but did not score.

Louisville finished 29-67 (43.3%) but was 1-17 from trifecta-land. They out-rebounded the Blue Demons 50-45 and won the points-in-the-paint battle convincingly 50-10. They forced 13 DePaul turnovers and had seven steals.

DePaul was led by freshman guard Chanise Jenkins' 16 and Megan Podkowa, another freshman added 14. Senior standout Katherine Harry had eight points, all in the first half and 13 boards. Doug Bruno was without the services of leading scorer Anna Martin (knee).

WHAT WE LIKED

1) Free throws! Cards were 22-28 for 78.6%. Bria's 13-15 was impressive (we like this Bria Smith). Only Reid had less than stellar line appearance with 3-5.

2) Points in the paint. 50-10. We thought it was a mis-print at first...but the Cards were getting Smith and Hammond plenty of great looks inside and Mo was connecting, also, before she left.

3) Assists to turnovers. The Cards dished out 18 assists (Shoni seven) and made only 9 turnovers. Coach Walz is happy when the assists out-number the turnovers. We like Coach Walz happy...

4) Doug Bruno. Despite losing by 26, Coach came to the post game presser and gave excellent answers to numerous questions for over 17 minutes.

(Cliff notes here....He misses Anna Martin daily and isn't sure when she'll be back. It's day-to-day with the knee. He thinks Bria Smith and Mo are great, he's thankful to have been a part of the BIG EAST for eight years and trusts in the university leaders and administration to chart a successful course for DePaul Athletics in the future. He loves the YUM! Center. He thinks the BIG EAST is the best conference in women's basketball and he wondered if anyone saw THE WHO Saturday Night in the KFC YUM! Center.)

Great guy, that Doug is...funny at times but also very passionate about his team, his profession and women's basketball. One of the good guys in WBB.

WHAT NEEDS IMPROVING

1) Threes. Shoni was 1-7. Four other players combined for 0-10. Neither team was impressive from deep...DePaul was 4-29. It wasn't all attributable to defense, either. Maybe THE WHO'S appearance in the YUM! Saturday night messed up the atmosphere or air patterns in the arena...

2) Second chance points. Louisville lost this category 16 to 11. Louisville could use a Katherine Harry inside. The Cards do go up strong with follow-up shots, but they aren't very accurate most of the time. Trailing DePaul guards were getting easy put-backs.

3) First-half lag. Louisville led by 14 in the first half with 7:36 to go. They were lucky to lead by six at the half. Not a factor in the whole scheme of things today...Louisville won big...but something to work on.

SUMMATION


The Cards took care of business at home and in a large way. A big difference from this one and the six-point loss in Chi-Town in January. Getting Mo back seemed to boost the crowd and the team's spirit. Seeing Bria have a big game against a quality opponent is refreshing.

I was surprised they handled DePaul the way they did in the second half. Bruno misses the fire in Anna Martin immensely. As a fan mentioned to me before the game...it's good to see ten players out there again for UofL. Especially Mo. She's been through it lately and she was back to having a good time today.

Cards hosts USF Wednesday night. 7 p.m tip.

Coach Walz post-game comments below. You can find Bria Smith, Sara Hammond and Doug Bruno's abbreviated post-game remarks at courier-journal.com 


POST GAME WALZ



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The University of Louisville softball team shut out Stony Brook 5-0 to improve to 8-2 Sunday in the Jacksonville University Softball Tournament. A big day for senior Jordy Trimble, going 2 for 3 with three runs. Rachel LeCoq drew the starting assignment and picks up her second shutout of the season.

The Cards plated their first run in the second inning when Trimble, who attended Louisville Manual High School, got to first safely on a Stony Brook error and scored when Hannah Kiyohara (Sonja's favorite player) singled her home.

Louisville tacked on two runs in the fourth. Trimble and Kayla Soles started the inning with singles and Kiyohara drew a base on balls to load the bags with Cardinals. A walk to Jennifer Esteban plated Trimble and, with two outs, Kiyohara scored on a Stony Brook wild pitch.

UofL made it 5-0 in the fifth...Trimble smashing a double to left-center and Soles delivering her first home run of the season. Soles had a big game as well for Sandy Pearsall...2 for 3 with RBI's and a run scored.

Le Coq allowed only five SeaWolf hits and did not walk anyone.

The Cards return home and face Kent State at 2:30 p.m. Friday.



-Paulie

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Sunday Cardinal Couple -- DePaul DeFeats Cards 86-80

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Mo scores 25 in Louisville loss to Blue Demons

Welcome to the 2013 BIG EAST, Louisville.

On a day where Notre Dame beat UConn 73-72 at UConn, the University of Louisville women's basketball team travelled to Chicago and got thumped by DePaul 86-80 in front of 3600 appreciative Blue Demon fans

Monique Reid put up the biggest point total of any Cardinal this season with 25 points in 33 minutes and sharpshooting Shoni Schimmel tried her best to carry the Cards to a victory with 19...including two threes late which cut a 10-point Blue Demon lead to four.

The game was close early, Brittany Hrynko put the Blue Demons ahead with a three at the 15:25 mark 12-10. Doug Bruno's squad would maintain that advantage until Jude Schimmel's two free throws tied it at 24-24 with 8:16 left in the half. It was a brief respite for the Cards, DePaul took off on a 14-7 run to go up 38-31 after Hrynko bounced in a layup with 3:58 on the clock. It looked like the Cards might be on the verge of getting blown out, but they got six points from Reid, including a jumper with 25 seconds left, to go on a 11-3 run and muster a 42-41 lead at the half.

The Blue Demons came out hot to start the second half and quicky regained the lead, outscoring Louisville 11-2 in the first three minutes. Anna Martin's jumper made it 52-44 DePaul as the clock showed 17:05. A technical foul was tossed at the Louisville bench by our favorite referee here at Cardinal Couple...the bumbling Bonita Spence...with 13:38 to go and the Cards trailing 56-48. The Cards would get within five or six over the next eight minutes, but a Martin three gave the Blue Demons a 70-56 advantage with 9:37 to go. Jasmine Penny's layup put DePaul ahead 80-70 with about five minutes left and, once again, it looked like the Cards were going to get romped.

Shoni decided differently. Two threes from her and a Reid layup whittled the ten-point DePaul lead to two with 1:07 remaining. Martin responded, though by blowing by Shoni for a wide-open layup to put the score at 82-78...and four Hrynko free throws made the final 86-80.

Besides Reid and Shoni's magnificent performance, two other Cardinals reached double figures. Nita Slaughter added 14 points and Bria Smith totalled 11 and grabbed nine rebound before fouling out late in the game.

Anna Martin led the Blue Demons to their sixth win in a row this season with 22 points. Hrynko added 21 and Katherine Harry grabbed 13 rebounds for DePaul.

The Cards out-rebounded their opponent 45-32 and shot 46% from the field (31-67). DePaul did slightly better, with 49.3% (33-67) shooting.

DePaul now leads the lifetime series 16-14 and the Cards fall again at their place...Louisville has only won there twice in the last 12 years and has lost 10 of their 15 visits to Chicago. They're 2-6 in McGrath Arena. We suggest UofL never play there again. If Louisville plays 2013-14 ACC Hoops, they won't have to. Walz goes to 4-3 lifetime in matchups against DePaul and Bruno.  

Tough loss and tough way to begin the BIG EAST, but the Cards did stage a huge rally late and almost pulled it off.
In the second half, though...the DePaul guards schooled Louisville's. And that was the difference.

Shoni and Mo get another huge test on Tuesday when Rutgers rolls into the KFC YUM! Center for a 7 p.m. game. The Scarlet Knights and St. John's battle today in both teams' conference opener.


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Saturday Cardinal Couple -- DePaul vs. Louisville

SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- DePaul hosts Louisville Saturday

(We bring you two reports on the upcoming DePaul vs. Louisville game...one from Quentin Voigt and one from Paulie. Game time is 6 p.m. and the contest will be shown on WHAS TV locally.)

Dance with DePaul 1/5/13
by Quentin Voigt

USA Olympic Asst. Coach and DePaul head coach Doug Bruno is readying his charges for a visit from the #10 (A.P.)/11(Coaches) ranked Louisville Cardinals. The Blue Demons are toting a record of 11-3. Their losses have come against Dayton (92-80), South Carolina (50-46) and Kentucky (at Rupp Arena -- 96-64).

In the UK game, the Wildcats jumped on DePaul early and often, buoyed by a record attendance for UK women's basketball (18,468) and it was over before the first half ended.

None of DePaul's wins are over top ranked opponents and since the Cardinals are a top 10 team, Coach Bruno is likely warning his players of the Cardinal's ability.

DePaul starters are likely 6'3" Katherine Harry ( 13.9 ppg, 5.14 assists and a Big East leading 11.3 rebounds a game.), 6'1" Jasmine Penny (15.1 ppg, 4.9 rebounds), Anna Martin ( a Nicholasville, KY resident who is a pre-season All-BIG East selection who scores 16.2 ppg and dishes out 4.6 assists), Brittany Hrynko ( 13.9 ppg and 5.14 assists) and 5'5" speedball Chanise Jenkins (8.9 ppg and 5.5 rebounds).

As a team, DePaul averages 77.8 ppg, 41.7 rebounds and 19.6 assists. They'll face the Cards in cozy McGrath-Phillips Arena with a seating capacity of 3000.

Post player Harry seems to love playing Louisville and has had some of her best games against the Cards. The injury bug has hit the Blue Demons again this season and left their roster a bit weak as of this writing.

I believe Coach Bruno will have the Blue Demons ready to tumble with the Cardinals on Saturday night. If Louisville plays with the same cohesion and spirit they've been demonstrating lately, they should move out to a 10-15 point lead by the end of this one and get the win.

Paulie:

OK. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to get into a run-out,  fast break contest with UK, Coach Dougie...Walz figured that out and slowed it down in a game many thought Louisville should have won. The only real question here is whether you'll allow the Cards to play fast-break, transition hoops against you.

My guess is you won't. I know it's your preferred style, but you don't want to try and fly with these high-wire Birds.

We've learned several things over the last few years when UofL plays DePaul. Katherine Harry rebounds well. She grabbed 35 in two games against UofL last year. Maybe she bought the Dennis Rodman instructional video. We've also learned that the home team usually wins this game. The last time the visiting team took a "W" was in 2008...when Louisville won up in Chi-town 79-56. The Cards had a gal named Angel McCoughtry on that team. She's not walking back through that door. Unless it's as a spectator.

Keys to a Louisville win? Rebound, shoot well and play defense. I know, brilliant observation...Paul, but taking care of the basics are essential tonight. Despite Ms. Harry, the Cards actually had a three rebound advantage in the two games last year. Shoni, this one could fall on you. The three-ball fell pretty easily for you against WSU, Wagner and TSU. Wanna take that act on the road? We hope so.

The "Hammer" could play a key role in today's game also. She's about the only Card who can match up physically with Harry except for Asia and Shawnta.  A-Tayy has just been cleared to practice again...so we doubt we'll see 30 plus minutes out of her like we did in the final game between these two last year. A game Louisville won 75-62, with Taylor scoring eight points, grabbing seven boards and frustrating the Blue Demons defensively all day.

Shawnta, of course, won't see any minutes. She had 20 points and 13 rebounds in two games last year against DePaul. It'd be nice to have the trio banging on Harry and Penny all night...but you go with what you have.

 If Bria can find her way into the paint for a few jumpers, Megan and Nita find the range from outside and Mo can duplicate her 'in the paint' scoring ability on the road, I like UofL's chances. Would love to see Jude have a smart and efficient 20 minutes also. I ask for a lot, don't I?

Penny, Harry, Martin and Hrynko all had 32 minutes plus against the Cards in the second game last year. They had 28 minutes plus in the 86-61 pasting they put on the Cards in Lincoln Park the first time they played last year. So, they're pretty familiar with the UofL squad.  That game was Cierra Warren's final appearance for the Lady Cards. She picked up 14 points in garbage minutes at the end of the game after the outcome was pretty much decided.  

A win?  I see UofL getting one. Not by 10 or 15, though. I'll take a 2-4 point win in a hostile environment from a young team that just may have to settle for 60 points instead of 106.

Hey...a win's a win. L1C4, ladies...Rebound, Mo. Play smart, Shoni.  Block out, Sara.

It's BIG EAST time. Keep the icepacks, bandages and Teena Murray nearby. This isn't Wagner, TSU or Austin Peay.
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Friday Cardinal Couple - More BIG EAST Changes

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FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

(Game final from Colorado...Buffs 70-66) We'll have more later on this wild finish)
 
- Non BCS schools vote to leave BIG EAST.

-Texas, Oregon advance in NCAA Volleyball Final Four

-WBB travels to Boulder for showdown with Buffs

On the never ending carousel that also goes by the name the BIG EAST...another development. It looks like Providence, Villanova, Seton Hall, St. John's, Georgetown, DePaul and Marquette have decided to leave the conference that they founded and try their luck elsewhere.

The seven catholic-based schools would retain the automatic bid to the NCAA Basketball Tournaments...should they either decide to go form a new league or go as a group to a different conference. Could the Atlantic 10 become the Atlantic Whole Bunch of Teams? Might they form the Papal Conference and pick the Pope as the new commish? How about from BIG EAST to BIG PRIEST...

What this does is open the possibility and the door for Louisville and Notre Dame to join the ACC a year early. Aren't you glad we've already started our ACC womens' sports reviews early ?

And, just what does all this mean for womens' sports at UofL? A possibility that the Lady Cards might not play Rutgers and UConn in hoops next year? Justine Sowry and Karen Ferguson-Dayes speeding up their look at future conference opponents? Gotta believe Sandy Pearsall is grinning ear-to-ear with the distinct possibility of not having to worry about below freezing temperature games in Storrs, Providence, South Orange and Queens.  

Also, what now for Cincinnati and Connecticut, who desperately wanted to join Louisville in the latest ACC acquisition and now find themselves in a football division without Louisville?

The move by the 'Catholic Seven' has been talked about for several weeks now. It is now a reality. Tired of being driven around as passengers in the economic-engine football sedan, they've stopped by the dealership and bought a new ride.

In women's hoops, we've met some pretty interesting coaching characters over the past eight years in the BIG EAST. Some favorites have been "Q"...Quentin Hillsman,
of Syracuse...who has stormed the court like an enraged K-Mart shopper on Black Friday, passed out on the sidelines and danced in front of the visitor's bench with the precision moves of one of Gladys Knight's Pips. Who could forget Harry Perretta...dressed in the white shirt and tie...untucked by the midway mark of the first half and giving the appearance of a frazzled, stressed out accountant instead of a basketball coach. Doug Bruno, institutionally clad in that blue DePaul logoed long sleeve shirt. C-Viv. Geno. Muffett. Gonna miss some of these folks. A couple will join us out on the Atlantic Coast.

The BIG EAST brought Louisville women's sports titles in volleyball, softball and track. The Cards made a Final Four women's basketball appearance while a member of the BIG EAST. We said goodbye to Collen, Yelin, Clark-Heard, Ord and Bustin in the BIG EAST. We welcomed Walz, Kordes, Sowry, Newbauer, Williams and Trimble.

We started Rowing and Lacrosse in the BIG EAST. We moved from Freedom Hall to the KFC YUM! Center in the BIG EAST. We found out just how horrible it is to tailgate and attend a football game or the BIG EAST WBB Tournament in Storrs and Hartford while a member of the BIG EAST. 

As we like to say here...interesting times ahead. Sit down, buckle up, adjust your seat and close the door. This trip continues...

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Semi-final action from the KFC YUM! Center in the Final Four NCAA Volleyball Tournament provided a thriller in the first match...with Texas needing a fifth game to finally dispose of pesky Michigan. It looked like the upstart Wolverines were poised for the upset, going up 2-1 in games...but the Longhorns used some pretty impressive blocking at the net to slow down the Wolverine offense and advances to the finals Saturday night.

They'll meet Oregon there, who upset #2 in the nation Penn State three games to one. Hopefully, Jeff, Sandy or Jenny will stop by and add comments on this one. Truth be told, I was watching at home on ESPN2 and fell asleep at the halftime break with the games 1-1.

They announced on the "Deuce" about 13,000 in attendance. Not enough to break an NCAA record, but a nice crowd from all reports. Staff columnist Sandy Walker notes that there was  massive confusion over seating for the games...with many duplicate seat tickets printed for the evening that resulted in some last-minute seating shifts and long lines at the will-call and event services stations.

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Lest we forget in all this hub-bub and drama, the UofL WBB squad is in action tonight in Boulder, CO. to face the Colorado Buffaloes at 9 p.m. EST. The Cards will be without the services of Sara Hammond (last we heard) because of the death of her grandmother. Her board prowess will be missed. Time for Vails, Dyer, Walton and Reid to step it up one notch and let's hope the Rocky Mountain rare air equals lots of net-swishes for Shoni and Nita from beyond the arc.

We have a report from Sandy that we may be able to see this one on TV. The link is:

Louisville v Buffs

http://pac-12.com/ScheduleResults.aspx#networkId=Live%20Stream

Also from Basil G. Brooks, out of the CU sports information department, this link (for ALL CU home games).

Colorado Women's Basketball broadcasts


You know how we roll here...turn down the video feed sound and listen to our own Matt Andrews and A.J. with the call on 790 WKRD AM.




The Buffs are not to be taken lightly. 8-0 and striving for some national attention by knocking off #8 Louisville. This matchup eerily reminds of us the 2008-09 season...when 5-0 Louisville went to Nevada and dropped a 85-82 decision. The Cards went on to win their next 14 games.

6'1" forward and redshirt freshman Arielle Roberson, who leads CU with 16.5 ppg, talks about the ramifications of a Buffs victory:

" I think more people would definitely recognize Colorado women's basketball...it would be a big boost in a lot of areas, especially in recruiting. I also think it would give our team a lot more confidence and it would really give something to the fans."

Armageddon in the aspens? Clash in Colorado? Beatdown of the Buffs? Rock steady, Cards.

We'll be back tonight with the recap.

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Finally, fingers crossed and good thoughts, all, for staff columnist Jenny O'Bryan...in for a little out-patient surgery today. The rumors that we're having a tracking chip implanted in her or transplanting her brain with Timmy the Intern's are totally false...




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Motivation: Part I

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THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Motivation of colleges athlete by coaches to play hard & win and coaches who do this well.

We recently read an article from one of our favorite bloggers about motivation of college athletes by coaches. We liked the concept so much that we decided to do a similar article here at CARDINAL COUPLE. We expaned upon the idea of just asking coaches and sought out the opinions of coaches, fans and former college athletes. The questions were:

1) What do you think a coach should do to motivate their team to play hard and win?

2) Which coaches (women's college basketball) do you think are the best motivators?

We weren't sure how many responses we would get. After receiving ten responses (six readers/fans, two coaches and two former athletes..) we decided to do a "Part I" of this topic. We'll run "Part II" when we get more responses. The responses below are listed verbatim (edited and spell-checked where necessary) and have the respondants' first name and last name initial. Enjoy and reflect...and be advised today's column is a quite lengthy one...

--Mark S. (reader)

I guess motivation would depend on the team the coach has at the time. Each player is different. What motivates one player may not motivate another. Some players respond differently to the same tactics. That being said...here are ways to motivate:

1) Throw down a challenge. Could be done by setting a goal for an individual player or the team itself. Example: Hold a certain player below 10 points or have less than ten turnovers. If goals are reached, reward the player/team. Rewards could be praise, a day off, or team get-together (dinner, movie, etc.)
2) Make practices fun for the team
3) Be enthusiastic--that enthusiasm can carry over to the players.
4) Have the team do things together to build team unity.
5) Discipline is a key. Make sure it is consistent.
6) Communicate well with the team.

Best motivators: Jeff Walz, Brenda Frese, Geno Auriemma, Pat Summit, Matthew Mitchell, Harry Perretta, C.Vivian Stringer and Doug Bruno.

--Norman S. (reader)

If I were a coach, first it would be about the fans. Louisville's fans love these ladies, regardless of their athletic ability. These fans are there in large numbers to help them play well and win. The coaches should be doing their best for the Louisville fans. Second, it is just being the best of the best. They wouldn't be here if they did not want to compete at the highest level. The pro game, for the ladies, is not yet a motivating factor, in my opinion.

Coaches. Obviously Coach Walz was at his best during the second half of the UConn game (or maybe it was the fans). and in last year's tournament run. He is good. It is difficult for me to judge the others. The coaches at Stanford, UConn, Rutgers & Baylor must be good motivators. The job that last year's National Champs coach, Gary Blair, did was outstanding.

I want to throw this in, too. The coach of the Alabama men's team (Anthony Grant) has the best court side demeanor of any coach, men's or women's. I can't believe that screaming in a player's about his or her errors, mistakes or shortcomings is doing any good. I think Coach Walz is guilty of this too often. That's my opinion.

-- Mary B. (former player)

Paul, what motivated me wasn't so much the coaches but the success of the team back when I played. I didn't always start or play a lot at times but when I was out there - doing the best I could for the team was my motivation factor. We wanted to win. If I played well it would help our chances to win. I played with players that weren't motivated and no amount of coaching could get them there. It was all about their numbers and the heck with the team. I guess their success was their motivation.

I had coaches that would try to motivate by positives and negatives. Coaches I didn't like because of their motivational attempts and tactics. But, I always found that motivation had to come from within. Maybe I'm different.

Coaches I think that are good at attempting motivation for women's college basketball are McGraw at Notre Dame, Elliott at UC, Bruno at DePaul and Mulkey at Baylor. I think Walz at Louisville is an OK motivator but he seems to lose his team at times and that just might be the players, not him, but it can be distressing at times. 

Thanks for asking me to participate! Say Hi to Ms. Sonja for me. I still miss our practices and games in high school. She was a pretty motivated player and it didn't come from coaching either, Lord knows! We had the worst coach in the history of high school basketball. Ha. Ha. 

Shirley B. (reader)

I believe motivation must first come from within the athlete before they can respond in a positive way to a coach. They must feel that the team is #1 prior to their own glory. Once an athlete has this feeling, most of them will look for ways to have this be demonstrated. This will come from a coach pulling together the unique qualities from each of his players. This can only be achieved through a consistent and calm approach. This does not mean that excitement should be deleted from coaching. A positive critique to all segments of the game should be interwoven among the criticism. Each player and each coach will bring something to the game and the team. 

A great coach will identify the individual offerings and assist the player to be aware of what they can offer. There must be a willingness to be a team player and be willing to accept your role. This must always come before any individual, coach or team can truly be called a "Winner." Motivation is very important but the individual must first want to receive it.

Michelle K. (coach)

- I have three very simple rules about motivating players.

1) They must be able to handle motivation of different types. Sometimes it may be positive, sometimes it isn't.

2) They must understand that desire and motivation are not the same thing. A girl may desire to score 20 points a game but if she isn't motivated to go out and do the work and practice to be that kind of player, it's no good.

3) Motivation is a continuous process. Today's players have way too many "entitlement" issues. That doesn't get it. No one is entitled and I will motivate you out of that mind-set, if you have it, continuously until you lose it or you won't play for me. I will keep you motivated if you will give me your best or slack off, don't worry!

My favorite motivational women's college basketball coaches are Pat, Geno, C. Viv and Nikki Caldwell. 

David W. (reader) 

A coaches greatest motivational tool is the very aspect of his or her players being able to have the chance to do something that very few high school athletes get to do. Play in college. Take a Louisville, Notre Dame or even a Ball State. Players get a free education. Free housing. Free meals. Expert training. A safe environment for four years. There should be no other motivation  factor bigger than that -- unless the team is a national or conference title contender. Then, acheiving the championship can be a strong motivator as well. I read a lot of things. I see a lot of players list their goals to get to Denver, where they're playing the NCAA Women's Championship this year. That's fine and well, if they have a legit shot. Otherwise, it's daydreaming and self-centered.

Coaches I think that do a very good job of motivating their teams are Geno Auriemma, Muffet McGraw, Brenda Frese, Tara Vanderveer and Kim Mulkey. That would be my top five.

Quentin V. (reader)

Have detailed benchmarks established for a player's performance. Share them with the player and provide feedback regarding the player's degree of achievement and provide tools, that if used, will make achievement possible. If a player is not willing to work to achieve goals established, let that player go.

Best coaches: Pat Summit, Geno Auriemma, Jeff Walz.

D.G.  (ex-player)

I will be straight up with you on motivation the way I looked at it when I played. I hated to lose and I hated to play bad. Coaches motivation only made that better or worse depending on how it was going. Yelling at me, finger pointing, none of that deal worked because -  I knew when I messed up or didn't play good - and didn't need a reminder. OK? I saw my teammates and me as one unit working together and when one part was not working right you either fixed it or replaced it. Just like your car or furnace. I knew I would never play in the NBA or past college but I was motivated by wins and great games. Some coaches, I swear, I don't know how they keep their jobs and have the wrong mind set when it breaks down to motivation. You want to pull me because I missed a wide open shot and then fouled a guy on the play after? Fine. Pull me. But did you forget about the three rebounds, the steal and the two assists I had before that? GIve me a chance to play through it.  

Don't know a lot about the women's coaches. I can tell you that I like the fire Walz brings to the sidelines. Don't know how good a motivator he is but he really gets into getting his team to perform well. The guy is always coaching on the sidelines. His Louisville teams been pretty good since he has been there. Mitchell at UK seems to get a lot out his girls. Also, I liked the guy who was women's coach at MTSU when I played there. Rick Insell. He was great to talk to and had those girls big time motivated. If I was a girl, I think I would have enjoyed playing for him.  

Rex E. (coach)

Paul:

1) I try to get them to realise it is THEIR team and I just happen to be the coach. So if they want to have a memorable experience and achievement THEY share a big part of the responsibility. I want them to make the season what they dream it to be.

2) A deep sense of responsibility to themselves and others. It is our responsibility to represent the university, athletic dept., families, alumni and fans in a first class way. 


Coach E.

Bill and Barbara H. (fans)

#1 - Bill- Be encouraging.
        Barb - Accentuate the positives.

#2 - Bill - Doug Bruno
        Barb - Pat Summit.

OK. I know this is a long column today and I hope you made it through it and enjoyed it. Some very great, revealing and informative responses here.

If you have a "take" on this subject, feel free to e-mail us at cardinalcouple@insightbb.com  If you want to comment on any of these responses, feel free to e-mail or leave your opinion in the comments section. Thanks for reading!
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Lady Cards face a tough test at DePaul

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TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:

-Cards travel to face DePaul

-Congrats to Bria Smith

The University of Louisville women's basketball team travels to Chicago to face the DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team Tuesday night at 9:00 p.m. The game will be shown on the CBS College Sports Network. Let's look at the Doug Bruno led Blue Demons...

Anna Martin leads DePaul in
scoring. She's from Lexington.

DePaul (16-6, 4-4) comes into the contest after defeating Seton Hall 71-59 on Saturday. They received a crippling blow when they lost All-Big East performer Keisha Hampton to a knee injury before BIG EAST play got underway. In her absence, 5'9" junior guard Anna Martin (from Lexington Christian) has stepped up as the scoring threat and averages 18.6 ppg for the team. She's one of three active DePaul players that average in double figure scoring.

Brittany Hrynko, a 5'8" freshman point guard chips in 11.0 ppg. and is in charge of getting the DePaul offense in motion. She and Martin are the main three point threats for Bruno's squad. DePaul attempts 24 3-pointers per contest and connects on 8.5 a game.

Jasmine Penny contributes 10.2 points per outing and is a 6'1" soph. forward. She's the second leading rebounder on the Blue Demons team and has picked up her game in the absence of Hampton. Aggressive and always around the hoop, Penny is a solid defender, too.

Katherine Harry is the leading
rebounder for Doug Bruno.

Katherine Harry leads DePaul in rebounding with 8.9 a game and averages 8.0 ppg. She's another one who has picked up her game with Hampton gone. At 6'3", the junior post will give the Lady Cards headaches with her prowess in the paint and full-out style of play on both ends of the court.

Deanna Ortiz is the other usual starter for the Blue Demons. A 5'10" senior guard, her experience and occasional prowess from beyond the trifecta line cannot be ignored. Ortiz rings up 4.0 ppg for DePaul.

Reserves likely to log court minutes are Megan Rogowski and Kelsey Reynolds. Bruno normally doesn't go real deep in his rotation and the top seven mentioned here all see 25+ minutes per game as a rule.

Bruno is in his 28th. year of coaching the Blue Demons. One of the "good guys" in the BIG EAST, he has a dynamic court-side style and is always good for a post-game quote or quip.

DePaul has had some pretty impressive wins this season. They've knocked off Arizona State, St.John's and Georgetown. Their major losses have come at the hands of Tennessee, Providence, USF, UConn and Rutgers. They average 74.0 ppg and allow opponents 65.2. They also have a +3.1 margin of turnovers against opponents...so expect UofL to cough up the pumpkin a few times against the DePaul defensive pressure.

DePaul averages 2861 for their home games...they'll probably have a few more than that in attendance tonight because of the quality of the opponent and rivalry between the two teams. DePaul leads the lifetime series 14-13 over Louisville. Louisville won the last meeting between the two schools 68-55 in the KFC YUM! Center on Feb.23rd. Monique Reid had 28 points in the win and she'll be missed tonight.

Who will step up and provide the inside scoring punch for the Cards? We'll look for Asia Taylor to continue the hot streak she's been on as of late and Cierra Warren could have a big night against the smaller Blue Demons. Shoni Schimmel's wizardry could be very effective tonight and we'll hope for a good shooting night from the "killer bees"...Bria Smith and Becky Burke. This is also a game where Sara Hammond's strength inside might play a pivotal role and we'll watch with interest on how many minutes she logs against the Blue Demons. 

We'll be back later tonight with a full recap. 

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Bria Smith earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors for the second time this season. The Monday announcement broke the two week streak for the award that UConn's Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis was riding. Smith has been impressive in Louisville wins over Providence, Georgetown and Villanova in her last three outings and is the third leading scorer at 11.0 a game for the Lady Cards. 

She and Mosqueda-Lewis are the only two BIG EAST freshmen who have won the award multiple times this season. Mosqueda-Lewis has been awarded the honor six times this season.

(We hate to "run up" on consecutive articles here at CARDINAL COUPLE..so if you missed Jenny's report on the Manual vs. Marion County game and her analysis of future Lady Cards Makayla Epps and Kyvin Goodin-Rogers, be sure to give it a read...)
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