Monday Cardinal Couple -- Marion County pair headed to WKU?

.
MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- WKU a new player in the hunt for Epps, Goodin-Rogers? 

We don't normally engage in a lot of speculation and rumor-mongering here at CARDINAL COUPLE. This one may have some teeth to it, though.

Zach Greenwell, a sports reporter for the Bowling Green Daily News, is reporting that Kyvin Goodin-Rogers has talked with WKU head women's basketball coach Michelle Clark-Heard. 

According to Trent Milby, head coach of the Marion Country girls' basketball team..where Epps and Goodin-Rogers will play their senior season...Epps has not had contact with Clark-Heard, but the two have re-confirmed their interest to play basketball together in college. 

They've also had contact with Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, Indiana and Ohio State University, according to Milby. 

The puzzling world of recruiting...

Nothing wrong with the five schools mentioned above. UK has become a force in the SEC and Matthew Mitchell has opened another spot on the roster with the dismissal of seldom-used guard Bre-shay Ali. MTSU recently got a verbal from China Dow from Christian Academy in Louisville.

They love their women's basketball in Murfreesboro. They have success, too.

 Indiana is looking to rebuild with new head coach Curt Miller after a rough 6-24 season last year. Ohio State went 24-7 last season before bowing out to Florida in the first round of the NCAA. 

Big Ten women's hoops isn't quite at the level of the SEC or BIG EAST, but not a bad place to spend four years.

The WKU angle is intriguing. Michelle Clark-Heard was heavily involved in the recruiting of Epps and Goodin-Rogers while an assistant at Louisville. WKU hoops is looking for a re-birth of sorts after a 9-21 campaign in 2011-12. Chances are the playing time would come early and frequently for both. You can't blame Clark-Heard for trying to get the best talent available for her squad. She's added one of our favorite assistant coaches in Greg Collins. WKU was a women's basketball power back back in the seventies.

Paul Sanderford led them to the Final Four in the nineties. NCAA runner-up to Stanford in 1992. The Hilltoppers beat Louisville ten straight times from 1984-2002. 

It's 2012. Can Clark-Heard, a WKU grad and player who made four straight NCAA appearances, right the ship on "the Hill"? And, would Epps and Goodin-Rogers give credibility to a program struggling to get back on it's feet? 

Epps and Goodin-Rogers have been highly publicized as the one-two punch that has led Marion County to several Sweet Sixteen appearances in Ky Girls High School Basketball but no state titles. Sold on the Louisville program following the Cards march through the NCAA Tournament in 2009, the duo verballed at the end of their sophomore year.

What a difference a year makes. 

WKU participates in the Sun Belt Conference, a far cry from the elite BIG EAST, SEC or BIG TEN conferences as far as fan base and NCAA successes go. Do Epps and Goodin-Rogers really want to take their talents to a school that plays Troy, Louisiana-Monroe, North Texas and South Alabama each year? Or is it a case of seeing who was at Louisville, who might be coming and figuring out that playing time may be hard to come by. 

Maybe I'm dense here...but if you've got a spot waiting on a team that plays in front of the second-largest crowds in NCAA women's basketball, a program basking in the sunlight of an alumni who's the leading scorer in the WNBA and tearing up the Olympics and a squad who has perhaps the brightest young coach in NCAA women's basketball...why do you suddenly decide you want to set that aside and check out schools that are an after-thought on their campuses and in their cities?  

Gotta a feeling that this is just the first "epps" isode in the tale of the two who passed on the "Ville" to see if the grass is greener on the other side of the hill...

Let's hope they don't end up like Jack and Jill...

Hmmm...playing in front of a packed house in South Bend on Sunday afternoon against the Irish or a Tuesday night road trip to Lafayette, LA to hook up against the Ragin' Cajuns? Tough call.

Link to Greenwell's article below:

Goodin-Rogers, Epps

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

Tough weekend for Hansen and Shackleford in stakes races this weekend. What did we learn? Hansen needs to stay at a mile and one-sixteenth or shorter races and Shackleford doesn't like the mud. 

The blue tail on Hansen...ok, it's cute. Dye that tail Cardinal Red and he wins for fun. In wild and wonderful West Virginia, he ran fourth in the West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Race Track and Casino. Maybe he stopped to play roulette? Maybe the last two furlongs he was running through West Virginia football fans...  

Sometimes dumb luck is better than no luck at all. A last minute decision to wager a 1 thru 5 $1 exacta box and 1 thru 5 .50 cent trifecta box at Saratoga turned $50 into $569.35. You just never know on a muddy track and Shackleford was 0 for 3 in previous attempts on a "off" track. Still figured he might "hit the board" but the payout increased dramatically when he finished dead last. Especially with a 36-1 shot winning. 

Not bad work for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
..
... 

Wednesday doubleheader for Louisville softball

.
WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-#12 Louisville softball heads to Philly for doubleheader


-Bobby Petrino: What now?


-Louisville baseball downs UK 12-0


-More on Baylor and Mulkey


-Clark-Heard names assistant at WKU

Kristin Austin has the highest
batting average in the BIG EAST.

Louisville Softball (33-2, 7-2) takes a mid-week trip to the City of Brotherly Love for Philly cheese-steaks, a viewing of the Rocky statue and a double-header against the Villanova Wildcats. The BIG EAST foe is 25-12 on the season, 0-6 in BIG EAST action and comes into the game after getting swept by Connecticut in a three game series over the weekend. 


The Wildcats have the second best batter in the BIG EAST in Jamie O' Hara (.384). Molly Manning and Briana Fujii are the run producers with 21 RBI's each. In the circle, Caitlyn Delahaba is 13-8 and solid with a 2.79 ERA. Manning gets the call from the stripe as well and is 10-4 with a 3.11 ERA.

Tori Collins is one of three
pitchers Sandy Pearsall uses.

Louisville boasts the leading hitter in the conference in Kristin Austin, who is the only BIG EAST hitter batting over .400 on the year. Her .407 average is complemented with 30 runs scored and seven triples. Louisville has seven players in the starting lineup batting over .300. Sandy Pearsall has torrid Tori Collins, Chelsea Leonard and Caralisa Connell to choose from when the Wildcats are at bat. The trio has a combined 1.26 ERA and have fanned 252 batters in 234.1 innings. 


Louisville lost the first game to 'Nova 3-1 when the teams  last met on March 26th, 2011 but rallied to take the final two games of the series 5-3 and 12-5 the next day at Ulmer Stadium. Louisville leads the overall series 9-2.


The Cards return to Ulmer for a non-conference, 3-game weekend series against Longwood this Saturday and Sunday.


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

Arkansas AD Jeff Long

As we expected here at CARDINAL COUPLE, former UofL head football coach Bobby Petrino has been fired at Arkansas. Watching the news conference with Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long at the podium detailing the events and the reasoning behind the 'Bobster's' ousting showed us that Long had a hard time with the decision. He choked up several times when addressing the media and seemed to be portraying a man who was reluctantly relaying a difficult decision on a highly controversial situation.

Gotta wonder if wedding bells
will still ring for "JD" in June.
Seems Bobby already laid
down some serious cash for
the bridal shower.

He and the University did the right thing, though. They bonked the "win at all costs" mindset that persists at way too many Athletic Departments in the NCAA. Bobby lied, tried to cover up the lie and made an inappropriate hire and had an inappropriate affair with "the girl in the athletic department in volleyball shorts" Jessica Dorrell. Mention was also made that Petrino gave the ex-Arkansas volleyball player $20,000 large in cash. 


That's some pretty expensive "whoopee", son.


So, what now, Bobby Petrino? We're no life coaches here at CARDINAL COUPLE...but one would think that getting one's personal and family house in order would be job #1 for B.P. If that's even possible. 

Tell your story walking, pal.

We figure he'll eventually hit the job market again. And, there will be someone out there willing to take a chance on the inglorious philanderer...because he is a brilliant offensive football  strategist. Maybe we'll see a role reversal again. Bobby was John L. Smith's offensive coordinator at Louisville. Bobby hired John L. Smith at Arkansas. Now that John is head coach at Weber State, would the possibility exist that he bring Bobby on board and staff? 

With the firing, Bobby now has plenty of time
to "head out on the highway, looking for
adventure."

Stranger things have happened. 


WE hope that Petrino can get his deck of cards in order. WE hope that going from king to joker finally shows him that honesty, integrity and respect still have a viable place in today's society. But, in his case, we're not betting on it...


Can old dogs learn new tricks?

We applaud Arkansas for doing the right thing. WE realize that there are tons of disappointed Hog fans this morning. You have a right to be, but the reason you should be is that you got 'played' by your former head coach and it caught up with him.


For Bobby's response, click the link below...courtesy of Mike Rutherford over at Card Chronicle.


Bobby's farewell address


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


How about the UofL baseball team? Taking the road-show to Lexington last night and thumping #1 UK 12-0!  It was even worth turning off NCIS to watch...


We like Charlie Springer's take on the massive Cardinal win and you can view the "observer's" words at the link below.


UofL 12 - UK 0

Louisville is extremely fortunate to have such "diamond skippers" as Dan McDonnell and Sandy Pearsall. Two people of integrity, committed and dedicated to their players and both with a great sense of humor. 


Show your thankfulness for having these two here at UofL and get out and watch a few games at Ulmer and Patterson. Free admission and big fun. 


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

The NCAA may have a few more questions for Baylor head womens' basketball coach Kim Mulkey. Thanks to the several CARDINAL COUPLE readers who mentioned or sent the link. 


The implications aren't "death penalty" serious but could open a big can of Beef-a-Roni that the NCAA may not have the appetite to finish. 


Baylor, Mulkey may have some explaining to do, Lucy.

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

Finally, Michelle Clark-Heard has made an assistant coach hire down at WKU. She brings Margaret Richards aboard. The former Louisville and Weber State staffer and Michelle go way back. Once again, thanks to our eagle-eye CARDINAL COUPLE readers for the find. Linkie below.


Clark-Heard hires Richards as assistant at WKU

.
..
...

FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE UofL advances to Great Eight...Clark-Heard headed to WKU...A WBB Sweet Sixteen preview

.
FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-UofL defeats #1 seed Michigan State to advance to Great Eight


-Michelle Clark-Heard accepts head coaching job at Western Kentucky.


-NCAA WBB Sweet Sixteen starts Saturday


How about the University of Louisville men's basketball team! Advancing to the Great Eight in the NCAA Tournament with a 57-44 win over #1 seed Michigan State Thursday night. 

Chane went insane in the final
twenty for the CARDS! 

I know, CARDINAL COUPLE is primarily a women's sports site and there will be about a gazillion articles out there about this win...but we're proud of the guys and how about freshman Chane Behanan tonight for Pitino's players? Huge second half for the Bowling Green/Cincinnati guy and Gorgui Dieng with what seemed like a dozen blocked shots.


 L1C4, baby!  


A month ago, few would have predicted this run for UofL. Reeling from defeats and seemingly having no dependable scorers on the squad, the Cards have come together and are on a seven game win streak. Sweet revenge over a MSU squad who knocked the Cards out of the running for the Final Four a couple of years ago. 


A big salute, fellas, from CARDINAL COUPLE and keep it going. Louisville faces Florida at 4:30 Saturday for a chance to go to New Orleans and the Final Four. Pitino vs. Donovan. Should be great! 


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


Michelle Clark-Heard has been named the newest head women's basketball coach at Western Kentucky University. The Cardinal assistant was with Jeff Walz for the past five years at UofL and head coach at Kentucky State for two years before that. 

She faces a rebuilding job in Bowling Green...but she is widely known out on the recruiting circles and should be able to land some of Kentucky Girls High School's best to play for her and the Toppers. 


WE'VE watched Michelle run practices before at UofL and there is no doubt that she knows the game and how to get the most out of the players while teaching them important fundamentals at the same time. She's the second Walz assistant to leave the next and take a head coaching job. We love her self-stated philosophy on basketball...get the ball and get down the court and score. 


WE hate to see her go..but are happy and proud that she's back in the main spotlight again. She's the second assistant that has left the Walz nest and gone off to build her own. That speaks volumes about the success of the program and the genius of Jeff. 


Congratulations, Michelle. Now, get Louisville back on that Hilltopper schedule! 


LINK below.
Michelle Clark-Heard named head WBB Coach at WKU

Also, a clip of her acceptance ceremony below:


Clark-Heard is introduced and speaks at WKU

(Thanks to our readers for providing these links!) 


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


The field of sixteen teams that have advanced in the NCAA Women's College Basketball tournament has quite a few expected attendees and a few surprises. 


WE take a look at the finalist and give a little commentary on who will get to the Great Eight in the games being played in Des Moines, Fresno, Raleigh and Kingston over Saturday and Sunday.


BAYLOR VS GEORGIA TECH 

The Baylor Lady Bears are the #1 team in the country. They have the probable player of the year in Brittany Griner. They haven't lost yet in 36 games. We don't see that changing yet. Georgia Tech has had an easy path to the Sweet Sixteen with wins over Sacred Heart (how a Louisville Catholic girls high school got in there..we'll never know) and a Georgetown team that had underachieved the last half of the season. Baylor fans will travel en masse to Des Moines...and they won't be disappointed. 


KANSAS VS TENNESSEE

Our bracket predictions were way off in this one...expecting to see DePaul and Delaware square off in this one. Give Kansas credit. They come out of an #11 seed and from a tough WBB conference in the BIG 12. They got it done against Nebraska and knocked off Elena Della Donna and Delaware to earn their spot. They face a Tennessee team on a mission, though, and the Lady Vols have taken care of business impressively so far against high-scoring UT-Martin and DePaul. The Lady Vols should continue to put notches in the "W" column and most likely head to the Great Eight and Baylor


STANFORD VS SOUTH CAROLINA

Stanford is Sonja's pick to win the NCAA WBB Tournament and they haven't disappointed so far with a convincing win over Hampton and out-muscling WVU. The Ogwumike sisters are a great one-two punch and they should breeze against a South Carolina team that surprised us by getting as far as they did. Give Dawn Staley a lot of credit for getting the Gamecocks this far...they handled E.Michigan and Purdue. Grant, Stevens and Brewer are great players..but the bus stops here for the SEC school. 


ST. JOHN'S VS DUKE

BIG EAST regular season runner-up St. John has talent, speed, great team play, Nadirah McKenith and an excellent coach in Kim Barnes Arico. They survived a close scare against Creighton and looked good against Oklahoma. They face a Duke team that has been dominant in the tournament and may have the best freshman center in the nation in Elizabeth Williams. Wins over Samford and Vandy came easily -- even in 90 degree heat in Nashville. They'll face a much tougher task in St. John's and we see this one as too close to call. I like the Red Storm...Sonja says Duke.


NOTRE DAME VS ST.BONAVENTURE

We're seeing the Irish as a Final Four team and we've raved about Diggins, Novosel, Peters, Mallory and the rest of Muffet McGraw's team all season. They've been their usual outstanding juggernaut so far against Cal and Liberty and should handle the upstart Bonnies of St. Bonaventure. Gotta admire what St. Bonaventure has accomplished so far in the tournament..but this isn't Florida-Gulf Coast or Marist that they'll meet in Raleigh. 


TEXAS A&M VS MARYLAND

Another one that we feel is too close to call. Maryland escaping against an inspired Louisville squad after sinking the Navy. Texas A&M is the defending NCAA Champs and after abolishing Albany they had their hands full with Arkansas...escaping at the buzzer. We like the play of Laurin Mincy and Brenda Frese is a quality coach. We also expect Alyssa Thomas to have a much better game than she had against the Cards. Sydney Carter gets the job done for the Aggies and this one just might go to the final buzzer. 


CONNECTICUT VS PENN STATE.

Geno has the Huskies rolling...winning the BIG EAST Tournament and romping over Prairie View and Kansas State in the NCAA Tournament. We see them putting a pretty significant beating on the Nittany Lions in Kingston. Penn State has had a nice run in knocking off UTEP and LSU...but we felt they were over-ranked as a #4 seed and they'll travel back to Happy Valley after Saturday's game...not so happy.


KENTUCKY VS GONZAGA

UK has had a roller coaster NCAA Tournament ride so far...struggling against #15 seed McNeese State and getting very lucky to advance against Green Bay. But, they keep winning. Gonzaga surprised some by knocking off Rutgers and then sending Miami back to the beach...they must be respected and we can see this being another game that could be undecided with a minute to go. A'dia Mathies is, by far, the best player on the court in this one. We'll go with the underdog here, though. One has to advance to the Great Eight, right? The Zags get lucky against Kentucky. Cardinal fans know all about the Zags in post-season play. Even though this one isn't in Spokane, we can see the Bulldogs barking one last time in the Sweet Sixteen.
.
..
...

Ky. High School girls down to eight teams

.
FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Manual, Butler, Marion County advance in play


-Meet UofL renaissance man -- Jared Stillman


-Michelle Clark-Heard in running for WKU job 


The Houchens Industries Kentucky Girls Basketball state tournament goes into its third day of action this afternoon with eight teams still alive and taking the court for another full slate of games on the Western Kentucky campus at Diddle Arena in Bowling Green. 


From yesterday:


--Hopkinsville 56 - Marshall County 52
--Lincoln County 56 - Clay County 50
--Magoffin County 63 - Ashland Blazer 59
--Marion County 56 - Walton-Verona 49

Louisville 2013 verbals Makayla Epps and Kyvin Goodin-Rogers had big games for MCHS in their seven point triumph over Walton-Verona. Kyvin with 15 points an 12 rebound and Makayla totaling 14 points. The 32-4 Marion County squad advances to face Hopkinsville today. Jason Frakes of The Courier-Journal has an excellent article on the game. View it by clicking the link below.

Marion County advances to quarterfinals

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


Meet Jared Stillman, man of many hats down on the UofL campus. One day he might be sitting at the end of the Lady Cards basketball bench, taking care of duties as a student manager. Or, you might find him doing interviews with Cardinal athletes for CARDS TV. 
That's him up in the press box at Ulmer Stadium-- handling the public address announcer duties for Cardinal softball. It wouldn't surprise us if he rakes the infield in between innings and hawks a few programs out by the front gate. 


The senior from Nashville is one of many college students across the nation that combines studies with full time duties assisting the athletic programs on campus. It's prep for the world after college and Jared fully intends of pursuing a career in the sports field upon graduation in May. 


"I think I can do this, and do it well. I listen to a lot of sports commentators and broadcasters out there and say to myself...'That's something I could handle and be good at.'" the affable Stillman told CARDINAL COUPLES Paul Sykes at a recent Louisville softball practice. 

"J-Bone" getting a framed acknowledgement of his
4 years of hard work at the Senior Day
ceremonies for UofL WBB.  (Photo courtesy of
Howie Lindsey. Louisville Sports Report)

To watch him prepping a player for an interview showed Paul that he has a casual, easy-going style and congeniality with the student-athletes. Louisville's Jordan Trimble rates him at "a 101" in a scale of 1-100 when it comes to professionalism and popularity with the players.


"Jared does so many things to help and assist me in my duties." UofL assistant sports information director Lori Korte insists. "He's always ready and willing to do whatever needs to be done." 


Softball star Taner Fowler sees it this way. 'We don't want him to leave us after he graduates. I can't imagine playing softball here and not having him around." 


The future is bright, indeed, for the "J-Bone". Whether it's assisting Coach Walz with duties in Hartford or making off-the-cuff hilarious comments, quips and impersonations between innings at a UofL home softball game, Mr.Stillman has the bases covered.


He's a "solid" fixture around the Belknap Campus and we hope he can stay connected with the UofL sports programs well past receiving his diploma. Wherever he ends up, he'll do well and be successful.


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

Mary Taylor Cowles was relieved of her head coaching duties at Western Kentucky University Thursday. She was the Hilltoppers had coach for 10 years and complied a record of 199-119. She headed the team to six straight 20+ win seasons early in her career but reached that plateau only once in the last four years. 


Ross Bjork, AD at Western, says he's "looking to restore confidence, public support and energy back into the women's basketball program and will begin the process of finding a replacement immediately". 


(Sounds like he needs to try some 5 Hour Energy)


One name that has surfaced as a potential candidate is Lady Cards assistant head coach Michelle Clark-Heard. She's no stranger to Hilltoppers hoops, having played there from 1987-1991 for Paul Sanderford and leading the team to four straight NCAA appearances and two Sun Belt titles. Heard also coached with Sanderford and Jeff Walz at Nebraska and was the head women's basketball coach at Kentucky State for two years. 

Michelle leaving Louisville for WKU? 

During her second season at KSU, her 2007 squad was the second most improved team in NCAA D II women's basketball with a record of 19-9. She was named SIAC Coach of the Year honors that year, too. 


She re-joined Jeff Walz as a member of his first coaching staff when Walz took the Louisville job prior to the start of the 2007-08 season. A Louisville Atherton graduate, Michelle earned Kentucky High School State Player of the Year honors in 1986. 


We hate to see good assistants leave. Michelle is definitely one of those and her coaching skills are a valuable part of the Louisville women's basketball program. If chosen, though, Western will be getting one of the best in the business in Michelle. 
.
..
...