Attrition continues for Louisville women’s BB, but outlook improving

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Huge: Shoni Schimmel Picks Louisville

Lady Cards Land Highly Ranked Recruit

This is not just another commitment for the University of Louisville women’s basketball team. This is the reason Jeff Walz has spent many of his waking hours on the West Coast, mentally and physically, hoping to land this phenomenal basketball player.

She’s the reason Walz is doing cartwheels today. She’s the reason Geno Auriemaa at UConn is wondering what in hell is going on at Louisville. She’s the clincher for making this the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation.

Shoni Schimmel, a multi-faceted, exceptionally-talented 5-foot-9 guard from Portland, Ore., has made her decision. She wants to play for Jeff Walz and the Lady Cards, picking U of L over UCLA, Oregon, Rutgers and South Carolina.

She will join the Lady Cards next season, at the ready when Louisville opens against Tennessee in the new basketball arena. Talk about things coming together.

Schimmel averaged 29.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 5.8 steals as a senior, earning Parade Magazine first-team all-American honors. She finished her career as the No. 6 all-time scorer in Oregon with 2,120 points. She was Player of the Year in Oregon during her junior and senior years and was a first-team All-Stater all four years.

She is also believed to be the highest ranked Native American women’s basketball player ever. Based on numerous reports, her physical skills are exceeded only by her intense desire to win.

Check out the video:

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With Schimmel’s decision, interest in women’s basketball will escalate rapidly, even among those who heretofore have considered women’s basketball beneath them. Seat selection for the upcoming season in the brand new 22,000-seat KFC Yum Basketball Center will begin in August at the Yum Practice Center. Call 852-5151 to get on board.

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McCoughtry Sizzles For 32

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Say Hey, Lady Cards

Click to ENLARGE

Hamming it up for the camera during the Cardinal Caravan at Captain’s Quarters Thursday were Monique Reid and Becky Burke, two of the leaders on the University of Louisville women’s basketball team. They will be joined by a top five recruiting class next season, and coach Jeff Walz is still working to add more talent. The newcomers will not lack inspiration.

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Another Bad Day For Lady Cards

NCAA Turns Down Chauntise Wright Appeal;
Nikki Burton Will Be Out Three Weeks

By Sonja Sykes

Just when you were beginning to think not much else could go wrong for the University of Louisville women’s basketball team:

• Senior center Chauntise Wright has lost her battle to gain eligibility and her career is over. The NCAA can be a heartless and cruel governing body.

• An MRI on freshman guard Nikki Burton reveals a hip injury that will have her out for the next three weeks. Burton had been receiving therapy but the Charlotte native was not responding well.

Get well soon, Nikki. It was looking like you were beginning to “get it” out there. Your quickness and athleticism will be sorely missed.

As for Tise, no secret that she was Paul’s favorite and one of mine. We’ll miss that “big battleship” majestically cruising down the court en route to an easy basket or rejecting another shot attempt.

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Louisville Endures, But Notre Dame Prevails

By Paul Sykes

The University of Louisville women’s basketball bench often resembles a MASH unit with all the crutches, knee braces, tape and band aids.

Nine players available, five of them freshmen, but they’re not conceding anything.

For the first 15 minutes, U of L was setting the stage for an upset over No. 4 Notre Dame at Freedom Hall. Up 33-21 with 5:26 to go in the first half, the Lady Cards were handling the defensive pressure of the Irish and Monique Reid was putting on an Angel-like performance.

But at that point, as coach Jeff Walz noted after the game, the Lady Cards appeared to ease up, “thinking we didn’t have work as hard.” The Card staggered to the locker room tied 37-37. After a quick 5-0 run by the Cards in the second half, the Irish methodically gained control and steadily pulled away to a 78-60 win

• Monique Reid, playing inspired ball in the first half with 17 first half points and failing to score until 8:00 remained in the second half. A total of 23 points for the Fern Creek sophomore but those seven turnovers hard to overlook, as were her 38 minutes of playing time.

• Becky Burke, playing 38 minutes, Keisha Hines, 39 minutes, scoring 16 and 10 points, respectively. Help is on the way but it may be several weeks, if not months, arriving.

• Shelby Harper got her third start as point guard, picking up three fouls during the first 10 minutes of the game. However, Jeff Walz kept her in the lineup most of the way. Her ball handling and passing abilities are improving. The team’s performance takes a noticeable dip when she goes to the bench.

• Skylar Diggins, the fabulous Irish freshman, taking over in the final twenty minutes with 15 of her 20 points. When she wasn’t scoring, feeding the bigs inside the paint. Louisville saw what good point guard play can accomplish.

• Just four turnovers for the Cards in the first 15 minutes but 6 more to finish the first half. A game total of 20, down from the season average but some costly ones when the Cards were trying to rally in the second half.

• 600th career win for Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw. Her Irish had what it took in the second half but still not fully convinced that they are the fourth best team in the nation.

The Cards return to action Saturday in Freedom Hall to face a Syracuse Orange team that is hovering around the top 25. At 16-2, the Orange are big, bruising and play the typical ball head coach Quentin Hillsman has installed in his 3 years as their head coach. Game time is 2 p.m.

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Lady Cards Host Wounded Notre Dame

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