Louisville- wheels coming off?

[baggerbob]

I don't think it's just the addition of Jones. Carr seems to have her challenges working with the guard rotation that Louisville has in place. I don't know what it is, however there's a vibe I get from Carr that I dislike and can't shake from what I watched last season when she played for Syracuse.

When someone rated her a top ACC portal pickup, I was suprised. She was maybe the 3rd best player on the team, and not anywhere near Hyman.

 

[Bigboote]

Well, looks like the Cards worked out some frustrations against SIU Edwardsville (whatever that is?) today. 105-32.

I assume you mean Evansville. Small to midsized city almost on the Ohio River. More Kentucky than Midwest. I had inlaws there.

 

[CocoHusky]

I assume you mean Evansville. Small to midsized city almost on the Ohio River. More Kentucky than Midwest. I had inlaws there.

No it was Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Louisville just beat a team that has not won a game all year.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | SIUE

SIUE is a nationally recognized university that provides students with a high-quality, affordable education that prepares them for successful careers and lives of purpose to shape a changing world. Built on the foundation of a broad-based, high-quality education, and enhanced by hands-on...

www.siue.edu

 

[Bigboote]

No it was Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Louisville just beat a team that has not won a game all year.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | SIUE

SIUE is a nationally recognized university that provides students with a high-quality, affordable education that prepares them for successful careers and lives of purpose to shape a changing world. Built on the foundation of a broad-based, high-quality education, and enhanced by hands-on...

www.siue.edu

Oops! Learn something new every day. I'd always assumed it was Southern Indiana Evansville.

 

[dws3665]

Hah! I must've. Well, judging by what you wrote, we're somewhat on agreement on what Payton could bring to a team like UConn and/or ND. I'd never want to tee you off (too much), but having those two on the same collegiate team would be a joy. (well for me, at least )
But, again, don't think it will happen... now I'll throw in one "please no" school: Not Duke, please.

Keeping an eye on the Sooners at this point. Not far from home, and they're losing Robertson and Llanusa next year and could probably use a player with Verhulst's skill set.

 

[Dillon77]

Keeping an eye on the Sooners at this point. Not far from home, and they're losing Robertson and Llanusa next year and could probably use a player with Verhulst's skill set.

Yup. In a (lot) more objective post on Verhulst, I think she'd most likely look for a school that runs an upbeat offense that fits her skill set and has the potential for playing time. Lots of it. Oklahoma is most certainly one of those schools that fits the profile.
Iowa State, with Ashley Joens out of eligibility, could fit the bill, too. Isn't Creighton somewhat upper-class laden? If so, could be an opening there, too.

She doesn't strike me as being a city kid, but she could certainly fit in with Doug Bruno's upbeat style. And they need some firepower there!

Stay tuned.

 

[erynlei4]

Keeping an eye on the Sooners at this point. Not far from home, and they're losing Robertson and Llanusa next year and could probably use a player with Verhulst's skill set.

She has started following Oklahoma WBB and a couple of the players on Instagram so there is an interest

 

[JellyBean]

They will be fine. They have lost four games. They will reel off 16-18 in a row and folks will look back and not even remember that they lost four games. They will probably end up losing a total of six games for the year. They will be okay.

 

[sivad40]

Louisville should be fine in the ACC because their schedule is favorable. Notre Dame is only team they have play twice from teams that are projected to finish in the top half of the ACC. They have home and away games against BC, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse and they have home games against Miami, NC State, and UNC.

 

[triaddukefan]

They will be fine. They have lost four games. They will reel off 16-18 in a row and folks will look back and not even remember that they lost four games. They will probably end up losing a total of six games for the year. They will be okay.

They will be okay due to the pod they are in. They aint winning 16-18 in a row however. Asia Durr and Emily Engstler ain't walking though that door.

I just took a look at their schedule.

 

[triaddukefan]

16 games in January and February

 

[KY Card Fan]

Louisville should be fine in the ACC because their schedule is favorable. Notre Dame is only team they have play twice from teams that are projected to finish in the top half of the ACC. They have home and away games against BC, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse and they have home games against Miami, NC State, and UNC.

As a Louisville fan, I hope that you and JellyBean are correct. Both of you are a little more optimistic than I am. I trust Walz, and expect improvement, but his good teams have generally been really good defensively and this team so far is not. And they need to find reliable second and third scorers behind Hailey Van Lith. Cochran usually fills one of those roles but she is an undersized 5. So far Dixon and Williams haven't shown me that they are up to the task of eating up major minutes against top competition.

Walz struck gold last season in the transfer portal. Jury is still out on that this season. My guess is that the addition of Morgan Jones had a lot to do with Verhulst's departure. Most of us fans had Verhulst penciled in as a starter. She was one of the few three-point shooters on the roster. Walz is giving Merissah Russell minutes and she should be above-average from deep although she was 1-8 from 3 against MTSU.

This team's ultimate success may rest on freshmen - Nyla Harris and Zyanna Walker. Walker was targeted for a redshirt but Walz called on her in the second half against MTSU. They didn't have a game jersey for her so she wore a "blood" jersey without a name - ironically it was 21 which was Engstler's number last season.