After a holiday slumber, the Barbour Shop is back open. The hot topic in the shop today is UofL women’s basketball and I have to say that UofL women’s basketball is the best team at UofL right now. I repeat, UofL women’s basketball is the best team at UofL right now. That’s right, I just typed that. Not to mention that it’s hard to argue that Jeff Walz isn’t the best coach on campus right now because wait for it….he is!
The drubbing of 2nd ranked Notre Dame was the nation’s introduction to a very special team of young women. For some UofL fans, it may have been their introduction as well. It was exciting basketball. The player movement, the passing, the shooting, the incredible defense; it was a gorgeous display of the game of basketball.
Asia Durr may be the best basketball player, man or woman, on campus. She can do it all. Pass, drive, facilitate, and especially shoot. She was the number 1 player coming out of high school and by God she’s living up to that ranking. She just put 36 points on the number 2 team in the nation. She shot 8 of 10 from 3 which is just insane. She had 4 assists and 3 rebounds. Better get out and see her Card Nation for she has but one more year of eligibility.
Myisha Hines-Allen has been a stalwart as a post player. She’s a double-double machine, a finisher around the rim, she can stroke her jumpers, and she’s a great passer out of the post. She dropped 31 points and had 12 rebounds against the Irish. Myisha is right up there with Asia. It’s her last year so don’t miss out on her my friends.
There’s also Arica Carter who gets the offense flowing and can get in the lane and drive defenses crazy. Carter is a great facilitator as evidenced by the 6 assists she dished out against the Fighting Irish. She’s the floor general that makes sure Coach Walz’s sets are executed.
There’s Jazmine Jones who is an excellent defender and slasher with a great midrange game. She does a little bit of everything. Against Notre Dame, she had 10 points and 8 boards while also shutting down their best player Arike Ogunbowale. Ogunbowale averages around 20 points per game, but was held to just 5 by Jones.
Last, but certainly not least, there’s Sam Fuehring who is the enforcer on defense, a rebounder extraordinaire, a hustler, and a good finisher around the rim. Sam does all the little things. She was altering Notre Game’s shots in the paint all night.
That’s just the starting 5. The bench has players like sharpshooter Sydney Zambrotta, Kylee Shook who has a game very similar to Fuehring, and freshman PG sensation Dana Evans who is a speed demon. Dana may be a star in her own right once it’s all said and done.
Jeff Walz recruited this team and it’s amazing. It’s his symphony and he orchestrates it brilliantly. It’s actually fun to watch him coach. He’s so animated and he’s constantly teaching. You can see him tell a player when they were out-of-place on offense or missed their assignment on defense. UofL runs beautiful set plays on offense and you can actually see it develop.
My point is that this women’s team should be lauded and we fans should really get behind and cherish them. They are fun to watch and, as previously stated, they may have the best player and coach on campus. Their brand of basketball is team oriented and exciting. The passing is crisp, the fundamentals are sound, the shooting is excellent, and the defense is stifling.
Go out and catch a game before it’s too late. This team is a legitimate championship contender and it’s not often one can say that about any team.
Trust me, I think once this season has ended, you will want to be able to say you were at least at some of the games to witness greatness.
