Well, you have all women's basketball team
off to another impressive season here,
and they're currently five and two
in conference play so far this year.
And today to discuss a little bit more about
what the team has coming up this season,
including a big week ahead
and how you can support them.
Coach Jeff Walls here in the studio,
first time since what?
Before COVID? Before COVID.
My goodness. Way, way too long.
Way too long, right?
It is great to have you back.
It's always great because I think your level
of support for all of you of L athletics,
it goes without saying, right.
You are the the head cheerleader.
So we thought let's get you on because
I feel like this is the time to really
kind of get behind these ladies.
You had, you know,
great comeback win against Florida State.
Yes. Now I appreciate it.
You know, I've been fortunate to
to be here for us for 16 years now.
It's really hard to believe and
we've been able to put a product
out on the floor year in and year
out that's been very competitive.
This year, you know,
it's been a little slower than
than some of the past, but I think
you come off the season
like you had last year.
I feel like, you know, expectations
are really high and you probably as
a coach with these young athletes,
I kind of have to temper that, right?
Like it's great, like you said,
to have expectations,
but you don't always come
out winning like right away.
Well, now with the transfer portal,
you know when you're adding new
players each year, some new starters,
some key reserves and you're really
trying to put a piece of the puzzle.
Together, sometimes it
takes a little bit longer.
Yeah, we're last year, you know,
it just gelled from the beginning
real quick with our new ones,
but now we're starting to play a lot better.
I think they're getting more.
More more comfortable with each
other and it's been fun to watch.
Now that's Emily from left from from last
year's team that really gelled well.
But we we had a great win at Florida State
and what are you giving to them
before the fourth quarter, right.
What are you saying?
That's usually ask people what they
say at halftime but forget about that.
What are you saying?
I think it was just it came down to
a little bit of urgency that that we
realized we had to get a road when
we had to get a good win in Florida.
In Florida State's always been a
difficult place for us to play.
So very
can't say enough about Haley
and her performance right.
But you've got like so many that
that are stepping up at this time
that you really can't single out
one because you've just got a great
team of young ladies that who are
you seeing now that you're like yes
that's what I want to see from you.
I was really pleased with with
Morgan Jones she played great
on Sunday at Florida State.
Especially that's where she had
transferred from. So you know,
a game where you're going into a
place where you played for four years.
You've got some friendships,
and she performed extremely well.
Olivia Cochran played well.
Mikasa played well.
Again, it's we're, we're starting,
we're starting to come into
finding your groove at the right
time with these two home games
coming up this week, how you feel
important games.
Boston College has been playing very well.
We have them on Thursday night at 7.
It's a team that went to
NC State and won NC State.
They also beat Florida State last week,
so we know it's going to be
a very good basketball game.
And then on Sunday it's a one o'clock
game on ABC against NC States.
We're hoping both games to have great crowds.
When you have kind of that network coverage,
does it elevate kind of the
nerves performance in a good way?
Do you sense like something
a little bit different?
I know the team, yeah,
but is that that television performance?
You know, two, does that kind of
come into play that you sense.
I think so. We're we're fortunate
now that so many of our games yeah
are on TV with ACC are our network,
their, their national games.
But being an ABC game on Sunday right
here is definitely going to be one where
more eyeballs are going to be honest.
And I think it's exciting for the
players and of course their families.
You have such a loyal fan base.
And I have to say, I mean you know,
and this is the time to
kind of get out and support.
I mean they are there with you,
thick and thin, whether you're
winning when you're losing.
Nothing. It's just like let's show
up and let's support the women.
Yeah we are very blessed.
It's it's quite amazing.
Especially when you go on the
road and you see the lack of
support that some programs get.
You know, if they're getting 1000 or
2000 it's it's a great crowd and for
us even on a slow night it's 7000.
So we we just appreciate
everyone here in Louisville.
The ones that drive in to to to
come out and support these ladies.
So right before the season kicked
off you decided to have a little fun.
And the practice facility, right.
So we gotta are we gonna embarrass
you by showing this video?
You sent it out on Twitter, right?
You installed the slide.
Is this from your office down to the
this slide comes from our it's our main room.
So you know our players come upstairs to
meet with us and talk with us instead of
having to walking down the steps each time.
I was trying to come up with a little
something just some fun for him and
at the same time, it does encourage
them to come up to the office more.
You know so which is part of it, yeah.
We're trying to build relationships
with them as much as we can off
the basketball court. Absolutely.
You want to kind of encourages that
and for them to see you slide down it too.
You're like come on, not that hard.
It's fun. I'm gonna do it.
I'm gonna have some
humility here and do this.
We need one in here. You know what?
Then everybody could go right down,
right down again thank you.
I know the busy schedule right
now and there's a lot going on and
we appreciate you always taking
time and and sorry we haven't had.
Nonsense. Like COVID,
we're back open and and we got to
have you on more appropriately and
and meet some of the athletes as
well once the season kind of wraps up
because we you do a great job too.
And I know you have a great group
but they're student athletes,
they're they're working hard
at their academics.
They're balancing that and
they're balancing kind of their
community involvement too.
And it's always good to kind of see
them out in the community doing things.
They're they're a great group
that work extremely hard in the
classroom and on the court.
Much about your next chance to catch
the cards in action here at home
is Thursday night as they take on
Boston College at the KFC Yum Center
at 7:00 O'clock then that other
game coming up on Sunday as well.
Tickets still available.
Get out there and support them as well.