Louisville Cardinals
American (30-4, 16-2)
The Louisville women’s basketball team came into this season as the hunted instead of the underdog after a fantastic run to the 2013 Final Four by slaying the Goliath, Baylor and Brittney Griner. This season the Cardinals, led by National Player of the Year candidate Shoni Schimmel, have risen up to the challenge of being a national favorite and are in prime position to once again go to the Final Four.
Big Wins: 11/14 LSU (88-67), 11/17 at Oklahoma (97-92), 1/28 at Rutgers (80-71)
Bad Losses: 12/1 at Kentucky (64-69), 2/9 at Connecticut (64-81), 3/3 Connecticut (48-68)
Coach: Jeff Walz (7 seasons)
Why They Can Surprise:
Louisville’s veteran laden starting lineup immediately puts the Cardinals in the forefront of the conversation as a contender for a spot in the Final Four and a national championship. They can play at just about any type of pace to win a game which will help them greatly in the NCAA Tournament. The lessons learned last year from playing loose in the postseason should carry over for Louisville. Another key thing in their favor is having one of the four regional sites at the KFC Yum Center. The Cardinals have one of the best drawing home crowds in the country. Thus, to not have to travel in that round would be a huge advantage for them.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The best chance to beat Louisville is to get them out of rhythm offensively where their perimeter shooters just can’t sit back with open looks at the basket. If teams can put the Cardinals under duress consistently then you have an excellent chance to beat them in a one game scenario. Free throw shooting is another potential reason for disappointment as Louisville will not be able to get away with giving away points in tight NCAA Tournament games.
Probable Starters:
Bria Smith, Junior, Guard, 8.0 ppg, 2.5 apg
Shoni Shimmel, Senior, Guard, 17.0 ppg, 3.6 apg
Antonita Slaughter, Senior, Guard, 8.0 ppg, 1.0 apg
Sara Hammond, Junior, Forward, 10.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg
Asia Taylor, Redshirt Senior, Forward, 10.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Tia Gibbs, Senior, Guard, 8.0 ppg
Emmonnie Henderson, Freshman, Forward, 5.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg
Jude Schimmel, Junior, Guard, 5.2 ppg, 3.6 apg
Cortnee Walton, Sophomore, Forward, 2.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 80.1 (20th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 60.2 (46, 5)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.0 (14, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 37.2 (43, 4)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.3 (88, 2)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34,4 (58, 2)
Free-Throw Percentage: 66.3 (267, 7)
Rebound Margin: 7.6 (25, 3)
Assists Per Game: 16.9 (17, 2)
Turnovers Per Game: 15.9 (165, 4)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2013 NCAA Round of 64 win over Middle Tennessee
2013 NCAA Round of 32 win over Purdue
2013 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Baylor
2013 NCAA Regional Final win over Tennessee
2013 NCAA National Semifinal win over California
2013 NCAA National Final loss to Connecticut
2012 NCAA Round of 64 win over Michigan State
2012 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Maryland
2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over Vanderbilt
2011 NCAA Round of 32 win over Xavier
2011 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Gonzaga
2010 WBI First Round loss to Bradley
2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over Liberty
2009 NCAA Round of 32 win over LSU
2009 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Baylor
2009 NCAA Regional Final win over Maryland
2009 NCAA National Semifinal win over Oklahoma
2009 NCAA National Final loss to Connecticut
2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Miami of Ohio
2008 NCAA Round of 32 win over Kansas State
2008 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Kentucky
2007 NCAA Round o 64 win over Brigham Young
2007 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Arizona State
*all team stats through 3/6
See All Women’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
