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New Story Elite 8: Iowa WBB vs Louisville (PREVIEW + GAME THREAD + RECAP)

RossWB

HR Heisman
Staff
Feb 1, 2006
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via @BraydonRoberts5

WHO: #5 seed Louisville Cardinals (26-11 overall, 12-6 in ACC)
WHEN: Sunday, March 26 at 8 PM CT
WHERE: Climate Pledge Arena (Seattle, Washington)
TV: ESPN
RADIO: Hawkeye Radio Network | Sirius/XM 109 or 196
ONLINE: www.espn.com/watch
MOBILE: www.espn.com/app
SPREAD: Iowa -5.5
This will be the toughest game of Iowa’s NCAA Tournament run. That’s not a particularly profound statement; any Elite Eight opponent has to beat three different NCAA Tournament teams to get there.
But this game won’t just be difficult because of Louisville’s talent. Coach Jeff Walz is one of the best coaches in the game, and he has turned Louisville into one of the best programs in women’s college basketball.

Coach Walz and Louisville’s Success​

Louisville has made five consecutive Elite Eights. It would probably be six if the 2020 NCAA Tournament hadn’t been cancelled due to Covid. In Coach Walz’s 16 seasons at Louisville, he has made the Sweet Sixteen 12 times, the Elite Eight 8 times, the Final Four 4 times, and has been the National runner-up twice.

That is a remarkable run of success, and shows that Walz isn’t just a great recruiter; he is great at preparing his teams to beat elite opponents and adapting within a game to influence the outcome. And it shows that he has faced—and often defeated—the very best players and coaches that women’s basketball has to offer.

Many of the players on this year’s Louisville team played in the Final Four last year. They have experience in big games that this Iowa team otherwise doesn’t. The question will be what advantage that gives Louisville, if any.

Louisville’s Best Players​

5’7" Guard Hailey Van Lith -- 19.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.2 apg, 3.6 tpg, 46.5% 2FG, 29.1% 3FG.
Van Lith is to Louisville’s offense what Caitlin Clark is to Iowa’s. She has the ball in her hands much of the time, and she averages nearly 17 shots per game — far more than anyone else on Louisville’s team. She doesn’t necessarily shoot from the logo, but she can pull up for a shot from anywhere at the three-point line and in. That said, Van Lith’s favorite shot by far is a mid-range jumper. She is far from the Cardinals' best three-point shooter, and she doesn’t always try to get to the basket either. I expect Gabbie Marshall will guard Van Lith most of the night. If she can force Van Lith into a tough shooting night, Iowa has a great chance to win.

5’5" Guard Chrislyn Carr -- 11.0 ppg, 39.9% 2FG, 42.3% 3FG.
Carr—from Davenport, Iowa—is a rare player that shoots better from 3 than she does from 2. Given how well Colorado’s three-point specialist—Frida Formann—shot against Iowa in the Sweet 16, Iowa will need to pay close attention to Carr so that she doesn’t have a similar impact.

6’3" Center Olivia Cochran -- 8.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 50.2% 2FG.
Cochran is the team’s best post. She shoots decently well from 2, but is far from the most talented post that Iowa has played all season. She also averages nearly 3 fouls per a game on an average of 24 minutes per game, so foul trouble could be an issue for her.

5’7" Guard Mykasa Robinson -- 6.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.2 apg, 1.9 spg, 46.7% 2FG.
Robinson is the team’s best perimeter defender. She will likely guard Caitlin Clark for a good portion of the game. She also leads the team in assists per game and is second on the team in rebounds per game.

MORE HERE: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/preview-2-seed-iowa-wbb-vs-5-seed-louisville
 
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