Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Ole Miss Rebels
The Cardinals and Rebels are squaring off for a Sweet Sixteen matchup.
No. 5 Louisville Cardinals (25-11, 12-6 ACC) vs. No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels (25-8, 11-5 SEC)
- Tipoff: Friday, March 24 at 10:00 p.m. EST
- Location: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Wash.
- How To Watch: ESPN
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: Louisville: -2.5
- All-Time Series: First Meeting
- Last Meeting: N/A
Projected Starting Lineups
Louisville
- G Chrislyn Carr (5-5, Gr.)
- G Hailey Van Lith (5-7, Jr.)
- G Mykasa Robinson (5-7, Gr.)
- F Nyla Harris (6-2, Fr.)
- F Olivia Cochran (6-3, Fr.)
Ole Miss
- G Myah Taylor (5-7, Gr.)
- G Marquesha Davis (6-0, Sr.)
- G Angel Baker (5-8, Sr.)
- F Tyia Singleton (6-2, Sr.)
- F Madison Scott (6-1, Jr.)
Comparison
| Louisville | Ole Miss | |
|---|---|---|
Points Per Game | 46th (73.1) | 103rd (68.8) |
Opp. Points Per Game | 151st (63.4) | 20th (56.3) |
Scoring Margin | 46th (9.7) | 23rd (12.6) |
FG Percentage | 27th (45.0) | 127th (41.8) |
Opp. FG Percentage | 166th (40.0) | 9th (35.2) |
3PT Percentage | 58th (34.2) | 225th (29.7) |
Opp. 3PT Percentage | 289th (33.2) | 3rd (24.8) |
FT Percentage | 60th (75.0) | 280th (67.3) |
Rebounds Per Game | 105th (37.89) | 17th (42.03) |
Rebound Margin | 58th (4.8) | 20th (7.8) |
Assists Per Game | 60th (15.0) | 199th (12.5) |
Turnovers Per Game | 128th (15.0) | 98th (14.5) |
Turnover Margin | 76th (2.33) | 90th (2.06) |
Assist/Turnover Ratio | 86th (1.00) | 142nd (0.87) |
Steals Per Game | 108th (8.4) | 201st (7.4) |
Blocks Per Game | 89th (3.6) | 11th (5.2) |
Game Notes
Louisville
- The Louisville defense was on full display in the 73-51 road win over No. 4 seed Texas in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. The Cardinals led from the jump and the game was only tied once the entire night. The 22-point loss was the largest home loss for the Longhorns since November 19, 2019 against Arizona (58-83). It was also the first loss of the season for the Longhorns in a game decided by 10 points or more. Heading into the game, Texas was 22-0 this season in games decided by 10 points or more. Louisville improved to 9-6 under head coach Jeff Walz when they are the lower seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Cardinals are 12-0 this season when holding opponents to 59 points or less.
- The Cardinals inserted some new starters ahead of the Jan. 29 matchup against Syracuse and they are 10-3 since that game. Hailey Van Lith has led the team with 18.7 points per game and has averaged 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 steals in the last 13 games. Van Lith has scored 15 or more points in 12 of her last 13 games. Chrislyn Carr is second on the team with 11.7 points per game over the previous 13 games. She scored the second-most points by a Cardinal player in the ACC Tournament in school history with 27 against No. 3 seed Virginia Tech. Mykasa Robinson has led the team in a several categories since she has been in the starting lineup. She is first on the squad with 6.2 assists, 6.9 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game while she has scored 8.1 points per game. Nyla Harris has also done well in the starting five as she has set career-highs in points against Syracuse (18) and rebounds against North Carolina (12). Liz Dixon has tallied two doubles-doubles off of the bench in the wins over Boston College and Miami. Dixon led the Cards with a team-best 10 rebounds in the win over No. 4 seed Texas. Merissah Russell scored a career-high 13 points in the win over Boston College and had 12 points at home against #10 Notre Dame.
- At 25-11 this season, Louisville is a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in program history. The other time Louisville was the No. 5 seed was the 2013 tournament when the Cardinals knocked off No. 1 seed Baylor in the Sweet Sixteen and No. 2 seed Tennessee in the Elite Eight en route to the program’s second Final Four at the time. The Cardinals advanced to the championship game after defeating No. 2 California in the national semifinals.
- Louisville is making its 25th NCAA Tournament appearance and 14th in 15 tournaments under head coach Jeff Walz. The Cardinals are playing in their 12th-straight NCAA Tournament and they are 43-24 all-time. They were 4-11 in their first 11 appearances and are 39-13 in their 14 appearances with Walz. The 43 NCAA Tournament wins rank 14th alltime in NCAA history. They have moved on to the Sweet 16 12 times, the Elite Eight seven times, Final Four four times (2009, 2013, 2018, 2022) and twice advanced to the title game.
- Louisville is heading back to the Sweet 16 for the sixth-straight season and the 12th time in program history. The Cardinals are just one of three schools (UConn, South Carolina) to have an active Sweet 16 streak of six tournaments or longer. The Cardinals have been to 10 Sweet 16’s since the 2011 season, tied for fourth-most in the country during that span.
- With the win over No. 4 seed Texas in the second round, Louisville improved to 26-2 in the first and second rounds under head coach Jeff Walz. Prior to Walz’s arrival, Louisville was 4-11 in the first and second round in program history.
- Mykasa Robinson has played a team-high 15 NCAA Tournament games and is the only player entering her fourth NCAA Tournament at Louisville. This is the fourth overall NCAA Tournament for Morgan Jones, as she made the tournament three times while at Florida State. For Josie Williams, this is her second appearance in the NCAA Tournament after appearing with Utah Valley in 2021. Hailey Van Lith, Olivia Cochran and Norika Konno have all played in 11 career NCAA Tournament games.
- Louisville guard Hailey Van Lith is having one of the best seasons by a player in the Power Five conferences this season. She is one of two players (Caitlin Clark) to average at least 19 points, four rebounds and three assists per game this season. Last week, Van Lith was named an Honorable Mention All-American by the AP and USBWA, a Second Team Academic All-American by the College Sports Communicators and a Region Finalist by the WBCA.
- With the win over No. 4 seed Texas in the second round, the Cardinals clinched their 11th-consecutive 25-win season and 13th overall under Walz. Prior to Walz, the Cardinals only had two seasons with 25 or more wins in a 32-year span.
- For the first time since the 2015 NCAA Tournament, the Cardinals were on road for the first and second rounds. The Cardinals have had a lot of success away from home in the first two rounds under head coach Jeff Walz. Louisville is 14-2 under Walz on the road in the first two rounds of the tournament.
Ole Miss
- Pulling off one of the best upsets in the last decade by toppling No. 1 Stanford in California, 54-49, Ole Miss stays west for its 11th Sweet 16 appearance in program history and its first since 2007.
- For the first time in program history Ole Miss reached back-to-back 10-win seasons in SEC play and its third season with double-digit victories in conference play. 11 wins tied the most in a single-season set by the 1991-92 team at 11-0.
- WE DEFEND is evident in the Ole Miss defense as it is ranked 20th in the nation in scoring defense, forcing its opponents to an average of 56.3 points. Ole Miss is 22-0 when holding its opponent to 60 points or under.
- Ole Miss is 3rd in the nation in three point percentage defense, keeping its opponents at bay from the perimeter allowing a 24.8% clip. The Rebels have held 28 of 33 opponents to five three’s or less.
- The Rebels reached the historic 20-win mark against Kentucky for the first back-to-back 20 win seasons for the program since the 1993-94 & 1994-95 seasons and the fifth of head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin’s career.
- With its 19th overall NCAA Tournament appearance, Ole Miss reaches the big dance in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2004 & 2005.
- The Rebels have made it through the first weekend in over half of their appearances, now reaching 11 Sweet Sixteens and then have moved on to five Elite Eights.
- After roaring past ninth seeded Gonzaga in the first round, 71-48, Ole Miss met a one seed for the seventh time in the tournament and led Stanford from start to finish to emerge victorious, 54-49, for its first Sweet 16 berth since 2007. The Rebels now sit at 20-18 in NCAA Tournament games.
- It was the first time a No. 1 seed had failed to reach the Sweet 16 as well as the Cardinal’s first loss before the round of 16 since 2007.
- The No. 8 Rebels become the fifth eighth seed to reach the reach the regional semifinal, with one seed at the rank reaching the regional final, with 1993 Missouri State reaching the Final Four.
- Heading into its 11th Sweet 16 appearance, Ole Miss sits at an even 5-5 in the round and has advanced to a total of five Elite 8’s in program history.
- When Ole Miss last reached the Sweet 16 in 2007, the Rebels defeated Oklahoma, 90-82 to advance to their fifth Elite 8. Among its SEC counterparts, Ole Miss ranks sixth with a total of 11 Sweet 16’s in program history.
- To open the NCAA Tournament, the Ole Miss defense has continued to play at the high-level McPhee-McCuin upholds it to, keeping both Gonzaga and Stanford to under 50 points each. For the third time this season, Ole Miss held opponents under the mark in back-to-back games. In total, the Rebels have kept eight total opponents to under 50-points in scoring. The Rebels are just one of two teams in the NCAA Tournament this season to hold both opponents in the first and second rounds to under 50 points in scoring.
- The Ole Miss defense cleans up off the boards like few others, grabbing 50 rebounds in a single game for the fourth time this season in the first round game against Gonzaga. The 51 boards against the Zags were the most for Ole Miss in an NCAA Tournament game in program history.
- Tyia Singleton’s got range and the senior proved in the SEC Tournament Semifinals, hitting a career-high three shots from beyond the arc. Going into the contest against the Gamecocks, Singleton had only hit a three total three’s in her career.
- No one was getting in Tyia Singleton’s way in Tuscaloosa against Alabama, with the senior swatting a career-high seven rejections. All together, Ole Miss rejected a season-high nine shots. The seven rejections from Singleton rank third in program history in single-game blocks.
- There’s no doubt that Madison Scott has elevated her game in her junior campaign, piecing together 11 double-doubles this season for the most in her career to date. With her 10th double-double of the season against Mizzou, Scott reached the marker of 20 in her career. The 20 double-doubles rank 10th in program history as Scott looks to move up the record books.
- Making an impact on all facets of the court, Angel Baker is getting it done on both sides of the ball. The reigning SEC Sixth-Woman of the year has notched six 5/5/5 games in points, rebounds and assists to stuff the stat sheet. The senior has also snagged 46 steals this season.
(Photo of Jeff Walz: Sam Upshaw Jr. - Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)
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