LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — If you’ve read this far, I’ll assume you are a basketball fan. In fact, I’ll take it up a notch and assume you will watch the best basketball of the season.
On Thursday at 6 p.m., the best basketball game on the calendar, for either the University of Louisville men’s or women’s team will be played at the KFC Yum! Center:
Louisville will play host to Notre Dame, its primary rival in women’s hoops back to the Big East Conference days.
“Everybody knows the great games we’ve had (with Notre Dame) the last 10 years,” U of L coach Jeff Walz said. “It makes it exciting.
“They have a great team. Niele (Ivey, the Notre Dame coach) does a fantastic job. It’s fun. It’s fun to compete against the best. I think that’s why these kids come here, they want to play against the best.”
The Atlantic Coast Conference standings say that Louisville has an edge. The Cards are 8-2, tied with North Carolina State, behind first place Virginia Tech. At 7-3, Notre Dame sits in fifth place.
The human polls favor Notre Dame. The Irish are No. 12 in the AP media poll and 14th in the coaches’ poll. The Cards at 15th in those votes.
The Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) computer formula says advantage Louisville. The Cards are No. 16, 14 spots ahead of Notre Dame.
The NCAA Net formula disagrees. Notre Dame is No. 8 in the NET while Louisville is 21st.
The Cards and Irish will settle it on the court — here Thursday night and on Sunday March 3 in South Bend, Indiana.
ESPN says it is the Game of the Night in college hoops. The network will dispatch its Final Four announcing crew of Ryan Ruocco (play by play); Rebecca Lobo (analyst) and Holly Rowe (sidelines) to call the game on the primary ESPN platform.
Walz said he expects a crowd of 10,000-12,000. Louisville will wear custom uniforms and sneakers designed by former U of L and WNBA star Angel McCoughtry.
The Cardinals (19-4) have a team that Walz swiftly rebuilt after last season by working effectively in the transfer portal.
Walz said that he had in-home visits with at least four players on Notre Dame’s roster without success.
“They’ve got fantastic players and they’re very well coached,” Walz said. “They play hard and when you scout them you know you have to prepare for everyone. It’s not a team where you can say, 'Don’t guard this kid.'"
The list of U of L home recruiting visits does not include Notre Dame’s best player — freshman guard Hannah Hidalgo.
Hidalgo averages 24.8 points per game while making nearly 40% of her three-point shots. She has scored 30 or more four times while being limited to less than 20 twice.
No wonder Hidalgo has been named ACC Freshman of the Week not once, not twice, not three times, but 10 times.
Walz and the Cardinals wanted to recruit Hidalgo out of Paul VI High School in Haddonfield, N.J. but the Cards did not make the cut for a home visit.
“She has a motor that does not stop,” Walz said. “That’s one of the things that’s so impressive about her — she plays with passion.
“She’s never standing still. It doesn’t matter if she’s off the ball or on the ball. She’s always looking for opportunities to come up with a steal. She has great court awareness and great court sense …
“… She’s relentless. She does not stop and as soon as you stop, she goes by … so hat’s off to her because she’s having an incredible season.”
Louisville does not have a Hannah Hidalgo or an Asia Durr or Dana Evans or McCoughtry. The Cards’ top scorer is Kiki Jefferson at 13.4 per game. She scored 27 points against Boston College. No other Cards has scored more than 21 this season.
Louisville succeeds with balance. Five Cards average at least 9 points per game. That will be the path to beating Notre Dame and Hildago. Balance, defense, grit and perhaps energy from the crowd.
“I’m hoping we get a loud crowd in there,” Walz said. “And not just for us, if you appreciate good basketball.
“I mean everybody talks about the opportunity to come out and watch good basketball, we can’t put any better out there for you.”
Copyright 2024 WDRB Media. All rights reserved.
