AP

Louisville, Lady Vols to battle for a spot in Elite Eight

Mar 25, 2022, 2:32 AM | Updated: 2:34 pm

Louisville guard Mykasa Robinson (5) shoots over Gonzaga forward Melody Kempton (33) during the sec...

Louisville guard Mykasa Robinson (5) shoots over Gonzaga forward Melody Kempton (33) during the second half of a women's NCAA tournament college basketball second-round game in Louisville, Ky., Sunday, March 20, 2022. Louisville won 68-59. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

(AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)


              South Dakota center Hannah Sjerven (34) yells and looks to teammates in front of Baylor guard Sarah Andrews (24) during the first half of a college basketball game in the second round of the NCAA tournament in Waco, Texas, Sunday, March 20, 2022. South Dakota 63-57. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
            
              Michigan guard Danielle Rauch (23) makes a layup as Villanova guard Anahi-Lee Cauley (5) defends during the first half of a college basketball game in the second round of the NCAA tournament, Monday, March 21, 2022, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
            
              Tennessee's Rae Burrell, center, puts up a shot between Belmont's Nikki Baird (23) and Tessa Miller (22) in the second half of a women's college basketball game in the second round of the NCAA tournament Monday, March 21, 2022, in Knoxville, Tenn. Tennessee won 70-67. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
            
              Louisville guard Mykasa Robinson (5) shoots over Gonzaga forward Melody Kempton (33) during the second half of a women's NCAA tournament college basketball second-round game in Louisville, Ky., Sunday, March 20, 2022. Louisville won 68-59. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The women’s basketball program that Jeff Walz has built at Louisville over the past 15 years resembles in so many ways the juggernaut Pat Summitt built at Tennessee, with one important exception: winning a national championship.

The Lady Vols piled up eight of them. The Cardinals are 0 for 2 in title games.

The programs are set to meet in Saturday night’s NCAA Tournament regional semifinals, where a resurgent bunch of Lady Vols led by Kellie Harper — one of Summitt’s brightest stars — will be trying to return to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2016 and a plucky bunch of Cardinals will be trying to make it there for the fourth consecutive tournament.

“Expectations are good. I’ve learned if there’s not expectations for your ballclub, you don’t normally have a job very long,” said Walz, who has led the Cardinals to the Final Four three times, with the last trip coming in 2018

“But we’re in a situation where I still think people wonder how we keep winning,” Walz continued. “How do we keep doing it? How do we keep getting ourselves to a point where we can get a 1-seed, or we’re competing in the Sweet 16 or the Elite Eight? Our players respond to that. They respond to the pressure.”

They haven’t been under too much pressure yet in the Wichita Region, where No. 3 seed Michigan faces No. 10 seed South Dakota in the other semifinal Saturday. The top-seeded Cardinals (27-4) blew out Albany before cruising past Creighton in the second round, setting up a date with the fourth-seeded Lady Vols at INTRUST Bank Arena.

“We’re playing a program that’s obviously got a ton of tradition,” Walz said.

For its part, Tennessee (25-8) is trying to return to its rightful place atop the women’s college basketball pecking order. The Lady Vols went to 18 Final Fours under Summitt (not including the old AIAW days), but have not been to a national semifinal since 2008 when they won her eighth and final national championship.

The program fell into a period of mediocrity under Holly Warlick, leading to her firing in March 2019 and Harper’s return to Knoxville. COVID-19 short-circuited the 2020 postseason and the Lady Vols didn’t make it past the second round last season, but Harper has them once again thinking about playing on the game’s biggest stage.

“It’s more of just embracing the opportunity that we have, making it to the Sweet 16,” Lady Vols star Tamari Key said. “I know we are really excited for this opportunity — every opportunity — we get to play another basketball game.”

UNDERDOG COYOTES

The Wolverines (24-6) breezed through American and No. 11 seed Villanova to reach the semifinals and a most unexpected opponent: South Dakota. The Coyotes (29-5) had never made it through the first round before knocking off Mississippi last week, then they did one better by dumping perennial powerhouse Baylor in the second round.

SPEAKING OF NEWCOMERS …

While the Coyotes may be the loveable underdogs, the Wolverines haven’t had a whole lot more NCAA Tournament success. They lost to Baylor in overtime in last year’s NCAA Tournament in their only other Sweet 16 trip.

“I think we’ve been the underdog. That started last year when we made our tournament run,” Michigan guard Leigha Brown said. I think that’s when we’re the most successful. I think we’re the best when we’re playing with a chip on our shoulder.”

STAR SEARCH

Louisville’s Hailey Van Lith has one of the sweetest shots in the nation in the tournament, scoring 41 points through the first two rounds. She could go head to head with Rae Burrell, who had 19 points for the Lady Vols in their win over Buffalo.

The Wolverines feature Naz Hillmon, the Big Ten player of the year, who is averaging a near-double-double with 21.3 points and 9.6 boards. South Dakota will counter with Summit League player of the year Chloe Lamb.

INJURY OUTLOOK

It remains a longshot that Tennessee will have leading scorer Jordan Horston available this week. She dislocated her left elbow in February and doctors said at the time it could take up to eight weeks for the injury to properly heal.

FAMILY BUSINESS

To say that Louisville guard Kianna Smith was destined to play basketball would be an understatement. Her grandfather, Fred Smith, starred at Hawaii before playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. Her father, John, played at UNLV and now coaches at Cal Poly. Her uncle, Steve, was an assistant for the Connecticut Sun and older brother Jamal played at Fullerton.

“When I was young I didn’t really like it. I brought coloring books to my dad’s practices,” she said Friday, “but as I got older and watched the game a lot more, I enjoyed the bond it created between me and my dad. I think it shaped me as a player.”

___

More AP coverage of March Madness: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

Louisville, Lady Vols to battle for a spot in Elite Eight