NCAAW: Tennessee Lady Vols seek first ranked win against Louisville

The stage is set for the second-annual Women’s Champions Classic, a nationally-televised college basketball double-header hosted at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. The No. 16 Louisville Cardinals (11-3) and the No. 17 Tennessee Lady Volunteers (7-2) will get things started this Saturday, Dec. 20 at 11:00 a.m. on FOX.

Both Louisville and Tennessee enter Saturday’s game off to strong starts, as suggested by their respective rankings in the AP Top 25 poll. The Cardinals, in particular, have endured a grueling non-conference schedule; they’ve already played four ranked opponents this season, and they’ve lost to three of them (UConn, South Carolina and Kentucky).

Despite this, Louisville grades as one of the strongest teams in the ACC. The Cardinals take a balanced approach in scoring the basketball, with six of their players averaging at least seven points per game, and it’s worked well for them so far. Louisville ranks No. 21 in Division I in offensive efficiency, scoring 112.2 points per 100 possessions (Her Hoop Stats), and its bench has been one of the most productive in the nation, averaging 35.5 points per contest.

Tennessee has had similar early-season success, though the Lady Vols’ approach is considerably different than Louisville’s. In their second season under head coach Kim Caldwell, they continue to play at a fast pace fueled by aggressive team defense (13.6 steals per game), and they take 3-pointers at one of the highest rates in the country (42.9 percent). The Lady Vols also do a better job than most of cleaning up their own misses, averaging 17.6 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks No. 7 in Division I.

As exciting as this brand of controlled chaos can be, Tennessee is still lacking a signature win. The Lady Vols have had little trouble with the mid-major opponents on their schedule, but are 0-2 against ranked teams (NC State and UCLA). In a way, it’s been the same story as Caldwell’s first season at the helm, when Tennessee had an impressive overall record but often struggled against SEC teams that could match their size and athleticism.

Saturday’s matinee is a good opportunity for the Lady Vols to earn that resume-building win they’ve been seeking. The Cardinals aren’t a powerhouse, but they’re plenty good enough to be seen as a measuring stick when the NCAA Tournament selection committee decides who participates in March Madness.

That’s still months away, of course—conference play hasn’t even started yet—but there’s no better time than now for the Lady Vols. They’ll have the physical advantage over Louisville, with Janiah Barker and Zee Spearman both standing at 6-foot-4 in the frontcourt and the 6-foot-0 Talaysia Cooper wreaking havoc in Tennessee’s fullcourt press.

Louisville seems well-equipped to handle that defense, however. As part of the Cardinals’ well-balanced approach, no one player dominates the basketball; four Louisville players are averaging between two and three assists per game, and as a team, the Cardinals have been excellent at taking care of the ball, ranking No. 12 in Division I in turnover rate (13.6 percent). Saint Joseph’s transfer Laura Ziegler stands out as someone who has helped diversify Louisville’s offense, averaging 2.6 assists per game at forward while also knocking down 42 percent of her 3-point attempts.

Can the Lady Vols frustrate Louisville and speed up the game enough to take advantage of their physical gifts, or will the Cardinals keep calm against the pressure? Judging by both the AP poll and the statistics, we should be in for a competitive game when things tip-off on Saturday.