Louisville
Projected finish: 2nd
Last year’s record: 29-8, 12-4 ACC
Key Returners (last season’s stats)
F-Myisha Hines-Allen, 6’2, (Montclair, NJ), SR- 13.9 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 26.2 MPG; shooting .493 (214-434) from the floor.
G- Asia Durr, 5’10, (Douglasville, GA), JR- 19.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 30.7 MPG; WBCA All-American Honorable Mention.
G-Arica Carter, 5’8, (Los Angeles, CA), R-JR- returning from redshirt due to groin; (’15-’16 season) 4.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.6 APG, 41.0 percent 3-point shooting (16-of-39).
F- Sam Fuehring, 6’3, (Wanaque, NJ), JR- 3.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 11.3 MPG.
Biggest losses (last season’s stats)
F- Mariya Moore, 6’0, (Hercules, CA)- transferred to USC; 12.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 31.9 MPG
F-Cortnee Walton, 6’3, (Surprise, AZ)- 2.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 21.1 MPG
Newcomers
G- Dana Evans, 5’6, (Gary, IN), FR- five-star espnW HoopGurlz ninth ranked recruit, ranked third by ProspectsNation and seventh by All-Star Girls Report.
G- Lindsey Duvall, 5’9, (Mount Washington, KY), FR- five-star espnW HoopGurlz 24th ranked recruit 24.
C-Loretta Kakala, 6’2, (Manteca, CA), FR- five-star espnW HoopGurlz 25th ranked recruit.
Head Coach
Jeff Walz, 11th season
“We’re looking now at a season where we’re going to have a deeper backcourt,” Walz said at Media Day. “We’re excited about that and a lot of our players have worked really hard on the off season so they’ve gotten better as individuals which should lead to us being a better team.”
Key non-conference games
Nov. 12-@ Ohio Sate
Dec. 17- @ Kentucky
Feb. 12- @ Connecticut
Outlook
Louisville brings in the fourth-ranked recruiting class and Coach Walz has plans for them to quickly assimilate to the Louisville program.
Walz spoke about incoming freshman Dana Evans, mentioning that she has “quickness and strength like none other,” “changes the tempo of game,” and “causes defensive problems,” with a notable “ability to score.”
Junior Asia Durr, meanwhile, is on the national radar. A standout sophomore year, averaging just over 19 PPG and 30 MPG, she sets the bar for her teammates. Junior Arica Carter will also return with a newfound three-point shot. Junior Sam Fuehring has worked in the offseason and Walz expects more from her as a result.
Best case scenario:
New, raw talent, and up-tempo play creates matchup problems for opponents. Louisville has multiple shooting options and stretches defenses with their range. They finish at the top of the ACC and end Notre Dame’s reign.
Worst case scenario:
Louisville struggles with tempo fluctuations and use the year to build an identity. They aren’t quite prepared to beat a Notre Dame.