Final Four keys to the game: Mississippi State vs. Louisville

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Mississippi State is right back in the Final Four after stunning UConn at the buzzer in their national semifinal game last season. They’ll face the Louisville Cardinals, who also earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament after a tremendous regular season for the program that was punctuated by two wins over conference foe Notre Dame.

Some keys to tonight’s game:

Vivians v. Hines-Allen

Victoria Vivians has arguably been the best player in this tournament. She’s a matchup nightmare playing as a stretch four. Her three-point shooting and ability to put the ball on the floor puts most opponents in an impossible situation.

Louisville’s situation is much different. Myisha Hines-Allen is very mobile and athletic at 6’2, and is capable of attacking Vivians on the other end to try to wear her down. Hines-Allen has been hitting from the midrange in the tournament. Vivians should be able to key in on those open jumpers Hines-Allen has been getting, knowing she has 6’7 Teaira McCowan behind her to protect the basket.

McCowan in space

You’ve probably heard about McCowan’s prowess on the glass. She’s averaging 5.9 offensive rebounds per game this season. Per HerHoopStats, her offensive rebounding rate of 22.1% is second best in the country. As a team, Louisville rebounds 72.7% of opponent misses, good for 19th in country. This makes for a very interesting clash of strengths.

McCowan works hard to get up and down the court to maximize that impact on the boards, but opponents can attack her lack of foot speed in space on defense.

“We’re going to have to do everything we can, it’s no secret,” Louisville head coach Jeff Walz said Thursday, “to try to get Teaira as far away from the basket as we can, make her score over us, but then you’ve got to turn and box her out.”

Will McCowan get Shook?

Hines-Allen and Sam Fuehring start at the two forward spots for the Cardinals. Hines-Allen, as mentioned, can face up from 17 feet out and knock down open jump shots. Fuehring has been a willing shooter at times as well when left open. Will McCowan cede those looks to Fuehring entirely? Or will Fuehring pull her away from the basket and even find opportunities to blow by her off the dribble?

Kylee Shook will also be a key figure in this game for Louisville off the bench. The 6’4 sophomore is shooting 38.2% (21-55) from three this season. She’ll command a bit more attention out there than Fuehring, who has only attempted 39 threes in her three seasons. (Shook is also a valuable defensive presence at the rim. She has blocked 10.2% of opponent two-point shot attempts this season, good for 27th in the country.)

KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 25: Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs guard Roshunda Johnson (11) brings the ball up court against UCLA Bruins forward Lajahna Drummer (11) in the fourth quarter of a quarterfinal game in the NCAA Division l Women's Championship between the UCLA Bruins and Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs on March 25, 2018 at Sprint Center in Kansas City, MO. Mississippi State won 89-73 to advance to the Final Four. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Keep ’em off the line

Mississippi State’s defense ranks among the elite in part because they do so without fouling. Their foul rate of 20.8% ranks in the top eight percent nationally. (Louisville is much closer to the middle of the pack at 24.8%).

None of the remaining teams can afford to dig too deep into their respective benches on this stage. Both teams will need their best players available to log 35+ minutes tonight.

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