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2018 ACC preview: Notre Dame, Louisville battle for top

By Arielle Chambers

COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 01: Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Muffet McGraw and her team pose for photos after winning the National Championship game between the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on April 1, 2018 at Nationwide Arena. Notre Dame won 61-58. (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 01: Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Muffet McGraw and her team pose for photos after winning the National Championship game between the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on April 1, 2018 at Nationwide Arena. Notre Dame won 61-58. (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Justin Tafoya/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
(Photo by Justin Tafoya/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) /

Louisville Cardinals

Projected finish: 2nd

Last year’s record: 36-3, 15-1 ACC; 2018 Lexington Region Champions

Key returners (last season’s stats):

G-Asia Durr, 5’8, (Douglasville, GA), SR-  18.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 31.3 MPG;  WBCA, USBWA, AP, USA Today First Team All-American; ACC Player of the Year; Lexington Regional Most Outstanding Player; 2018-19 Louisville Women’s Sports Network Women in Sports Honors Athlete of the Year.

F- Sam Fuehring, 6’3, (Wanaque, NJ), SR-  9.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 26.7 MPG; Lexington Region All-Tournament Team; ACC All-Tournament team.

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Biggest losses (last season’s stats):

F- Myisha Hines-Allen, 6’2, (Montclair, NJ) 2018 ACC Tournament MVP; All-ACC First Team; graduated and went on to play for the Washington Mystics; served as a nice inside presence for the Cardinals; often combining with Durr to create a dominate inside-outside game.

Newcomers:

G- Seygan Robins, 5’10, (Harrodsburg, KY), FR – Miss Kentucky Basketball, back-to-back state champion; left high school with 2500+ points, 800+ assists and 500+ steals.

G- Yacine Diop, 5’10, (Dakar, Senegal), GR – Grad-transfer from Pitt; led Pitt in scoring and rebounding (15.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG); 1093 career points at Pitt.

G- Mykasa Robinson, 5’7, (Ashland, KY), FR-  Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches Co-Player of the Year; set Ashland Blazer school record in steals; 17.4 PPG, 7.5 RPG senior season.

F- Molly Lockhart, 6’1, (Louisville, KY), FR- Courier Journal All-State First Team; state championship title as a sophomore; 12.4 PPG senior season.

Head Coach

Jeff Walz, 12th season

  • 2017-18 ACC Coach of the Year
  • Winningest coach in program history (299-96)
  • 10 out of 11 seasons as Head Coach, Walz has made it to the tournament (eight Sweet Sixteens, three Final Fours, two national title games)
(Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Key games:

Dec. 9– University of Kentucky: 2pm ET; Kentucky rivalry game

Jan. 10– @ Notre Dame: 7pm ET (ESPN)

Jan. 31–  Connecticut: 7pm ET (ESPN)

Outlook:

What is one to do in a post-Myisha Hines-Allen era? From opening the 2017-18 season on a historic 20-0 run, the Cards must now look to 2018 ACC Player of the Year Asia Durr and build around her. It won’t be hard because Louisville is returning four out of five of its starters.  Arica Carter, Sam Fuehring and Jazmine Jones join Durr in continuing Louisville’s excellence. Durr, Fuehring and Carter were all named to the Lexington Region All-Tournament team. Jones is no stranger to All-Tournament either, receiving recognition during the ACC Tournament.

After winning the 2018 ACC Conference Tournament and the Lexington Regional, the Cardinals advanced to the NCAA Final Four, before losing to Mississippi State in the 2018 NCAA national semifinals.

Louisville has the talent and the experience to go far in  (and remain at the top of)  an elite conference such as the ACC.  There will most likely be a battle for the number one spot between the Cardinals and the Fighting Irish. As for postseason play, history speaks for itself. Coach Walz has made 10 of the past 11 NCAA Tournaments during his tenure at Louisville. Expect another.

(Photo by Richard C. Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Richard C. Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Best case scenario:

Just like last year, Louisville will pull away with a better record than their counterparts and notch the regular season and conference championship. They will advance to the Final Four like they have three times before. They have the depth and seniority to win a national championship this year. And according to Durr, “that’s the goal.”

Worst case scenario:

Louisville will not be able to compensate for the loss of Myisha Hines-Allen.  Even then, they have the perimeter play and well-roundedness to drop no lower than third or fourth in the ACC.

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