No. 14 Vermont women’s basketball officially drew No. 3 Louisville in the women’s NCAA Tournament. Everything will have to go right for Alisa Kresge’s team if the Catamounts want to upset the Cardinals especially since Vermont primarily uses a six-player rotation.
Vermont will try to win its second March Madness game on Saturday, March 21 when it faces Louisville on the road. The Cardinals have a 14-5 record at KFC Yum! Center this season.
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For Emma Haan and Jacklynn Hosier, the trip to Louisville will be a homecoming for both. Haan and Hosier each grew up in Indiana and in towns about two hours away from Louisville.
“A lot of people I love are going to be able to come watch and support us,” Haan said. “It’s not one of the schools I visited before so I’m excited to get out there.”
Haan has transitioned into the starting lineup ever since Catherine Gilwee went down with an injury in December and is averaging 5.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
Outlook on the Vermont vs Louisville lineups
Ever since Gilwee’s injury, the Catamounts have been primarily relying on a six-player rotation. Starters Nikola Priede, Keira Hanson, Jadyn Weltz and Malia Lenz are all averaging over 31 minutes per game. The Catamounts particularly rely on Priede, Hanson and Weltz for offense. The trio each average over 11 points per game.
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It’s a different style for Louisville, which has some more balance with all seven of its key players averaging at least 8.3 points per game. Three Cardinals (Tajianna Roberts, Imari Berry, Laura Ziegler) average just over 11 points per game with Berry coming off the bench.
The Cardinals posted the highest scoring offense in the ACC averaging 79.9 points per game and have the height advantage with four players in their rotation over 6 feet. For Vermont, only Priede stands over 6 foot.
While Louisville has been one of the top women’s basketball programs under coach Jeff Walz, the Cardinals haven’t hosted the first two rounds since the 2021-22 season.
“He always has his players playing really hard, they are extremely talented, you name it,” Kresge said. “He does it the right way and they are used to what March brings. We know they are going to be a tough team and well prepared.”
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What does Vermont need to do to pull off an improbable upset?
Vermont odds to pull off an upset may have increased after the committee awarded the Catamounts a 14-seed. Many of the projections entering the reveal had Vermont slotted as No. 13 seed so the Catamounts may be slightly under-seeded.
“We are such a special group and we are so connected off the court as well so we are excited to really feed off of that energy that’s not just on the court, but off the court,” Hanson said.
The Catamounts would need to avoid foul trouble which may be hard against a stronger and more athletic team. They will need all five starters to score points especially without bench production. Only four Catamounts scored in the America East championship game.
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Vermont’s nationally fourth-ranked defense (allowing 51.6 points per game) will also need to show up in slowing down the ACC’s top offense.
The Catamounts will need to quickly pivot if Louisville successfully shuts down Priede in the paint or Vermont’s 3-point shooting. If the Cardinals limit both, the Catamounts could be in trouble.
Contact Judith Altneu at JAltneu@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Keys to No. 14 Vermont women’s basketball upsetting No. 3 Louisville
