Preview: No. 19 Ole Miss women’s basketball hosts No. 22 Louisville Wednesday
OXFORD, Miss. — The Ole Miss women’s team will return to the Pavilion in a top-25 matchup on Wednesday night against the No. 22 Louisville Cardinals. The No. 19 Rebels are coming off a 13-point win against Little Rock, their first game back in Oxford after winning the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas.
Despite Louisville being a part of the ACC, the Cardinals are no unfamiliar opponent for the Rebs. In the Sweet 16 of last year’s March Madness tournament, it was Louisville who knocked out Ole Miss, defeating the Rebels 72-62.
Louisville went on to the Elite Eight, where they were beaten by Iowa. A month later, in April, the Cardinals lost their best player, Hailey Van Lith, who announced she would be transferring to the national champion LSU Tigers.
Even though the Cards lost their most talented player, they have done a fantastic job recovering early in the 2023 season, posting a 6-1 record thus far. Through their seven games, they are ranked 31st in scoring, averaging 81.7 points per game.
Unfortunately for Louisville, they will be playing an Ole Miss team that has allowed under 55 points in their last four games. This offense-versus-defense matchup will absolutely be a fun one to watch.
The three most important pieces of the Louisville offense are all seniors: Olivia Cochran, Sydney Taylor, and Kiki Jefferson. They lead the Cards in minutes played per game and are all averaging at least 10 points per game. With the recent season-ending injury of Ole Miss guard KK Deans, defending these players and not allowing them to get open looks is something that can become a tougher task for Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin.
In addition to losing Deans’ defensive talent, her scoring and offensive presence will also be missed, but fortunately, Ole Miss has a talented newcomer who will step in. Coming in to replace Deans in the Bahamas was true freshman Marija Avlijas who scored seven points against Little Rock and 11 against Michigan. Against Louisville, Avlijas is going to have to continue to take on a larger role and show her capabilities in her first top-25 matchup.
In Louisville’s only loss of the season, coming at the hands of Alabama, the Crimson Tide displayed incredible guard play, something the Rebs are going to have to replicate. Between Marquesha Davis and Kennedy Todd-Williams, both players have to facilitate the offense and get things rolling for Ole Miss.
Once the guards find open shots and draw attention, forwards Madison Scott and Snudda Collins will have a much easier time becoming involved and scoring points inside the paint.
If the Rebs can defend as they have and find the open looks around the court, this could become one of their best wins of the season. At 8:15 tomorrow night, pack the Pavilion and help the Rebs get to their seventh win. Hotty Toddy!
