March Madness is called what it’s called for a reason.
When a top team goes down, the dominoes start to fall, and the bracket looks completely different than what many may have pictured it to look like.
Many factors can play a role in why this is, but many times it’s because a team is looking ahead to when the competition gets tougher. Little did they know the toughest competition is a low-seeded team with little to lose and so much to prove.
Kim Mulkey and her Tigers find themselves in a position where they could look ahead instead of lock in on 14-seed Rice, who’s won its last four games to secure an American Athletic Conference championship, where it won by 20 points.
But for the sake of picturing who could be ahead for LSU, here’s a look at who could be next in the Round of 32.
LSU will play the winner of No. 6 Louisville and No. 11 Middle Tennessee
The No. 6 Louisville Cardinals and No. 11 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders will square off on Friday at 12:30 p.m. C.T. at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
The matchup will be aired on ESPN2, and will take place before LSU tips off with Rice at 3 p.m. C.T.
Louisville
Louisville is a school LSU fans have heard recently despite not having played during the regular season.
Hailey Van Lith transferred to LSU from Louisville this past offseason, and her time at Louisville was served well. In the 2022-23 season, she averaged 19.7 points per game along with 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists.
Van Lith’s career at Louisville made her one of the top transfers in the country, and led her to LSU. This time around, Louisville doesn’t have Van Lith, and instead could see her on the other side.
But the Cardinals are not short-handed, as they have four players that average double-digit points per game.
Kiki Jefferson leads Louisville with 12.5 points per game along with 4.6 rebounds per game and 2.4 assists per game. Cardinals’ guard, Sydney Taylor averages 10.9 points per game, forward, Olivia Cochran, averages 10.6 points per game along with 6.5 rebounds per game, and forward, Nyla Harris, averages 10.6 points per game along with 6.6 rebounds per game.
Louisville has its fair share of depth, as six players average 20 minutes of playing time or more, and nine players average 10 minutes of playing time or more.
The Cardinals’ depth has done a lot for them; they rank second in the ACC with a 45.2% field goal percentage, third with a 32.3% 3-point percentage and sixth in the SEC with 73.5 points per game.
Getting to the basket is Louisville’s strength, and it has several options for it to do that to win games.
If Louisville meets LSU in the Round of 32, it may be a matchup that works in LSU’s favor. The Cardinals average 37.3 rebounds per game, which ranks fifth to last in the ACC. LSU ranks first in that category in the SEC with 46.5.
In addition, the Cardinals have a difficult time staying out of foul trouble, as it ranks third in the ACC for most fouls per game with 17.8. However, their depth has bailed them out in that area, as they can rotate players in and out depending on who is getting into foul trouble.
It would mean a lot to Van Lith if LSU met Louisville in the Round of 32, but the Cardinals have the scoring depth to make Van Lith’s reunion not go as planned.
Middle Tennessee State
The Blue Raiders come into the NCAA Tournament on a 19-game win-streak and a Conference USA championship. In 17 of the 19 games, they won by double digits.
In addition, Middle Tennessee has a common opponent with LSU, as on December 6, the Blue Raiders took down the Tennessee Volunteers 73-62.
While the Volunteers have gotten better since then, Middle Tennessee has as well.
However, in contrast to Louisville, depth does not work in Middle Tennessee’s favor. But their options have been as trustworthy as it gets. Five players average 30 minutes of play per game or more for the Blue Raiders.
Savannah Wheeler leads Middle Tennessee with 17.3 points per game along with 4.4 rebounds per game and 5.1 assists per game. In the Blue Raiders’ last 14 games, Wheeler finished with double-digit points, and made multiple 3-pointers in nine of those 14 games, including a five 3-pointer performance in a win over New Mexico State.
The Blue Raiders’ 6-foot-6 center, Anastasiia Boldyreva, is right behind with 14.8 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per game. She also adds 2.9 blocks per game.
Ta’mia Scott adds an additional 12.3 points per game along with 5.7 rebounds per game, and Jalynn Gregory adds 12.2 points per game as well.
Middle Tennessee dominated the Conference USA, ranking first in the conference for just about every scoring statistic.
Compared to LSU, the Blue Raiders have a 35% 3-point percentage as opposed to LSU’s 32.1%, they have a 77.5% free-throw percentage as opposed to LSU’S 74.9%, and they allow 11.6 turnovers per game as opposed to LSU’s 15.4.
On the other hand, LSU averages an SEC-high 46.5 rebounds per game compared to Middle Tennessee’s 38. The Tigers also have a 46.7% field goal percentage as opposed to Middle Tennessee’s 43.9%, and LSU leads the SEC with 86.7 points per game as opposed to Middle Tennessee’s 71.8 points per game.
When it comes to matchups, Middle Tennessee’s schemes may present an arguably tougher task to LSU than Louisville would. However, when it comes to strength of schedule, Louisville has seen tougher opponents.
Overall, both teams would present LSU a challenge in their own ways. But if or when LSU deals with that depends on its matchup with Rice on Friday.
