Coach: Bruce Pearl, third year at Tennessee, third year in NCAA Tournament.
How they got here: At-large berth; East first round: def. No. 15 seed American 72-57;
East second round: outlasted No. 7
seed Butler 76-71 in OT.
They'll keep winning if: If the defense can harass David Padgett and clog passing lanes, the
Cardinals will have to adjust their offense. Will the Vols have to do the same? Not having a true playmaker at point
guard was detrimental against Butler and is one reason Tennessee can struggle against defensive pressure.
Louisville is sure to trap and pressure the Vols. Both teams win by causing turnovers and canning treys. Tennessee's
3-point defense was strong throughout the season and Butler's perimeter barrage (9 of 26) didn't do in the Vols.
Getting more out of Lofton -- he's 4 of 18 in the tournament -- would help. The Vols were only a mid-pack team in
rebounding in the SEC and need to force turnovers with their 94-foot pressure to get teams out of a comfort zone.
Memorable moment: The Vols took over the No. 1 ranking in the polls for the first time in
school history by beating
Memphis 66-62 at Memphis in late February. The Vols emerged the winner of the No. 1-vs.-No. 2 matchup when
Tyler Smith hit
a turnaround jumper with 28 seconds left to give the Vols the lead over the Tigers, who were the nation's last
undefeated club,
and J.P. Prince and Chris Lofton provided the final margin from the free-throw line.
Chris Lofton |
Go-to guys: Chris Lofton has not had the kind of senior season expected of him as his 3-point
shooting has
been spotty. But he finished strong and is not someone you can ignore. Tyler Smith is an athletic scorer and
rebounder, and
JaJuan Smith gives the Vols another threat from the perimeter. J.P. Prince and Duke Crews, a starter last season,
add punch
off the bench.
Strengths: The Vols are a deep team with a dozen players averaging at least 10 minutes a
game and
none on the court for more than 30 minutes. The depth allows them to keep the defensive pressure on opponent for
the full 94
feet. They weren't the top 3-point shooting team by percentage in the conference, but no SEC team took more shots
from
behind the arc than the Vols, and they also defend the three well.
Weaknesses: The Vols struggle at the free-throw line, which can be critical in late-game
situations. They were good in overtime in the second round against Butler, but made 65.5 percent in that game.
Lofton is one of the best in the country from the stripe, but only two other UT regulars make at least 70 percent of
their attempts. The Vols also can grow impatient when an opponent is controlling the tempo.
Coach: Rick Pitino, seven years at school, five years in NCAA Tournament.
How they got here: At-large berth; East first round: def. No. 14 seed Boise State 79-61; East
second round: crushed No. 6 seed Oklahoma
78-48; East semifinals: stomped No. 2 seed
Tennessee 79-60.
They'll keep winning if: Louisville gets its points by forcing turnovers and there's no brand of pressure
Rick Pitino won't utilize, including a sprawling zone with on-ball pressure. Defense has been the best offense for Louisville.
The tournament breakout star for the Cardinals, Earl Clark, isn't a pure scorer but he brings a unique skill set to play most any
role Pitino asks. In the past, Pitino has been successful assigning big guards to cover -- with regular help -- opposing point
guards. Senior David Padgett has the size to handle Tyler Hansbrough and challenge him on the other end with a
perimeter-oriented game and good all-around skills. Juan Palacios, Derrick Caracter and Clark also are capable of impacting
the North Carolina offense. Ideally, Louisville wants UNC to hoist long-range shots to create long rebounds and fastbreak
chances for the Cardinals. Opponents are shooting just 38 percent from the field against Louisville this season, and 30.5
percent from 3-point distance. The Cardinals play almost everybody in a uniform and never shy away from taking chances on
defense.
Memorable moment: Louisville struggled early in the season, losing to BYU, Dayton, Purdue and
Cincinnati by the
first week in January. But beating Kentucky seemed to revitalize the team, and then after a Jan. 28 loss to Connecticut it
embarked on a nine-game winning streak that didn't end until a loss to Georgetown in the regular-season finale.
David Padgett |
Go-to guys: Louisville has a balanced attack in which the team averages 72 points per game despite having
only four players averaging double figures. David Padgett leads the team at 11.7 points per game, and the team tends to
struggle when he's off his game inside. Terrence Williams can score both inside and out.
Strengths: Louisville is hard to stop offensively because the Cardinals run so many players at a defense
that somebody is bound to get hot. Four players made more than 40 3-pointers this season, and Louisville has a strong
inside
game to boot. It comes at opponents with intense defense and will make any opposing guard having an off night pay.
Weaknesses: The big Achilles' heel for the Cardinals lately has been free-throw shooting. Louisville
shot
65.6% from the line on the season, 13th in the Big East and last among the 12 teams that qualified for the conference
tournament. At times, it gets careless with the basketball, and there are a lot of players nursing minor injuries.
