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Provo • Those connected to BYU women's basketball program believe the Cougars deserve better than a No. 14 seed in the Albany Regional of the NCAA Tournament.

The draw means BYU opens against third-seeded Louisville on Saturday in Tampa, Fla.

On the other hand, the perceived lack of respect from the NCAA selection committee puts the Cougars in position for an eye-popping run, like the one they made in 2014.

As a No. 12 seed, BYU reached the Sweet 16 before falling to mighty UConn.

"I would have liked a little higher seed, after what we did last year," said coach Jeff Judkins. "But you just have to keep doing it. That's the key. Go to the NCAA Tournament, keep making noise and eventually you will get more and more respect."

Said BYU senior forward Morgan Bailey, "We know how good we are, our parents know how good we are and some of our fans know how good we are. But I don't know if, on a national level, other people know."

Bailey doesn't mind the role of underdog, however.

"We do well when we're underrated," she said. " … We'll take that 14 seed and know that number doesn't mean much. Our team, if someone says we can't, we're going to do it. So that 14 is another chip on our shoulder. We're ready to brush it off and show people what we can do."

Last year, BYU shocked North Carolina State (72-57) and Nebraska (80-76) before playing well against eventual national champion UConn. The Cougars led the Huskies early in the second half before falling, 70-51.

According to Bailey, she didn't know much about last year's NCAA opponents, just as she knows little about Louisville.

"I'm not a big basketball watcher," she said.

Of course, Judkins has seen enough of Louisville to know the difficulty in the task ahead.

"They will be a great challenge," he said. "… [But] I think this team likes the challenge. They aren't afraid. Hopefully we can play our game and do a great job of representing our school and our conference."

Said Bailey, "… We aren't scared."

The Cougars started 0-2 this season after losses to South Dakota State (75-65) and Cal-Northridge (63-54). They also lost four of their last five before beating St. Mary's, top-seeded Gonzaga and San Francisco in the West Coast Conference tournament.

Asked if BYU is peaking at the perfect time, Bailey said, "We are. People are stepping up huge. We know if [opponents] focus on one or two players, others are going to step up. So I think we are playing our best." —

BYU vs. Louisville

At the Sun Dome, Tampa, Fla.

Tip-off • 2 p.m. MDT

TV • ESPN2

Radio • BYU radio

Records • BYU 23-9, Louisville 25-6

Series • Louisville, 1-0

Last meeting: Louisville, 80-54 (2007)

About the Cougars • They are the No. 14 seed in the Albany Regional. … They won the West Coast Conference tournament to secure an NCAA bid. … They are led by junior G/F Lexi Eaton. She averages 20.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. .. Senior F Morgan Bailey averages 17.3 points and 10.5 rebounds. … They defeated another ACC team, North Carolina State, in the first round last year.

About the Cardinals • They are the No. 3 seed in the region. … They come off a 66-51 loss to Florida State in the semifinals of the ACC tournament. … Their top scorers are freshman F Mariya Moore (13.8), freshman F Myisha Hines-Allen (11.5) and senior F Sara Hammond (10.8). … They average 73.4 points per game but shoot only 32 percent from the three-point line.