Albany, N.Y. — You would think that with the sheer number of tweets this week regarding Louisville women's basketball coach Jeff Walz and his candidacy for the legendary head coaching position at the University of Tennessee, he would have been the one talking the most about it Thursday.

He kept it quick, however, beginning his NCAA tournament press conference at the Times Union Center by addressing it.

"I'm the head coach at the University of Louisville," Walz said. "So before the questions start coming, I'm the head coach at the University of Louisville. I've loved it, enjoy it, it's been great. So now I'll start talking about our team so we can focus on that."

Both Walz and his players said the talk of him potentially leaving wasn't a distraction and that "it happens every March."

UConn coach Geno Auriemma, meanwhile, shared one of the game's all-time great rivalries with Tennessee and the Lady Vols' late coach, Pat Summitt. He referred to Summitt on Thursday as the kind of iconic leader that defined a program, while expressing regret that Summitt's successor, Holly Warlick, was fired this week.

"It wasn't easy from day one to do that job," Auriemma said of Warlick, a former player and assistant coach under Summitt and a part of the program for 38 years, including eight national championships. "Every school is entitled to have their own coach, obviously, and Tennessee is entitled to whoever they want as their coach. I just, any time a coach is in that situation, I feel it because we're all part of the same community.

"Holly will land on her feet for sure."

After an absence, UConn is set to resume its regular-season series with Tennessee over the next two seasons.

"I think depending on who the coach is, we may play them 10 more times or we might not play them at all (after that)," Auriemma said with a laugh. "I'm anxious to see who the coach is because it may only be two years. Maybe one. I may try to get out of it."

Now that's a road trip

Prior to the NCAA tournament, UCLA director of operations Pam Walker told the Bruins' players to pack for a long trip. She wasn't kidding.

Sixth-seeded UCLA played March 23 and March 25 in College Park, Maryland, dispatching No. 11 Tennessee and No. 3 Maryland, then stayed on the East Coast for the trip up to Albany for Friday's Sweet 16 game against No. 2 UConn.

The Bruins are on spring break, making the trip back to Los Angeles unnecessary.

"I think it would have definitely been a detriment to our ability to be competing at the highest levels to have had to go cross-country again before we came up here," UCLA coach Cori Close said.

"Coach Cori told us to pack for 10 days," UCLA sophomore Michaela Onyenwere said. "I think she believed in us that we'd be here. Having coaches that believe in you really, really helps everything when it comes down to these games."

Said UCLA senior Kennedy Burke: "We've been resting our bodies (in Albany), but also just enjoying the fun times together, like going to the movies or going to the mall and hanging out and stuff."

UConn-UCLA, Part VI

UConn and UCLA have played each other five times overall (UConn is 5-0), including each of the last two seasons, meaning a good number of UCLA players have met the Huskies in the recent past. That will help to a certain degree, Close said.

"I do think it's good for us mentally that we're familiar," Close said. "I think the mentality and confidence that we're not playing this fictitious TV UConn ... like we have been in the trenches and we know what the mistakes have been and we know what the victories have been in terms of the little moments.

"So I think that does help us, having that past experience, but it's going to demand our best."

v.fulkerson@theday.com

Albany Regional

At Albany, N.Y.

Regional Semifinals

Today’s Games

UCLA (22-12) vs. UConn (33-2), 7 p.m.

Louisville (31-3) vs. Oregon State (26-7), 9:30 p.m.

Regional Championship

Sunday’s Game

Semifinal winners