Busting Brackets
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ACC basketball: Power ranking the league down the stretch

By Michael Walton

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - January 31: Head coach Tony Bennett of the Virginia Cavaliers reacts to a call in the first half during a game against the Louisville Cardinals at John Paul Jones Arena on January 31, 2018 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - January 31: Head coach Tony Bennett of the Virginia Cavaliers reacts to a call in the first half during a game against the Louisville Cardinals at John Paul Jones Arena on January 31, 2018 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – January 31: Anas Mahmoud
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – January 31: Anas Mahmoud /

Last week: Won 94-60 at Pittsburgh – Home loss 93-76 vs North Carolina

Louisville has played a strong schedule, but have been uneven all year. They have beat up on teams in the middle of the pack, but have been unable get a signature win on the year.  In the Cardinals win over Pitt last week, they held the Panthers to 34.5 percent shooting. They were able to impose their will on them for an easy win. Things went a lot differently against North Carolina. The Tar Heels won the game in dominant fashion, finishing with a +12 advantage on the boards.

The Cardinals are a solid rebounding team. Players like seven-foot senior Anas Mahmoud – who chipped in 14 points in the win over Pitt – give them a solid advantage, except when presented with teams that gang-rebound, getting contributions on the glass from guards as well. This means Head coach  David Padgett could lead his group to an exciting end to the season.

Duke will pose serious problems for them- as they do most teams- with their tremendous size, more so if Marvin Bagley III plays. But their last three games against Virginia Tech, Virginia, and NC State could set them up for a great stretch run. Louisville’s defense is solid, but they will need a scorer to step up if they want to pull of a string of big upsets.

This week: Wednesday at Duke (A) – Saturday at Virginia Tech (A)