13. Louisville (2-0)
One of the stories of last season was certainly on the transformative effort that Pat Kelsey led in his first season helming the Cardinals. Inheriting a program that had really bottomed out in recent years, he took Louisville back into the Big Dance and won a ton of games, but he’s looking to build on that success this season. The Cardinals added a number of notable players and should be right there in the ACC title race again this year.
There wasn’t any drama on opening night for this team, as Louisville smashed South Carolina State in a 104-45 win. Khani Rooths had 20 points and 7 rebounds off the bench, Isaac McKneely had 17 points, and the Cardinals made quick work of this game. The score was a bit closer but there weren’t problems Thursday either in a 106-70 victory against Jackson State. Ryan Conwell led with 19 points, Mikel Brown Jr. stood out with 18 points and 9 assists, and the Cardinals topped 100 for a second straight outing.
You absolutely must consider the level of opponent, but Louisville owned inside the arc in both of those matchups and looked outstanding on the offensive end. The Cardinals are hoping for big things from Brown, their freshman point guard, and he looked the part this week alongside the rest of this strong lineup. No matter how these first few games felt, Louisville has to come ready to play next week, hosting rival Kentucky on Tuesday in what becomes a major opportunity to make a statement in early November.