25. Louisville (14-5)
Hiring Pat Kelsey has completely changed the culture at Louisville almost in an instant and these Cardinals have garnered our attention. The road was somewhat rocky earlier in the season, though all five of those losses came against solid opponents, four of which are currently ranked. In more recent weeks, Louisville has settled into a nice groove in ACC play, including great wins over Clemson and Pittsburgh last week.
This week went just as smoothly, beginning with a nice 85-61 win at Syracuse on Tuesday. All five starters were in double figures, guided by Chucky Hepburn’s 24-point, 7-assist outing and J’Vonne Hadley’s double-double. Things went just as well this weekend, with the Cardinals completing a season sweep against Virginia with an 81-67 victory. Reyne Smith had 19 points, James Scott had a double-double, and a poor shooting night wasn’t enough to slow down these Cardinals.
We just named four different players, four of the many new faces that Kelsey brought to town this offseason and who have Louisville in this position. The Cardinals have now won eight straight games and sit 7-1 in the ACC, with the lone blemish being a tough loss to Duke. We’re embracing the possibility that this is the second best team in the ACC, though next week’s game at SMU will certainly help determine that.