21. Louisville (20-7)
There have been some games this season that Louisville would certainly like to replay but that’s just now how things work. The Cardinals have dropped some tough games across this season, but when they’re at their best they’ve shown that they can be a headache. Much like last year, the Cardinals find themselves near the top of the ACC standings and entered play riding a pretty solid five-game winning streak with some notable wins.
Unfortunately, one of those opponents got their revenge this week, as Louisville fell 95-85 at SMU on Tuesday night. Mikel Brown Jr. continued proving his worth with a 29-point performance, though things just didn’t go their way for this road rematch. The weekend was much kinder to the Cardinals, who won 87-70 over Georgia Tech. Brown led the scoring again with 19 points while J’Vonne Hadley added 17 points during a solid shooting performance for this team as a whole.
While Louisville is currently healthier than earlier in the season, there are still some questions about the defense and what the realistic ceiling is for this squad. Pat Kelsey has built a lineup that can contend, especially when their shots are falling but Louisville desperately needs the long-range game if they’re going to score upsets in the month ahead. It’s not an easy road even before that as they face trips to North Carolina and Clemson.