22. Louisville (22-9)
When you consider the full body of work, Louisville has had some fantastic moments this season but this team also has had their shortcomings. Coming into this week, the Cardinals had dropped three of their last four, but those games had all been on the road against solid ACC squads and two of them were really close. Judging by their inclusion this week, it’s clear Pat Kelsey got his team back on track.
They were back in the win column on Tuesday night, triumphant 77-62 over Syracuse in the final home game. Ryan Conwell starred with 23 points and 7 rebounds while J’Vonne Hadley added 19 points over the Orange. Saturday afternoon was the exact kind of showing you wanted to see from these Cardinals, battling on the road against a ranked team and coming away with a 92-89 win at Miami. Conwell led with 24 points, Hadley added 16 points, and Louisville shot 60% from the field in an incredible performance.
While they haven’t exactly flourished against quality opposition this season, Louisville does have a few nice wins and certainly added to that number with that showing in Coral Gables. The Cardinals get some momentum and get to 11-7 in the ACC to finish the season. Judging by just the record, it’s a step down from last season but the league is much better this year and Louisville can still prove themselves at the ACC Tournament.