Not many experts gave Louisville much thought heading into this season. Projected to be a middle-of-the-road team in the ACC, the Cards have suddenly surged into second place in the conference, with their only loss being to #3 Duke. Here’s why Louisville appears to be a legitimate threat moving forward
Louisville’s Explosive Offense Can Go Off at Any Time
Louisville has enough firepower to hang with anyone on offense. On Tuesday evening in Central New York, the Cards took on a Syracuse team that had won two straight and blew the doors off the Orange, winning 85-61. All five starters scored in double-figures.
When Syracuse made the score 31-27 around the five minute mark, Louisville responded with 3 three-pointers in a row and ultimately entered halftime up 43-27. Star point guard Chucky Hepburn had all 15 of his first half points come from deep, going 5-7 from range. Hepburn finished the game with 24 points. He has proven himself as one of the best players in the conference, with a complete scoring package that makes the game look all too easy at times.
Lit up the court 😮💨@ChuckyHepburn led the Cardinals with 24 points on 8-13 shooting, going 6-10 on three pointers while adding seven assists@LouisvilleMBB | @GoCards | #GoCards | @crushsoda pic.twitter.com/5cQem82BTI
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) January 15, 2025
Led by Hepburn, the rest of the starting lineup contributed in big ways. Reyne Smith was active throughout, knocking in 3 triples. Senior guard Terrence Edwards Jr. has been getting back on track recently, adding 16 points of his own. J’Vonne Hadley was Louisville’s second best player on the night, scoring 13 and bringing down 10 rebounds. Hadley was a force to be reckoned with on the interior, driving the ball into the lane and scoring at will.
The Cardinals defense was also strong on the evening, shutting down Syracuse guard JJ Starling, who has been one of the top scorers in the ACC when healthy, and turning the Orange over 14 times. Louisville did a good job keeping Syracuse out of the paint and forced a poor jump-shooting team to rely on long shots.
Louisville is a Program Reborn Thanks to New Head Coach Pat Kelsey
Louisville has shown a lot of character throughout the season, proving they are a battle-tested team who can overcome adversity in various ways. For example, the Cards haven’t been a great shooting team, but in their last two games, they’ve shot almost 40% as a team. They’ve also demonstrated the ability to win games without leaning too much on the three, eking out tough wins against the likes of Clemson and North Carolina despite poor outside shooting.
Much of Louisville’s success can be contributed to first-year head coach Pat Kelsey. The former Winthrop and Charleston coach has come in and immediately produced results. After the program won only 12 games in the previous two seasons combined, Kelsey has his team off to a 13-5 start, winning their last 7 straight.
Even in Louisville’s tough non-conference losses this year, they played Tennessee, Ole Miss, and local rivals Kentucky in very close games. The Cardinals have four senior starters, and although much of the roster is made up of transfers, most of them have NCAA Tournament experience. This team is going to be one to watch out for moving forward.
Things you didn’t think you’d tweet in the preseason:
Louisville is the second-best team in the ACC behind Duke. https://t.co/2a4FEHJmXH
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) January 15, 2025
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