Big Red Louie
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Counting down the best Louisville basketball teams of the last 12 years

By Alan Thomas

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 08: (L-R) Russ Smith #2, Wayne Blackshear #20 and Peyton Siva #3 of the Louisville Cardinals celebrate after they won 82-76 against the Michigan Wolverines during the 2013 NCAA Men's Final Four Championship at the Georgia Dome on April 8, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 08: (L-R) Russ Smith #2, Wayne Blackshear #20 and Peyton Siva #3 of the Louisville Cardinals celebrate after they won 82-76 against the Michigan Wolverines during the 2013 NCAA Men's Final Four Championship at the Georgia Dome on April 8, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 28: Russ Smith #2 of the Louisville Cardinals dunks the ball over Julius Randle #30 of the Kentucky Wildcats during the regional semifinal of the 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 28, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 28: Russ Smith #2 of the Louisville Cardinals dunks the ball over Julius Randle #30 of the Kentucky Wildcats during the regional semifinal of the 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 28, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

#6: 2014-2015

“The last time we beat Virginia year”

A string of events involving point guard Chris Jones led him to be dismissed from the team midseason. Freshman Quentin Snider was vaulted into action, and he did more than hold his own. The Cardinals went 27-9 (12-6) and made it to the Elite Eight where they lost to Michigan State 76-70 in overtime. To have an Elite Eight appearance at #6 is a very good thing.

Louisville added a string of solid incoming freshmen. Snider, Chinanu Onuaku, and Matz Stockman were all 4-star recruits. Anas Mahmoud was a 3-star prospect, respectively. After losing five members from the 2013 NCAA National Championship team, making it to an Elite Eight was a welcome achievement. They stayed in the top 10 for the first 14 weeks of the season.

It was the year #2 Virginia came to town on Senior Night. With nine seconds left, Montrezl Harrell inbounded to Terry Rozier. The Cavaliers defense overloaded the weak side, leaving Mangok Mathiang wide open for a….12-foot jumper? Well, he looked down that barrel and let off a smooth shot that hit the bottom of the net with 2.5 seconds left. We had done it. We beat Virginia. Man, that feels amazing to say out loud.

#5: 2007-2008

“The year we smashed UK at Rupp”

It was the season that was sandwiched in between the successes of the 2005 Final Four and the 2009 #1 overall seed Elite Eight (we’ll get to that). With a 27-9 (14-4 Big East) record, the Cards won 12 of their last 15 games.

As a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament, they rolled through their first three opponents by an average of 25.6 points per game. Facing UNC in the Elite Eight was no small task. Louisville would not go away in this one. After being down for the majority of the contest, they had tied the game. Unfortunately, the momentum wouldn’t last. They fell in the end 83-73.

Senior David Padgett led the team in scoring (11.2). Another bright spot in the year was an 89-75 beatdown of Kentucky in Rupp Arena.

#4: 2013-2014

“We should’ve repeated that year”

The return of Russ Smith. It was great news for a fanbase chasing a national title repeat. We had a stout senior class with championship pedigree (Luke Hancock, Smith, Stephen Van Treese, and Tim “Wichita” Henderson). Combine that with the #8 recruiting class in college basketball and we have ourselves a real contender. Russ led the team in scoring (18.2 ppg), Luke Hancock continued to make big shots, while Montrezl Harrell began to show true flashes of dominance and we were introduced to the player who would become known as “Scary Terry.”

Louisville went 31-6 (15-3 AAC) and won the regular season and conference tournament championships in their one and only season in the AAC . They looked great all year long and even got another crack at in-state rival Kentucky in the Sweet 16. After jumping out to an early lead, eventually the Cats got hot and we just never found a rhythm again. It was one game that Pitino and the team really wish they could have back.

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