Three things we learned about Louisville basketball vs. NC State

Louisville still hasn’t peaked

10 turnovers and 10 fouls to start the game doesn’t sound to me like a team that is playing its highest level of basketball. That’s a good thing for Louisville basketball, at least if you ask me, as the Cards are in the midst of an eight-game winning streak that has made them one of the hottest teams in the country. It’s a good thing because there’s still room to grow with a good chunk of games remaining on the schedule.

All the time we see teams start to peak early before flamming out down the stretch of a season, and it makes sense that some might wonder to themselves if maybe a winning streak of this size is a good thing this early. But along the way, Louisville still has shown there are areas of improvement that must be made before they can begin to say that they are ready to make a run at a Final Four in April.

The fact that Louisville is riding an eight-game winning streak in the middle of ACC play, albeit during a down year, while playing a few games closer than they should and taking their lumps now rather than in the postseason. They’ve learned how to claw back into games possession by possession, how to take big leads and push them to unsurmountable numbers, and it’s only going to help in the long run.

Saturday was the perfect example of just how special this season can be for Louisville. When things weren’t going great early on and Louisville was turning the ball over, committing silly fouls, and struggling to score they still found a way. They got scoring when they needed it, they got playmaking when they needed it, and they got just enough from their star players to squeeze out of an uncomfortable situation and turning it into an impressive win and another notch in the belt.

This team still has room to grow, there’s no denying that, but we’re beginning to see the beginnings of a championship-caliber team blossom before our eyes and that’s a beautiful thing, ladies and gents.