Louisville basketball: Bold predictions for ACC Tournament
By Jacob Lane
March is here. Time to buckle in for what we all pray is a magical ride for Louisville basketball.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, postseason play is officially here for Louisville basketball. Just like that 31 games have come and gone as the Cards have made their way through another great season.
In just his second season as Louisville’s head coach, Chris Mack has the Cards in prime position to make some noise in both the ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament. Following a disappointing performance in both events, last season Mack and five seniors who have never won an NCAA Tournament game are ready to move past all the ups and downs of the regular season and put their legacy into the alters of the KFC Yum! Center.
It’ll start with the ACC Tournament where the Cardinals will be the three seed, their highest placement since joining the conference. Landing in the top three means they’ll get the highly coveted double-bye as they prepare to face either Syracuse or North Carolina.
As I’ve written several times over the last few days and even throughout this piece, I think we’re going to see a different team than we’ve seen all season long. It’s been an up-and-down year, some could say, as the Cardinals have continued to figure out how to win consistently under Chris Mack.
Behind the leadership of five seniors, including three-five year players, Louisville has the experience, talent, depth, mental toughness and just about every other intangible needed to win the conference tournament but the question will remain what it has been all season; can they play at their highest level against the best of the best?
Before Louisville takes the court and we find out the answer to that question, Big Red Louie writer Stephen Kalayil and I preview the conference tournament with bold predictions.