The Louisville Cardinals hoops team dropped another game last night to the NC State Wolfpack 79-63. That isn’t even the most disappointing part. Louisville’s starters combined for a measly 11 points in the Cardinals uphill battle for most of the night. That is an ice cold night of shooting. Should Cardinal fans be concerned? Maybe a little bit. Two losses in a row will make any diehard’s guts bubble.
Now let’s be fair, this is not the worst team that has ever stepped foot on Louisville’s home floor. That would be quite egregious to make that type of statement. However, Louisville basketball seems to be far removed from the days of Griff or the 2013 Championship squad.
NC State is currently a bubble team as far as I am concerned, but at 10-6 overall, Louisville seems to be riding alongside in a 2006 Kia Rio headed straight towards a season of mediocrity. The Cards have lost their last two games, one loss coming against Florida State.
The offensive production has to be there in a conference where teams are typically known to “fill it up”. College basketball mirrors that of NBA because of the up and down style mixed with a perimeter oriented game. Louisville center Sydney Curry brought his lunch pail by contributing a double double accompanied by a new career high of 22 points.
This is the time of year where teams must win those ACC home games because no squad wants to scratch and claw at the end when it’s time for the selection committee to make their tournament field selections. Veterans like Malik Williams, Matt Cross, and Noah Locke will need to be catalyst for what must become a resurgent group. I don’t smell a whiff of any Russ Smith’s or Montrezl Harrell’s permeating from The KFC Yum Center these days. Yet, this is a really solid team that has plenty of depth to win those games against middle of the road ACC competition.
Coach Mack has his work cut out for him during a year in which Louisville has faced his suspension and also a COVID outbreak that temporarily suspended the season. Not to make any excuses, but maybe the Cards just need to get back into the swing of things.
Louisville’s next two games are against teams that are below .500, Pittsburgh whom they’ve already beaten and then Boston College. Cards fans everywhere are hoping that things will warm up this winter sooner rather than later. I think they will be just fine.