North Carolina hosts Louisville basketball tonight at 7 p.m. on ESPN. Both the Tar Heels and Cardinals sit at 9-5 in the ACC with just four games left in the regular season. Tonight’s ranked matchup is not only good old-fashioned entertainment, but it could also go a long way in deciding who is in position for a double bye in the conference tournament come March. With freshman star Caleb Wilson still sidelined with a broken hand for UNC, Louisville enters as a 2.5-point road favorite.
With both teams tied in the ACC standings, this is a true swing game. A 10th conference win would tie the winner with Miami, NC State, and Clemson for the third-most wins in the league this season. If Louisville can secure the win, it would not only create that tie but also put the Cardinals in a position to control their own destiny. The Cards still have Clemson and Miami on the schedule, so winning those — and potentially adding Syracuse — could get them to 12 or even 13 ACC wins, which should be enough to secure a double bye.
On the season, Louisville is just 2-5 against ranked teams, with three of those losses coming on the road against ranked Arkansas, Tennessee and Duke. In those games, the Cards have allowed 85 points per game while scoring just 65, an average margin of defeat of 20 points. With UNC dealing with Wilson’s absence, this may be Louisville’s best opportunity to grab a ranked road win. If that’s going to happen for Pat Kelsey and his group, a few things must fall their way.