1. They cannot get to the free-throw line
Against Duke, Louisville was outshot at the free-throw line 28–12. This trend has only intensified since Mikel Brown Jr. went out with injury. Before Brown Jr. missed time, Louisville averaged 20.3 made free throws per game on 26.1 attempts. Without him in the lineup, those numbers have plummeted to just 12.8 made free throws on 16.8 attempts per game.
In games where you hold a nine-point halftime lead, free throws are a critical component of closing things out. Even prior to the Duke loss, Louisville struggled in this area. Against Stanford—a game they lost by just four points—the Cards were outshot at the free-throw line by 10 attempts.
To make matters worse, Louisville already gives opponents plenty of chances at the line. They currently rank 208th out of 365 teams nationally, allowing 21.5 free-throw attempts per game. That number has ballooned to 28.7 attempts per game over their last three contests.
For a team that shoots 77% from the line—good for 29th in the country—free throws should be a major advantage. Instead, especially without Mikel Brown Jr., it has become one of Louisville’s biggest disadvantages and has directly contributed to three losses in their last five games.