Louisville basketball has a tremendous opportunity today to earn its best win of the season. The Cardinals will face the Duke Blue Devils in the ACC Tournament finals tonight at 8:30 p.m. local time.
Duke has dominated every stat this year, not only in the ACC but also in college basketball. The Blue Devils and the Cardinals matched up earlier in the season, where Duke earned an 11-point victory over the Cardinals from the KFC Yum! Center.
Louisville is entering this game on an 11-game winning streak and has won 21 of their last 22 games. The Cardinals and Blue Devils both are among the top three in nearly every stat in the ACC. College basketball fans can expect a clash between titans in this game, and possibly a game that comes down to whoever has the ball last.
3 glaring reasons prove Louisville basketball will be Duke's kryptonite
Louisville basketball will look to make history and earn its first ACC Tournament title in tonight's epic showdown with the Duke Blue Devils. While all the betting books, and predictions will be leaning towards Duke, here are three glaring reasons that prove Louisville basketball will be Duke's kryptonite.
3. Louisville basketball's dominant shooting
The key to beating Duke is the ability to make shots from downtown. In the Blue Devils' three losses, their opponents have shot an average of 42.7 percent from beyond the arc. The Cardinals' shooting split has not been that high on a nightly basis. However, Louisville can splash 10-plus threes, catch fire, and go on massive runs.
A glaring weakness of Duke's is their ability to guard the line, and now, with Cooper Flagg out of the game, the Cardinals have to take advantage of that. Chucky Hepburn and Terrence Edwards Jr. must get everyone involved and continue to drive the basketball to open up the shooters on the outside. Reyne Smith will be the glaring X-factor in this game. Smith hasn't played in the past two games, and it hasn't been announced whether he will be available for tonight's game. If Smith is available, look out, Blue Devils fans, then you are in trouble because this Cardinals team is one of the best three-point shooting teams in the nation.
Louisville makes nearly 10 threes a game and has made over 300 threes this season. The Cardinals shoot above 30 a game, which is one of the best in college basketball. Louisville basketball lives and dies from beyond the arc, and if the Cardinals catch fire, and they just might, then Louisville will cut down the nets.
2. Duke's superstar will not play
Cooper Flagg's absence from this game is a massive advantage for the Cardinals. Flagg is the future No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft and has been an absolute stud all season long. He fills the stat sheet, averaging 19.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 37 percent from the three-point line.
The Blue Devils just aren't the same without their MVP on the court. Now that Flagg isn't on the court, the Cardinals' defensive schemes almost fit perfectly. Hadley can shift his focus to Kon Knueppel, and there won't be a glaring mismatch every possession.
Chucky Hepburn is averaging five steals a game, and James Scott remains one of the best rim protectors in the league. Cooper Flagg missing this game immediately helps Louisville out on the defensive side of the ball and hurts Duke's offense immensely. The Cardinals' veterans will look to use their experience against Duke's young roster in a big game like this and secure the program's first ACC title.
1. Pat Kelsey's history
Pat Kelsey is on an eight-game tournament winning streak and has won back-to-back tournaments. Kelsey has secured multiple long winning streaks this season, and history shows that when Louisville has secured two winning streaks of 10 games or more, they go on to win their conference tournament that season.
This is a touchy topic for Duke fans, but Kelsey is the ACC Coach of the Year. Kelsey has broken nearly every record of Louisville's this season, including the most wins by a Louisville basketball head coach in his first season.
We have been letting everyone know about all the historical stats and that they lead to conference tournament titles, and now we are just one win away from telling the whole ACC a big, I told you so. The Cardinal's history foreshadows Louisville is destined to win this game. Pat Kelsey has rejuvenated this program, and it draws many similarities to the past programs he brought back from the dead. When Kelsey brought those programs back to life, a conference tournament followed in that historic season.
Kelsey will have his toughest game of the season tonight, but all signs point to the Cardinals securing the win. Louisville opens up as 6.5-point underdogs, and Pat Kelsey and his squad are 5-0 when they are underdogs by eight points or less. Just another sign that hints at Louisville securing their first ACC title.