Louisville basketball is coming off its first loss in 11 games, as the Cardinals fell to Duke 73-62 in the ACC Tournament Championship game. The Cardinals finished the season ranked No. 10 in the AP polls but are now an 8-seed in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament.
Louisville will play the Creighton Bluejays' in their opening round of the tournament and will have a tough path to the round of 32. Creighton has a solid resume for a 9-seed, including their best win over St. John's earlier in the regular season. The Bluejays were 24-10 in the regular season and made a run in the Big East Tournament as they lost to St. John's in the conference championship game.
The two programs are meeting for the first time since Creighton's win over Louisville in 1999. The Bluejays hold the series record of 2-1 as the Cardinals look to even the series up and secure their first NCAA Tournament win since 2017.
3 massive keys for Louisville basketball to beat Creighton
So, the stage is set. The lights are on. Now, it is time to preview the three massive keys to the game for Louisville basketball to beat the Creighton Bluejays.
The Cardinals lethal shooter must catch fire
Pat Kelsey will get his star shooter back in the rotation after he missed four games with an ankle injury. Reyne Smith is one of the best shooters in the nation, and he has proven that multiple times this season.
Smith has etched his name in the Cardinals record books for multiple stats, including splashing the most three-pointers in a single game in program history. He went 10-17 from downtown against SMU and scored all 30 points from beyond the arc. He also has made the second most threes in a single season in Louisville basketball history. His 104 threes this season are top 10 in the nation, and he averages 3.5 threes per game, which is No. 8 in the country.
However, Smith struggled mightily before his ankle injury, and some fans are worried about his shooting entering March Madness. In his last nine games, he has shot 31 percent and seems to have gotten into a mini-slump.
The lethal shooter is vital in this game as the Cardinals will have to space out the floor to limit Creighton's four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year, Ryan Kalkbrenner. Creighton has a high-power offense, and if Louisville wants to win, Reyne Smith must shoot like his old self, catch fire in this game, and elevate this Cardinals offense to a victory.
Louisville basketball star must find his shot
Lousiville basketball would not be in this position without their First-Team All-ACC point guard and ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Chucky Hepburn. Hepburn has had one of the best seasons this year and is a key factor in helping the Cardinals secure this victory today.
The Cardinals guard fills the stat sheet as he averages 16.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 2.5 steals while shooting 43.5 percent from the floor and 33.2 percent from downtown. However, the Cardinal's point guard hasn't been himself lately on the offensive side. Hepburn secured First-Team All-ACC in the conference tournament, but his shot and scoring weren't up to his standards.
Hepburn averaged 15.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.7 steals while shooting 33.2 percent from the floor and a depressing 20 percent from the three-point line. A key reason for Hepburn's struggles was not having Smith out on the floor to help space the Cardinals offense, but shooting 33 percent from the field and 20 percent from downtown is a little concerning.
Hepburn has to also provide lockdown defense on Steven Ashworth, the Bluejays star shooter. Ashworth shoots it 37 percent from downtown and will be a crucial player that Lousiville must limit. Everyone knows about how good Ryan Kalkbrenner is. So Hepburn will have the task of limiting Ashworth and then hopefully shooting the ball effectively on the other side of the floor.
Pat Kelsey's bench must step up
Louisville's glaring weakness is its lack of depth and bench production. The Cardinals will most likely see three players come off the bench tomorrow: Noah Waterman, Aboubacar Traore, and Khani Rooths.
The three Cardinals bench averages 14.1 points per game combined, with Waterman leading the way, averaging 6.1 points and 3.6 rebounds, but is shooting 36.5 percent from the floor and 28.9 percent from the 3-point line.
With Reyne Smith out during the ACC Tournament, Waterman increased his minutes and production. The Cardinal's senior forward stepped up big time and averaged 9.0 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 46 percent from downtown. The Cardinals must get this production from Waterman today and see similar production from their other two bench pieces.
Expect limited minutes from Traore and Rooths, but they will see the floor. The Cardinals need just a spark off the bench and to give their starters quick breathers. Kelsey is usually smart and will take his starters out before the TV timeout which gives his starters a extra couple seconds of rest.
The Cardinals must also utilize their home floor. This game is as close to a home playoff game as it gets. Louisville basketball is expecting about 10-15 thousand fans in Rupp Arena and will hope the fans have a massive impact on the game.
Louisville basketball and Creighton will tip off this afternoon at 12:15 p.m. local time.