Louisville basketball secured its fourth ACC win of the season yesterday as the Cardinals won their second consecutive game after they beat Virginia Tech 85-71. Louisville got key guard Mikel Brown Jr. back after he missed eight straight games, and he made an immediate impact, dropping 20 points and six assists while shooting 63.6 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
Louisville had four of its five starers score 10-points or more is yesterday’s victory, and now the Cardinals are all of a sudden looking like that top-10 team they once were in November. The Cardinals shot 47-percent from the field and 39-percent from beyond the arc, and now are gearing up for their top-25 showdown with the Duke Blue Devils tomorrow eveining.
So, after the Cardinals' second straight win by double-digits, here are three quotes from Pat Kelsey’s press conference that should have the fans excited for the future.
3. Kelsey liked Louisville's response in second half
"Our guy continued to play in rhythm, continued to attack, didn’t get tight when they started making shots, and went on a run. Just stuck with it and stayed consistent.”
Louisville was up by as much as 20 points in the second half, but the Hokies didn’t go away easily. Virginia Tech went on a 16-5 run in the second half to cut the lead down to single digits for the first time since there were three minutes left in the first half. The Hokies all of a sudden got red-hot from beyond the arc, but Kelsey stated he liked the way his team responded and didn’t let the Hokies offense impact the Cardinals offense.
Louisville continued to attack and be the aggressor after VT’s mini run, the Cardinals responded with a 12-3 run, putting the game out of reach. The Cardinals responding with their own run and putting the Hokies away is a great sign moving forward.
2. Cardinals dominate the paint
“Paint force is huge with us. Touching the paint. I think at halftime it was the most paint touches we had in a half, in that first half.”
One of Kelsey’s biggest emphases is paint touches for this Louisville team, and it was in full effect last night. The Cardinals were running an effective pick-and-roll that allowed Brown to either drive to the basket or hit a cutting Sananda Fru. Touching the paint for a team like Louisville is huge for many reasons, but against a team like the Hokies, who were helping a lot, it opened up shooters on the outside or big on the opposite block. Louisville dominated Virginia Tech in the paint, outscoring the Hokies 36-14.
The Cardinals are a much better team with Brown on the floor and one key reason is the way he attacks the rim and creates shots for his teammates. Moving forward when Brown is on the floor, the Cardinals will see a lot more paint touches and more open looks like they did yesterday.
1. Mikel Brown Jr.'s impressive return
“I mean, with that kid, nothing surprises me,”
Mikel Brown Jr. went on to have a team-high 20 points and six assists while shooting an impressive 7-of-11 from the field and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. The Cardinals' former 5-star point guard had a jaw-dropping performance, as he was making his whole team better just from being on the floor. Brown was getting his teammates open looks while making some tough baskets of his own. It is safe to say Kelsey is incredibly happy to have his starting point guard back on the floor.