Louisville basketball is currently just one game behind Duke in the ACC standings, and are on the brink of history
With the Cardinals closing in on another program record of most ACC wins in a single season, Pat Kelsey and his squad had a disappointing win over Florida State. Cardinals have had some sickness with in the locker room and could a a factor in their recent performances, but if Louisville wants a shot at history, they have continue this win streak, and win their last three games.
UofL has won six straight and 16 of their last 17 games, and has helped bring them to an impressive 22-6 overall record. Pat Kelsey etched this program into the history books, and Cardinals secured the biggest turnaround in the 111-years of the Louisville basketball program.
Cardinals look to etch their names into the history books at least once more, and secure the ACC regular-season crown, but in order to do that, these four players must step up to boos their chances.
4 Louisville basketball players who must play better to boost ACC title chances
In order for Louisville basketball to win the ACC title, Duke has to lose to either Wake Forest or UNC, and Cardinals must win out. It may seem like a long shot, but even if Cardinals can't secure the regular season crown, they can still win their first-ever ACC Tournament title.
Here are four Louisville basketball players who have to step up to secure an ACC crown.
4. Chucky Hepburn
The center of attention for this Louisville basketball squad is Chucky Hepburn. He is one of the nation's best point guards and has had a spectacular season. He has averaged 15.6 points per game, with 3.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 2.4 steals, and is shooting 43.8% from the field and 33% from beyond the arc.
While Hepburn has filled the stat sheet all season long, and even just made history with the most free-throws made in Cardinals history, he has had a troubling issue of turning the ball over. In his last three games Hepburn has turned the ball over 16 times, and is averaging 3.0 turnovers a game on the season.
Hepburn ability to control the game and play at his pace is one of the reasons what makes him so special of a player. However, he can be caught playing a little to fast, or out of control and it leads to turning the ball over. If Cardinals want to make history a lot will ride on Hepburn, and for him it comes down to taking care of the basketball.
3. Terrence Edwards Jr.
Terrence Edwards Jr. has been one of the best rising stars on this Louisville basketball team, as his ability to score is almost second to none. Edwards has the ability to go one-on-one with nearly anyone in the country and break the defender down.
However, Edwards has entered a mere shooting slump from beyond the arc as he is shooting 4-13, 30.7%, from beyond the arc in his last three games. He is shooting just 31.9% on the year from downtown, as he has gone 46-144 on the year. Edwards is a career 35% three-point shooter, and if Cardinals want a chance of history his shooting from downtown has to improve.
2. Aboubacar Traore
Aboubacar Traore is one of Pat Kelsey's hustle players as he is seen all over the floor giving all of his energy. The forward out of Abidjan, Ivory Coast is averaging 5.5 points, 4.8 rebounds on 53.5% from the field.
The 6-foot-5, 205-pound forward is playing his first season in a Louisville Cardinal uniform, as he transferred in from Long Beach State. Cardinals need a similar result from him from his 2024 seasons numbers, as he averaged 12 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists,1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals.
His main presence is on the defensive side as he is averaging 0.6 blocks, and 0.8 steals a game in just his 13 minutes a game. Traore role has been increasing as Noah Waterman role slowly begins to get smaller.
1. Reyne Smith
Reyne Smith has entered maybe his worst slump of the year, and it is quite possibly at the worst time. Smith is averaging 14.0 points a game on 38.5% from downtown. He averages 3.7 threes made a game which is second highest in NCAA, and his 9.7 threes attempted per game is fourth highest per game.
Smith is currently No. 2 in NCAA for total most made threes at 104, and recently etched his name into history books as just the third Louisville basketball player to hit 100 or more threes in a single season. However, Smith recent stretch has not been like himself. In his last three games he shot 1-9 against Virginia Tech, 3-10 against Florida State, and 4-11 against Notre Dame. That is a combined 8-30, 26.7%.
Smith has all the confidence from his head coach, as Kelsey has backed Smith up multiple times and said smith green-light is as bright as it can get. Louisville basketball has a chance to make a deep run into March, but they need Smith to be lights out from downtown if they want history made.