4. No double-bye means the bench better be ready to go
The one problem with Louisville's current position in the ACC tournament is that they won’t be able to take advantage of the double bye afforded to the top 4 teams in the conference. This means that the Cardinals' bench will be utilized fully by coach Pat Kelsey, especially during the conference tournament, to ensure no one player gets too worn down by the day-to-day competition. It will be a true “next man up” mentality as the Cardinals will need every fresh body to contribute towards the team's goal of winning the tournament.
With the injury status of Mikel Brown Jr. still up in the air, the need to give the starters rest becomes even more critical throughout the game. They have to be the ones to make the big plays and keep the Cardinals from falling behind late in games. Adrian Wooley has been, and will continue to be, leaned on to step up and contribute in the starting spot, so long as Brown is still unable to go for the tournament. Having the deep, productive bench that Kelsey can utilize for key minutes will be crucial to the Cardinals' success.