Louisville basketball fell short to the Duke Blue Devils Saturday night in the ACC Tournament Championship, 74-63. The Cardinals' 11 11-game winning streak ends, but Louisville basketball will look to get some much-needed rest and wait for their NCAA Tournament path.
Pat Kelsey and his Cardinals secured history in this ACC Tournament run, and while it is sad to see it end like this, it is essential to appreciate how far this team made it. Louisville never made it to the finals or semifinals of the ACC Tournament, and before this run, the Cardinals only won three games in the ACC Tournament.
Louisville basketball's loss showed some areas of strength heading into the NCAA Tournament, but also some weaknesses they will have to try and fix. So, here are five glaring observations from Louisville basketball's loss to the Duke Blue Devils.
5 glaring observations from Louisville basketball's loss to the Duke Blue Devils
5. Reyne Smith will make or break Cardinals fate
Reyne Smith is available for the NCAA Tournament, and Lousiville basketball fans should be jumping for joy. The Cardinals have struggled immensely from beyond the arc this ACC Tournament run, and Smith will help out a lot in that area.
Smith averages 3.5 threes per game, and the Cardinal's X-factor is a massive piece to this offense. Even on his off nights, he will space the floor out and cause havoc on the defense's mind. Don't panic just yet about the Cardinals' shooting. When Smith is back on the floor, Louisville basketball fans will see this offense back in full effect.
4. This team showed resilience
It didn't matter what the score was or how much time was left; this team never quit. Pat Kelsey has built a standard and a culture in this program in just his first 12 months, which is incredible.
The Cardinals were double-double-digits for the majority of the final five minutes, and Louisville basketball never threw in the white flag. Hepburn and Edwards played every minute of this game, and Hadley played 38 minutes.
The effort is all fans ever really want to see. Yes, winning is important, and fans never want to lose, but if your team is giving it all on the court and walking off the court gassed like this team was, then the Cardinals fans are not mad. The grit and resilience Louisville basketball showed last night give fans hope as we turn the chapter to the NCAA Tournament.
3. Hepburn shooting struggles continues
Chucky Hepburn scored 14 points on just 31.3 percent of shooting from the floor, including 12.3 percent from beyond the arc. Hepburn shot one-of-eight from downtown, and didn't shoot it well in the ACC Tournament.
The star guard averaged 19.9 percent from beyond the arc in the ACC run and will look to pick things back up in the NCAA Tournament. Hepburn seemed to have forced some shots from beyond the arc. It could have been because Smith wasn't on the floor or because of bad offensive possessions, but in tonight's game, this Cardinals offense was rattled for a solid portion of the game, and it created some poor offensive possessions.
2. The Cardinals depth could be an issue in NCAA Tournament
It was clear that Chucky Hepburn and company were tired in their game against Duke. Lousiville basketball's missing a valuable piece in Reyne Smith messed up their rotation, and it was clear that the depth hurt them tonight.
Smith will be ready for the NCAA Tournament, but the Cardinals ' eight-man rotation was gassed. Hepburn and Edwards played all 40 minutes, and Hadley played 38. The Cardinals will need to find a way to rest up fast because this Cardinals squad was huffing and puffing.
1. Louisville basketball has a star in Terrence Edwards Jr.
Terrence Edwards Jr. once again led all scorers in scoring this game with 29 points. The Cardinals Third-Team All-ACC guard was having a legacy game, as he was seen hitting nearly anything he put up in the first half and early in the second half.
Edwards finished with 29 points, six rebounds, three assists, and one steal while shooting 42 percent from the field on 29 shots and 42 percent from beyond the arc on 12 threes. Terrence Edwards Jr. had one of the best games of the season for the Cardinals and stepped up every game this postseason run.
Louisville basketball will now wait for their NCAA Tournament seed and their path to the Final Four. Selection Sunday starts tonight at 6:00 p.m. local time.