Louisville basketball is coming off another impressive double-digit victory as the Cardinals outscored Baylor in the second half 48-37, leading to an 82-71 victory. The Cardinals have won five straight and now have just six games remaining.
Louisville had an impressive week of basketball, starting with a dominant 41-point victory over North Carolina State, led by a 45-point performance from Mikel Brown Jr., and their only other game was a win over Baylor, led by a 29-point performance from Brown.
The Cardinals continue to trend in the right direction and are coming together at the perfect time, with Selection Sunday exactly four weeks away. With the AP Polls coming out in just a few hours, let's see how far the Cardinals will move up in the rankings.
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Where will Louisville basketball land in the AP Polls after winning five straight?
Louisville’s impressive week will definitely have them move up in the rankings, but it just depends on how far. The Cardinals have a path to climb at least two spots, as the Clemson Tigers will definitely fall behind Louisville after losing two straight, including this past week when they lost to Duke by 13.
The other team Louisville will likely move past is BYU. The Cardinals just beat a similar opponent in Baylor, with both games played in Texas, but Louisville won by 11 and BYU by five. On top of that, the Cougars star Richie Saunders suffered a season-ending torn ACL. With Clemson's recent struggles and BYU's crucial injury, there is a clear path for Louisville to jump up to that No. 22 spot.
As for the teams behind the Cardinals, Kentucky lost to Florida, so they won’t jump the Cardinals. Alabama will likely climb back into the rankings, but will be behind Louisville. Cardinals fans could make a case that they should move past Miami (Ohio) because of their resume, Quad 1 wins, and strength of schedule, but with the RedHawks being 25-0, that seems unlikely.
So, expect the Cardinals to be No. 22 for this week's showdowns with SMU and Georgia Tech, but if the Cards go 2-0 this week, this team can continue to trend up in the rankings and seedings.
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