Louisville basketball begins its postseason journey today in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. That means March Madness is approaching college basketball fans, and the Cardinals faithful is thrilled to be back in the conversations.
Selection Sunday is set for Sunday, March 16, and the Cardinals fans are ready to see where Louisville basketball will land in the NCAA Tournament. The ACC Tournament gives Lousiville a tremendous opportunity to increase their resume and make a crucial pitch to college basketball on why they deserve to be ranked a respectable seed.
Best, worst, and most likely NCAA tournament seed for Louisville basketball
So, with the NCAA Tournament draw just days away, let's break down the best, worst, and most likely NCAA tournament seeds for Louisville basketball.
Best Case Scenario: Rising to a 4-seed
The best-case scenario for Louisville basketball is that they steamroll everyone in the ACC Tournament, causing them to boost their resume tremendously. The Cardinals have a clear path to the No. 4 seed if they win tonight against Stanford and then matchup with Clemson and Duke and secure pivotal wins.
Two wins over the nation's No. 1 Duke Blue Devils and the No. 10 Clemson Tigers would add two Quad 1 wins to their resume and make their record against quality teams 6-5 entering Selection Sunday. An ACC Tournament title isn't out of the question for the Cardinals, and picking up two top-10 wins in a row most likely guarantees the Cardinals a four-seed in March Madness.
Worst Case Scenario: Falling to an 8-seed
However, the nightmare scenario involves Lousiville basketball losing in the quarterfinals to Stanford tonight. The Cardinals can't afford an epic collapse in tonight's game, as this could cause the Cardinals to drop to an 8-seed or even a 9-seed. Louisville basketball wants to avoid this range as the Cardinals don't want to play against a No. 1 seed in the second round if they make it out of the round of 64.
Most Likely Scenario: Securing a 6-seed or 7-seed
With all that being said, where will the Cardinals most likely land? The most realistic scenario is Louisville secures a win tonight and will secure a 7-seed in the worst-case scenario. If the Cardinals can make a mini-run to the ACC title game and beat Clemson in the semifinals, Louisville basketball will most likely secure a 6-seed.
Louisville basketball has the potential to secure a 6-seed with two wins, and that is highly plausible as the Cardinals beat the Tigers by 10 points earlier in the season. Louisville is the No. 2 seed in the ACC Tournament, and where they end up being seeded is in their own hands. They should make a championship run and be a dangerous team in the ACC Tournament, which would secure them a 6-seed, but if they were to fall to Clemson in a close battle, they most likely would secure a No. 7 seed in the Big Dance.