Louisville basketball might have won three straight, but it’s getting no help from the outside. After the Cardinals took down Wake Forest 88-80, another ACC game drew national attention, as No.4 Duke took on No. 14 North Carolina in a game that added to one of the best rivalries in college basketball.
The Cardinals needed a little bit of help from Duke to help move North Carolina down further in the ACC rankings. This seemed likely, as Duke had not lost an ACC bout yet and was sitting at the top of the conference rankings.
However, North Carolina had other plans. The Blue Devils would jump out to an early lead as they went into the half up 41-29 on the Tar Heels. UNC would respond and claw its way back, tying the game at 68 with 1:40 left in the game. Then, Seth Trimble would nail a three as time expired and give the Tar Heels the upset win over the Blue Devils.
While this was a great basketball game to watch, it’s an unfortunate situation for the Cardinals. The Tar Heels sit half a game ahead of Louisville in the conference rankings, leaving the Cards with some work to do. However, there is still plenty of time for Louisville to climb the ranks, and luckily, outside help is still possible for the Cards.
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What comes next
The Cardinals currently sit at seventh in the ACC, with the five and six seeds both just sitting half a game ahead of them. Luckily for Louisville, these two teams play eachother next. North Carolina will face Miami on Tuesday for sole control of the five seed and will indicate which team moves closer to passing the Cards.
Louisville can control its own destiny on Monday, as North Carolina State comes to town. The Wolfpack are 9-2 in ACC play and sit just one game behind first place in the conference. Not only will a win against NC State improve the Cardinals' own record, but it will allow the ACC race to shake up even more by moving the Wolfpack down in the conference.
Of course, the Cardinals' future will rely on more than just this upcoming week. Louisville will get its own shot at UNC down the line, followed by another ranked opponent in Clemson, which is now tied for first in the conference.
The outside factors might not have gone in Louisville’s favor on Saturday, but the only thing the Cardinals can control is themselves. They have shown they have the talent to compete with anyone, and now it's time to put it all together and make one last push from now until the postseason.