Louisville basketball secured its third win in a row as the Cardinals were able to defeat Wake Forest 88-80. The Cardinals saw another positive day from their front court as Sananda Fru led the way with 17 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the field and Khani Rooths added 13 points off the bench.
The Cardinals are now 17-6 on the season and 7-4 in their conference play, making a late run for that coveted double-bye. Louisville started slowly in conference play, going 1-2 in its first three games and 2-3 in its first five, but it has quickly turned the page and taken advantage of opportunities against weaker teams like Notre Dame and Wake Forest.
There is a massive ACC showdown tonight as the whole nation tunes in for the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils vs. No. 14 North Carolina matchup. While this is set to be a fun matchup for college basketball fans, Louisville fans should especially tune in as it has major implications for the ACC standings.
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Why Louisville basketball fans should be locked into Duke vs. UNC tonight
Duke vs. UNC is known as one of the best college basketball rivalries. Many college basketball fans often say that either Louisville vs. Kentucky or North Carolina vs. Duke is the best rivalry game in college basketball, and with tonight being a top-15 showdown in the ACC, there are high expectations.
However, Louisville fans should be especially interested, as the Cardinals' three-game winning streak has them tied for fifth place at the moment. Louisville sits 7-4 in conference play, 3.5 games back from Duke, but the Cardinals fans know they won’t catch up to Duke, but they do want to catch up to be a top four seed to earn that double bye.
Right now, Virginia, Clemson, North Carolina State, North Carolina, and Miami are either ahead of Louisville or tied with it, and with UNC tied with Louisville and playing the No. 4 team in the nation and the top ACC team, the Cardinals should be heavily rooting for the Blue Devils.
UNC sits 18-4 on the season and 6-3 in conference play entering tonight's matchup. Duke is a 5.5-point favorite despite the game being played in Chapel Hill, making tonight a prime opportunity for Louisville to climb the standings. If the Tar Heels lose tonight, Louisville would jump North Carolina in the standings and have a half-game lead over UNC.
With just eight games remaining, every loss counts, and tonight appears to be one of the best chances for Louisville to jump North Carolina. Louisville and North Carolina do play each other in Chapel Hill on Feb. 23, but a loss tonight from the Tar Heels would certainly help Louisville’s chances to earn that double-bye.
The Cards' next game is against North Carolina State inside KFC Yum! Center, making it a massive opportunity for Louisville to try and earn a head-to-head advantage over the No. 4 seed in the conference in the Wolfpack.
Louisville’s schedule is about to pick up as they face the Wolfpack at home, and then SMU, UNC, Clemson, and Miami all on the road in their final eight games.
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