Louisville basketball is taking on the Miami Hurricanes in a marquee matchup to end the regular season. The Cardinals have one final chance to earn a road win over a ranked team, as Louisville is 0-4 in those games and 0-6 against current ranked teams.
Louisville basketball trending toward another Selection Sunday controversy
Entering the season, Louisville had extremely high hopes, with the sixth-highest odds to win the NCAA Tournament National Championship, but the Cards have struggled in Quad 1A games and are now unranked. ESPN recently put out an article highlighting every team that can win the National Championship, and the Cardinals were not among the eight that made the cut, but they were among the 18 that just missed.
ESPN’s shows exactly where Louisville stands in March Madness race
March Madness is one of the best times of the year. It is a tournament where anything can happen. There have been 16 seeds up to the No. 1 seeds, and crazy Cinderella stories like when DJ Burns led a 17-14 North Carolina State team to win the ACC Tournament, and then had a crazy run to the Final Four as an 11-seed.
Anything is possible in March. And while the Cardinals fans made it clear they believe Louisville’s ceiling is the Sweet Sixteen, all it takes is getting hot at that right moment, and that can start today against Miami. Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf recently released their eight teams who can win, and it isn’t a surprise to see Louisville not among them, but it also isn’t a surprise that Louisville is still listed as a near-miss.
The Cardinals' 3-7 road record and 0-8 record in Quad 1A games make it clear why they aren’t one of the eight teams listed as contenders, but the Cardinals still get some love as a team programs should respect, and Louisville can go on a run in March.
If Mikel Brown Jr. is healthy and available in the postseason, it isn’t hard to see why Louisville can still go on a run. The Cardinals continue to show flashes; they now just have to put together a whole game.
Louisville lives and dies from beyond the arc, taking over 33 3-pointers per game. While it can be frustrating at times, it also means that if the Cards can get hot from deep, this team can compete with anyone.
Related: Louisville basketball's late stumble raises serious March concern
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