The 2026 ACC Tournament is set, and Louisville basketball has its path to the ACC Tournament Championship game. Last year, the Cardinals made history by reaching the championship game for the first time in program history, and this year, while the odds are stacked high against them, they will look to win four straight and secure that first program ACC Tournament Title.
Vegas oddsmakers stack odds high against Louisville basketball in ACC Tournament
The Cardinals secured the No. 6 seed in the ACC Tournament and will play on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. local time. The Cardinals have a 5-9 ACC Tournament record after going 2-1 last year, where they beat Stanford on a thrilling buzzer beater in the quarterfinals and beat Clemson in the semifinals, securing their first Quad 1A win.
With Louisville seeded for the NCAA Tournament, they will have some big-time chances to earn more Quad 1 and Quad 1A wins. The Cardinals have a handful of opponents they could face throughout the tournament if they want to return to the ACC Tournament Championship game, and so here is a full-depth breakdown of the Cardinals' potential opponents for each round in the ACC Tournament.
Louisville basketball's potential ACC Tournament second-round opponents
No. 11 SMU Mustangs
Record:Â 19-12 (8-10 ACC)
Team Stats:
- Points:Â 85.0 PPG
- FG%:Â 49.3%
- 3PT%:Â 37.8%
- Defense:Â 78.4 PPG allowed
Key Players:
- Boopie Miller (G):Â 19.4 PPG, 6.6 APG, 1.5 SPG, 42.4% 3PT, 47.5% FG
- Jaron Pierre Jr. (G):Â 17.5 PPG, 37.7% 3PT, 46.3% FG
- BJ Edwards (G):Â 12.7 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 4.9 APG, 37.2% 3PT, 47.4% FG
Regular season matchup
Louisville and SMU have already played each other twice, with the Cardinals coming back from 12 down and winning by 14 in the first matchup, and SMU taking care of business at home and beating Louisville by 10 in the second. Cardinals fans would much rather play Syracuse in the second round, but if the Cards do face SMU, it would give them another opportunity to earn a major win over an NCAA Tournament team.
No. 14 Syracuse Orange
Record:Â 15-16 (6-12 ACC)
Team Stats:
- Points:Â 75.2 PPG
- FG%:Â 46.6%
- 3PT%:Â 33.2%
- Defense:Â 73.9 PPG allowed
Key Players:
- Donnie Freeman (F):Â 17.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.0 BPG 47.9 % FG, 30.5% 3PT
- Nate Kingz (G):Â 11.8 PPG, 37.1% 3PT, 48.5% FG
- J.J. Starling (G):Â 11.2 PPG, 2.4 APG, 42.4% FG
Regular season matchup
Louisville and Syracuse met just this past week, with the Cardinals defeating the Orange without Mikel Brown Jr., 77-62. Louisville was led by Ryan Conwell, who posted 23 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. The Cards shot 43 percent from the field and 40 percent from downtown in their win over the Orange.