The Cardinals' 2026 ACC Tournament ran short as Louisville got bounced in the quarterfinals by the Miami Hurricanes, who just lost by 22 to Virginia in the semifinals. Some Louisville basketball fans are questioning just how far this Cardinals team can realistically go after Louisville’s short stint in the conference tourney, but Isaac McKneely is confidently telling the fans he “100 percent” feels like this team can go on a run in the Big Dance.
Who is Louisville projected to play in March Madness after ACC Tournament loss?
Louisville is led by veteran guys in this locker room, as McKneely, J’Vonne Hadley, and Ryan Conwell have all been in the NCAA Tournament. The 2025-26 season hasn’t gone as many would have planned or hoped, but everyone is 0-0 from this point on, and McKneely is sending a confident message to the fans, letting them know this team has what it takes to still achieve the preseason goals.
Isaac McKneely is “100 percent” confident Louisville can make a run
Entering the season, Louisville had Final Four aspirations, with the Cardinals ranked sixth in odds to win the 2026 National Title. Louisville was trending toward a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, ranked as high as No. 6 in the AP Polls, but Louisville’s season didn’t go as many had planned as they lost in the ACC Tournament semifinals and will likely enter the NCAA Tournament unranked and as a 6-seed.
When McKneely was asked if he thinks Louisville has what it takes to go on a run in March Madness, the sharpshooter had no doubt in his mind.
“100 percent,” McKneely stated on whether he feels like Louisville can make a run in the NCAA Tournament. “I think we got everything we need in this locker room right now. Like I said, we will learn from this and come back even stronger and get some recovery the next couple of days, find out who we are playing and make a run.”
The Cardinals now have the 17th-highest odds to win the National Title at +10000, according to FanDuel. Louisville is looking to earn its first NCAA Tournament win since Rick Pitino and Donovan Mitchell led the Cardinals to a first-round victory over Jacksonville State when Louisville was the No. 2 seed.
The Cardinals haven’t made it to the Sweet Sixteen since 2015, and haven’t made it to the Final Four since they won the National Championship game back in 2013. So, this Cardinals fanbase is starving for a deep tournament run. Louisville fans hope McKneely is right and that this team can rattle off a couple of victories, advance to the Sweet Sixteen and the second weekend, and, from there, just find a way to stay hot and be that team the fans saw back in November when they beat Kentucky.
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