Louisville basketball is now anxiously awaiting Selection Sunday after the Cardinals went 1-1 in the ACC Tournament and lost to Miami, 78-73, yesterday. Louisville shot just 12-50 from beyond the arc in the ACC Tournament, but after the Cards lost, J’Vonne Hadley sent a strong message to let fans know this team is dangerous in the NCAA Tournament.
Who is Louisville projected to play in March Madness after ACC Tournament loss?
“We’re obviously a tough, dangerous team,” Hadley stated yesterday after Louisville’s loss. “I don’t know too many people that would want to play us down here in the big tournament in a win-or-go-home scenario, especially when our shots are falling.”
J'Vonne Hadley and Louisville confident heading into NCAA Tournament
The Cardinals will likely fall out of the AP Polls entering the 2026 NCAA Tournament and are trending toward a No. 6 seed in March Madness. Right now, the Cardinals are a No. 6 seed in ESPN’s Joe Lunardi’s bracket and a No. 5 seed in CBS Sports' bracket, but as many fans know from last year, nothing is a lock until they see the Cardinals logo on the screen.
Hadley is right that Louisville has the chance to be a dangerous team, but a lot rides on the Cardinals' 3-point shooting. Without Mikel Brown Jr. on the floor, Louisville struggled from downtown, splashing just 24 percent of its shots from downtown.
However, with Brown reportedly “really close” to returning, Louisville fans are crossing their fingers that the 5-star freshman is healthy for the Big Dance. With Brown on the floor, Louisville can compete with some of the best. If he is not playing, Louisville has shown it is an uphill battle against these top-25 teams.
Hadley’s message shows that he and the team are still confident and are not entering the NCAA Tournament down on themselves or any less confident. If Louisville does earn a 6-seed, they will play an 11-seed in the first round, which is no easy win, and then likely play a 3-seed in the second round, which could be teams like Illinois, Texas Tech, Virginia, or Alabama.
It is an exciting time for Louisville fans, and while the season hasn’t gone according to plan, everything leading up to next week is erased. Everyone is 0-0 heading into the Big Dance, and the Cardinals fans have expectations of earning the program's first NCAA Tournament win since 2017.
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