Louisville basketball is coming off a dominant 17-point victory over Georgia Tech, and the Cardinals now have a massive showdown with North Carolina. Tonight’s matchup has major implications, and the latest AP Polls are just another reason that proves it, as both teams remain in the top 25 after falling on the road last week.
The AP Polls just set up a huge late February top-25 showdown, as the Cardinals will travel to Chapel Hill and will be ranked No. 24, falling three spots after their loss to SMU. As for North Carolina, they also dropped in the rankings, from No. 16 last week to No. 18 after a 24-point loss to North Carolina State.
BREAKING: College Basketball AP Poll🏀https://t.co/AEi68UWgnQ pic.twitter.com/LuYhcscgfI
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However, while both teams may have fallen in the rankings, both remain in the top 25, which was exactly what Louisville fans were hoping for, as the Cardinals now have a golden opportunity to win on the road against a top-20 team.
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AP Poll sets stage for Louisville basketball vs North Carolina
Louisville will take on North Carolina this evening in a marquee matchup, and while the Cardinals are 0-3 on the road and losing by an average of 20.3 points, they are the favorite entering tonight's matchup. The No. 24 Cardinals are 2.5-point favorites tonight despite their road and ranked-team records this year, and a large reason is that UNC is without Caleb Wilson.
The Cardinals get the Tar Heels at the perfect time, as North Carolina is still a top-20 team but is without its best player, the future top-five pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Louisville has a prime chance to earn a massive road win against the No. 18 team in the nation, as Wilson is the Tar Heels' leading scorer at 19.8 points per game and leading rebounder at 9.4 rebounds per game.
Tonight is no easy game by any means, but with Louisville trying to earn a marquee road win over a ranked team, tonight feels like a golden opportunity for Pat Kelsey to secure that big-time win. Louisville has a 59.2 percent chance of winning this evening, according to ESPN Analytics, and if the Cardinals can secure a win tonight, they would jump UNC in the ACC standings and carry this momentum into Clemson, where they have another huge road test on Saturday.
These AP Polls were exactly what the fans were hoping for, because while the Cardinals fell in the rankings, Louisville stayed in the top 25 after a loss to SMU by 10. And with UNC remaining in the top 20, it gives Louisville a prime chance to earn a huge top-20 victory.
Other notable teams ranked are Duke, which moved up to No. 1 after its win over Michigan, and Virginia, which moved up to No. 11 after its win over Miami. Louisville and North Carolina will tip off tonight inside the Dean E. Smith Center at 7 p.m. local time.