The Cardinals will tip off with the Creighton Bluejays in under 24 hours, and fans are starting to get nervous. The first-round jitters are creeping up, and Louisville basketball has been starving for an NCAA Tournament win.
The Cardinals haven't won a game in the Big Dance since 2017 and will need Chucky Hepburn and company to step up if they want to beat Ryan Kalkbrenner and his Creighton's team. The Bluejays had a record of 24-10 in the regular season and have had some impressive wins over St. John's, Kansas, and others.
Louisville basketball has been a College basketball Cinderella story this year, with an impressive 27-7 record. The Cardinals improved by 19 wins from last season, a new program record. Creighton has also had an impressive season, but they seem to have a glaring weakness that favors the Cardinals in this first round matchup
Bluejays’ glaring kryptonite makes Louisville basketball's path much easier
The Cardinals and Bluejays have only played three times before their March Madness showdown tomorrow, and the Bluejays have owned the series today with a 2-1 record against the Cardinals. This will be the first time these two schools have played each other since 1999. The Cardinals lost this first-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament to the Bluejays 62-58.
Louisville and Creighton will have different paths to their first-round matchup. The Bluejays had to hop on a plane for about three and a half hours and finally landed in Lexington, Kent. The Cardinals had to hop on a bus and drive about an hour, maybe an hour and a half to Lexington.
The Cardinals will have a massive advantage in this first-round matchup, as Louisville faithful is already one of the best travelers in the nation. Now, that the game is just an hour from their home stadium, fans plan to paint Rupp Arena red.
This is a glaring strength for Louisville and a glaring weakness for the Bluejays. Although this game is technically a neutral site game, it seems that the Cardinals faithful will have the majority of the attendance.
Creighton has struggled mightily on the road this season, specifically against ranked opponents. The Bluejays were 6-6 on the road this season and 3-5 against ranked teams overall. Creighton, as an away underdog, is 2-5. The Bluejay's will have a tall task against the Cardinals as the No. 10 ranked team in the nation will look to pack Rupp Arena with their bright red colors.
The Cardinals will pretty much be hosting the Bluejays. The first round is being played in the Cardinals' state, just an hour's drive, so it will pretty much be a home game for Pat Kelsey. Louisville was 14-3 as the home team and 14-2 as the favorite from their home court. The Cardinals open up as a 2.5-point favorites over Creighton.
Creighton has shown multiple times this season that their weakness is playing on the road, and the Cardinals have shown they are much better playing front of their loyal fans. The Cardinals faithful has a huge impact on the outcome of this game, and Louisville fans have to make sure they pack Rupp Arena tomorrow afternoon and are loud.
The Cardinals fans look to rattle the Bluejays and being a keyX-factor in this game. The Bluejays' numbers hint at them struggling on the road, while the Cardinals love to play in front of their fans. Louisville and Creighton are set to tip off at 12:15 p.m. local time.