Louisville basketball has had a busy week, and sometimes, it is hard to keep up with all the news. Here, we plan to break down everything that has happened in the last few days and give the Cardinals fans a brief recap to catch up.
We will break down the latest recruiting rumors and all the recent news as Pat Kelsey and his Cardinals prepare for the ACC Tournament.
Louisville basketball secures trio of awards
Pat Kelsey: ACC Coach of the Year
The Cardinals learned that their head coach, Pat Kelsey, had won the ACC Coach of the Year Award, and Chucky Hepburn had won the ACC Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Pat Kelsey led this Cardinals squad to a historic season, as UofL secured a program-best 18 ACC wins. Kelsey rejuvenated this program from winning 12 games combined in their last two seasons to a 25-win season. Louisville basketball improved their win total by 17 wins this season, which is the best improvement in program history.
Kelsey's Cardinals won 15 ACC games by double-digit points, and UofL won 19 games in the season by 10 points or more. They would also go on and win 10 games by 15 points or more, eight wins by 20 points or more, four wins by 25 or more, two wins by 30 points or more, and their biggest win by 48 points or more.
Pat Kelsey is the first Cardinals head coach to secure Coach of the Year in their conference since Rick Pitino.
Chucky Hepburn: ACC Defensive Player of the year; All-ACC First Team
As for the Cardinals players, Louisville's Terrence Edwards Jr. and Chucky Hepburn got the recognition they deserved. Hepburn secured Defensive Player of the Year and an All-ACC First Team selection, while Edwards earned the All-ACC Third Team selection on Monday afternoon.
The two Cardinals guards join an elite category of UofL players picked for All-ACC teams. Before Hepburn and Edwards, the Cardinals had only six players earn this recognition.
Hepburn is the first Louisville basketball player to earn Defensive Player of the Year since Gorgui Dieng back in 2013 when the Cardinals were in the Big East. Hepburn has solidified himself as one of the best guards and players in the ACC and has earned these accolades. His 2.4 steals per game ranks No. 1 in the ACC and top 20 in the country. His 5.9 assists per game also ranks in the top 20 in the nation and Number 3 in the ACC. On top of all that, he leads Louisville in scoring with 16.3 points per game. He has scored 20 points or more in six games and has had five steals or more in four games.
Terrence Edwards Jr.: All-ACC Third Team
Cardinals guard Terrence Edwards Jr. averaged 16.9 points in ACC play and scored 10 or more in 11 straight games. He averages 20.4 points in those 11 games and has made 29 threes, nearly three threes from downtown per game, including his seven-made threes against Cal.
He has scored 20 or more points 10 times and is averaging 15.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and shooting 33.3% from downtown and 43.7% from the field from the whole season.
Louisville basketball ACC Tournament update
Louisville basketball enters the ACC Tournament as the No. 2 seed. The Cardinals have the second-best odds to win the ACC crown at +650, as Duke is -340 to bring home the ACC title.
Louisville basketball's path can be found here. The Cardinals will play on March 13 at 7:00 p.m. local time in the quarterfinals. UofL will need three wins to win the ACC title.
The Cardinals are 0-2 when they secure a double bye and are 3-8 overall in the ACC Tournament.
NCAA Tournament projections
Louisville basketball is projected to be a 6-seed per multiple media outlets. Bracket Matrix says the Cardinals' average seed is a 6.31 seed in March Madness. Joe Lunardi of ESPN predicts Lousville basketball to be a 6-seed in the South region, and will play the winner of San Diego State and Indiana.
Louisville basketball recruiting update
The latest recruiting update for UofL is that they are patiently waiting for 5-star recruit Nate Ament to announce his commitment. Ament is a McDonald's All-American and listed the Cardinals in his final five schools. For his full recruitment breakdown, click here.