Louisville basketball ended the season on a nine-game win streak and secured 19 wins in their last 20 games, but Joe Lunardi doesn't seem too impressed.
The Cardinals were ranked as a No. 6 seed entering their final game, but ESPN's elite March Madness reporter predicts they will now drop to a No. 7 seed.
Louisville is projected to go toe-to-toe with Drake University in the first round. The Bulldogs average above 70 points per game and just secured the MVC regular-season title. Drake went 30-3 in the regular season and 17-3 in conference play.
While no game is given in March, and the Cardinals will have a tall task with Drake in the first round, if UofL can sneak by and move on to the second round, then Louisville is set up to meet an SEC giant in the round of 32.
Louisville basketball eyes SEC giant in Joe Lunardi's latest Bracketology
Louisville basketball, being the No. 7 seed in this prediction, will most likely face a No. 2 seed in the round of 32.
In this prediction, Joe Lunardi has the Cardinals meeting the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Tide finished No. 3 in the SEC regular season standings and secured a 24-7 record and a 13-5 SEC conference record. The Cardinals are known for their explosive offensive attack, but Alabama has the best offense in the country.
The Crimson Tide ranks No. 1 in points per game at 91.2 while shooting 48.4%, which ranks No. 26 in the nation. Their offense is led by star guard Mark Sean. Sean averages 19.2 points and 5.0 assists while shooting 41.0% from the field and 35.2% from beyond the arc.
Alabama currently ranks No. 2 in ESPN's BPI rankings. The Tide has an impressive 14-7 record in their Quality wins category, their strength of schedule is ranked No. 1, and they secured a top-five ranking in all other categories.
Alabama had 10 wins over ranked opponents and has a few opponents similar to Lousiville. The Cardinals lost to Kentucky and Oklahoma earlier in the regular season, where Alabama was seen to beat Oklahoma and Kentucky twice. However, the Cardinals and Bama also had similar opponents in North Carolina, as both teams were able to get past the Tar Heels.
This task is tall for Pat Kelsey and his short-handed Cardinals in the second round. However, Lousiville's ability to shoot and catch fire, led by star guards Chucky Hepburn and Terrence Edwards Jr., allows them to compete with anyone.
A lot still has to happen, as many experts have recently shifted the Cardinals between the No. 6 or No. 7 seeds. If the Cardinals can make a deep ACC Tournament run, Louisville will have a clear path to being a No. 6 seed or maybe even a No. 5 seed.