Louisville Cardinals' recent skid lets Kentucky jump them in the latest Bracketology

Louisville basketball is officially projected to be a lower seed than the Kentucky Wildcats.
Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Louisville basketball is on a bit of a skid again as the Cardinals have lost two straight and three of their last four. The Cardinals were dropped out of the AP Polls for the first time this season after they were once ranked as high as No. 6 in the nation.

The Cardinals have just two games remaining this season, and Louisville is trending in the wrong direction. The Cards were trying to climb the ACC standings and the NCAA Tournament seedings, but then they went on this skid, losing three straight on the road, and suddenly this team is dropping in a lot of Bracketologies.

The Field of 68 recently updated their NCAA Tournament projection, and the Cards were jumped by one team, showing just how far they have fallen from the start of the season.

Related: Louisville basketball facing uncomfortable truth as March arrives

Kentucky passes Louisville basketball in updated Bracketology

Louisville was ranked as high as No. 6 in the nation and was projected as a No. 2 seed in early November after its win over Kentucky. The Cardinals started 7-0 with a huge home win over Kentucky, and many were calling this team a Final Four contender.

As for the Wildcats, they started 5-4 and were around the 8-seed to 10-seed mark for a large portion of the season, but since their loss to Missouri, Kentucky is 10-4, including wins over ranked teams like Tennessee, Arkansas, and Vanderbilt. With Louisville losing three of its last four and Kentucky coming off a win over a ranked Vanderbilt team, the Field of 68 had the Wildcats jump the Cardinals in its recent projection, with Louisville now predicted as a No. 7 seed and Kentucky moving up to the No. 6 seed.

Louisville’s late-season skid has the Cardinals 0-8 against Quad 1A teams and 0-6 against ranked teams. The Cardinals are projected to face UCLA in the first round, and if they win that, they would most likely face the 2025 NCAA Tournament champions, the Florida Gators, in the second round.

The Cards will have some opportunities to jump back to the No. 6 seed as they face No. 22 Miami on the road this Saturday, and possibly face SMU in their first game in the ACC Tournament. If they win that, they would face Virginia. If Louisville can get hot in early March, the Cards have a case to jump back up, but if they fall to Miami and then lose either their first or second game, they have a strong chance of staying a No. 7 seed.

Related: Why Louisville basketball fans are worried for March right now

For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's 2025-26 season and recruiting, stay tuned.

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