Louisville basketball lost to the Miami Hurricanes in the quarterfinals this afternoon, as the Cards' ACC Tournament run is officially over. The Cardinals shot the ball poorly, but 3-point specialist Isaac McKneely continues to struggle in big-time games, and today’s loss should have Cardinals fans once again begging Pat Kelsey to make a lineup change.
Pat Kelsey's Mikel Brown Jr. injury update is exactly what Louisville fans want to hear
The Cardinals' ACC Tournament journey falls short, and Louisville will now anxiously wait to see what seed it receives in the NCAA Tournament. Many fans feel confident Louisville should be a 6-seed, but after last year’s nightmare situation, some will still be bracing for the worst. But, with the NCAA Tournament just one week away, Kelsey needs to think about bringing McKneely off the bench and starting Adrian Wooley.
Pat Kelsey should consider bringing Isaac McKneely off the bench
In the ACC Tournament, the conversation about bringing McKneely off the bench died down as Mikel Brown Jr. was out for Louisville’s two games. But assuming Brown is available for the first-round matchup, McKneely struggles against quality opponents, raising the idea of bringing the Virginia transfer off the bench once again.
Louisville this season continues to struggle against quality opponents, and McKneely's shooting woes are a perfect representation of that. This afternoon, the 3-point specialist shot 2-of-8 from beyond the arc, and worth mentioning, 1-of-2 from the free throw line, and three turnovers. The Virginia transfer struggled mightily in the Cards' loss this afternoon, and it was on full display in the final minutes when he went 0-of-2 from beyond the arc, had a costly in-bounds turnover, and missed a free throw with 22 seconds, which would have put Louisville within two.
Louisville had expectations of returning to the ACC Tournament Title game, and with Louisville losing in the quarterfinals, Kelsey should consider making a change. Adrian Wooley gives Louisville more on the defensive end, and on offense, he is someone who can attack the paint but shoot at the same rate as McKneely.
Against ranked teams, McKneely shot the ball just 24 percent from downtown, and while Wooley didn’t shoot it much better at 26 percent, Louisville’s offense looks much more fluid with the 5-star transfer on the floor, as he can attack the rim, create his own shot, but also be another ball handler to free up Brown and Ryan Conwell. As for McKneely, in these big games, he tends to either disappear on the floor or the Cards run screens for him, and he catches the ball 5 feet beyond the 3-point line and is shooting deep 3’s and is missing short.
Louisville will likely be a 6-seed in the NCAA Tournament, which has them lined up with VCU, Texas, Missouri, and others in Bracketology right now. If Louisville wants to go on a run in the NCAA Tournament, they will likely have to beat a No. 2 seed or No. 3 seed in the second round, which means Kelsey should think about bringing McKneely off the bench if Brown is good to go, as his shooting woes against quality teams continue to hurt Louisville in these big games.
Related: 3 reasons Adrian Wooley should start over Isaac McKneely for the Louisville Cardinals
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