Louisville basketball is coming off a crushing loss to North Carolina and has a quick turnaround, facing Clemson this weekend. Pat Kelsey made it clear that the Cardinals have a big week, and all of a sudden, after their losses to SMU and North Carolina, this Clemson game is entering must-win territory.
The Cards' showdown with the Tigers once again has major implications as Clemson and Louisville are fighting for that 4-seed and the double-bye in the ACC Tournament. After the Cardinals' loss to UNC, they are still just one game back from North Carolina State for that 4-seed, but sitting between them and the Wolfpack are the Tar Heels and the Tigers.
Louisville still has a huge opportunity to leapfrog the Tigers for the 4-seed, but to do so, Louisville must all of a sudden fix this major flaw that has become a concerning trend. The Cards have to find a way to win on the road, and as Cardinals fans know, that has not been an easy task for Kelsey and the Cardinals.
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Louisville basketball’s must fix its biggest flaw against Clemson
Louisville was on a five-game win streak, and the city and the fans were buzzing and buying back into the Final Four dreams. However, all of that has quickly vanished as Louisville has lost two of its last three, both on the road.
The Cardinals have had some recurring flaws this season, and one of them is the struggles on the road. This Cardinals team is a dominant 14-2 at home inside KFC Yum! Center, but when they travel for a true road game, Louisville is a concerning 3-6.
The Cards' last three losses have all come on the road, including their recent loss to SMU and North Carolina. The road struggles have been one of the major storylines this entire season, as the Cardinals' woes on the road are a major reason some don’t believe this team can make a run in the postseason.
The Cardinals are 0-4 against ranked teams on the road and have also lost to SMU and Cal. The Cardinals' four road losses to ranked teams average16 points, as the Cards lost to Duke by 31, Tennessee by 21, Arkansas by 9, and now UNC by 3. While Louisville showed they could play UNC close and fought back after being down 16, it is also worth noting the Tar Heels were without their best player, Caleb Wilson, who nearly averages 20 points and 10 rebounds per game, and many thought this was the one Louisville had to find a way to win.
This trend of the Cardinals struggling on the road is concerning, as unfortunately for Louisville, the path isn’t getting easier. Louisville has Clemson on the road this weekend, which is 11-3 at home and 20-8 overall. Then the Cardinals have to travel to Miami to close out the regular season, and the Hurricanes are showing they are no pushover. The Canes sit as the 3-seed in the ACC, 22-6 on the season and 14-2 at home, including an impressive win over UNC when they had Caleb Wilson.
So, with Louisville still in contention for that coveted double-bye in the ACC Tournament, it has to find a way to overcome one of its biggest weaknesses this season, and that is winning on the road against quality teams. Louisville and Clemson will tipoff this Saturday at noon local time inside Littlejohn Coliseum.
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