Well, it was closer than a lot wanted in the final minutes, but the Cardinals just snapped a massive drought. Louisville basketball fans have been starving for an NCAA Tournament win, and after eight long years, Pat Kelsey and the Cardinals secured a win in the Big Dance. Â
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It was very ugly in the final 10 minutes in the second half, but March Madness is all about survive and advance, and that is what the Cards did. Louisville defeated USF by a score of 83-79, and if they want to break another long drought and make it to the Sweet Sixteen, they will have to fix their turnovers. For now, Louisville fans will enjoy this afternoon's win.
Louisville basketball secures first NCAA Tournament win since 2017
Entering this afternoon, the Cardinals' last win was back in 2017 when Donovan Mitchell and the Cards defeated Jacksonville State 78-63. A win in the Big Dance has been well overdue, as Louisville fans have been put through some suffering, including a two-year span when Louisville won just 12 games.
After those two years, Kelsey was hired, and after not making the NCAA Tournament since 2019, he took Louisville back to the Big Dance in his first year. And now, in his second season, he ended another drought, securing Louisville’s first NCAA Tournament in eight seasons.
Louisville’s first NCAA Tournament win didn’t just end the drought, but it also proved many doubters wrong. USF upsetting the Cardinals was the most popular upset in the NCAA Tournament bracket, as Jay Bilas, Bruce Pearl, and the entire TNT crew picked the Bulls to upset Louisville. However, Louisville sent a strong message this afternoon and will move on to the next round after this big-time win.
This marks Kelsey’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win, and now Louisville will get the winner of Michigan State and North Dakota State, which will take place this afternoon at 4 p.m. local time. The Cardinals will be without Mikel Brown Jr. for the second round showdown, as it was reported the 5-star freshman will miss the entire weekend.
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