Louisville basketball's regular season concluded, and the Cardinals are in a position they haven't been in since the 2019 season. That season was the last time the Cardinals made the NCAA Tournament, and UofL is an absolute shoo-in for this year's March Madness
The Cardinals are now riding a nine-game win streak and have won 19 of their last 20 games. UofL has secured many records this year, including the most conference wins in a regular season, at 18 wins, and the biggest turnaround in program history, as Louisville improved by 17 games.
It is always good to see the red and black uniforms back in the NCAA Tournament, and while that is a great accomplishment, the Cardinals faithful now want to win a game in the tournament.
When was the last time Louisville basketball won a NCAA Tournament game?
The last time the Cardinals made it to the NCAA Tournament was technically the 2018-2019 season, minus the COVID season, during which Louisville was on pace to make the Big Dance.
However, in the 2019-2019 season, UofL fell short in the first round to the No. 10 seed Minnesota. So, Louisville fans have to go back even further for that last win in the NCAA Tournament. It was actually back in the 2016-2017 season with NBA All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell.
Louisville had a 25-9 record and a 12-6 conference record and was still led by Rick Pitino as its head coach. UofL had a bit of a letdown in March, as the Cardinals were ranked as high as the No. 4 seed in the country that season and finished ranked No. 10 in the AP polls before the Big Dance.
The Cardinals secured a No. 2 seed in March Madness that year, where they were seen to defeat Jacksonville State 78-63. Donovan Mitchell secured nine points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and one block. However, Louisville was led by Mangok Mathiang, who scored 18 points on 61.5% shooting from the floor.
Deng Adel and Quentin Snider also scored 16 points each in the Cardinals' victory. However, this Pitino squad was quickly bounced following this victory, as they fell to the No. 7 seed Michigan Wolverines in the next round. Louisville last made it to the second weekend of March Madness in 2015, a decade ago.
So, Pat Kelsey and his squad look to break a 10-year curse and secure an NCAA Tournament victory.