Louisville basketball is riding a wave of mixed fortunes as they gear up for a crucial clash against North Carolina. After splitting their games last week-falling to SMU but rebounding with a victory over Georgia Tech-the Cardinals are set for a 7 p.m. showdown on Monday in Chapel Hill.
In the latest top-25 polls, Pat Kelsey’s squad (20-7, 9-5 ACC) moved up to 20th in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll but slipped to 24th in the AP Top 25. This comes after their 1-1 performance last week.
Meanwhile, the Tar Heels are sitting at 19th in the Coaches Poll and 18th in the AP Top 25. They also had a split week, suffering a tough 82-58 loss at N.C.
State before bouncing back with a 77-64 win at Syracuse.
The stakes are high for Louisville, as this game represents a Quad 1A opportunity-something they’ve struggled with, going 0-6 in such matchups this season, including 0-4 on the road. The average margin of defeat in these games has been 15.2 points, so a win here would be a significant boost.
Looking ahead, after Monday's game, the Cardinals will have a few days to regroup before facing Clemson on Saturday. The Tigers, who have been on a four-game losing streak, are also looking for redemption. Ranked 38th in the NET, Clemson offers another Quad 1A opportunity for Louisville.
"It's a big week," Kelsey noted after the Georgia Tech win. "It's a great challenge and opportunity for our team."
North Carolina will be missing a key player, Caleb Wilson, one of the top freshmen in the ACC, due to a hand fracture. However, they expect to have their second-leading scorer, Henri Veesaar, back in action. Veesaar, a 7-foot junior forward, made a strong return from injury with 19 points in their victory over Syracuse.
Louisville hasn’t tasted victory at the Dean E. Smith Center since January 2019. A win on Monday would not only break that streak but also mark the first time the Cardinals have secured back-to-back victories over North Carolina, who lead the all-time series 20-8.
As we look at the national landscape, the top five teams in the Coaches Poll are Duke, Arizona, Michigan, Houston, and Iowa State, while the AP Poll features Duke, Arizona, Michigan, Iowa State, and Houston. With marquee matchups shaking up the standings, the stage is set for an exciting week in college basketball.