Louisville basketball is in the thick of the race for the No. 4 seed in the ACC Tournament, trailing the Clemson Tigers by just 1.5 games. Despite a recent road loss to SMU, Cardinals fans are rallying behind head coach Pat Kelsey and his squad, confident in their ability to finish strong with five games left in the season.
Before the setback against SMU, Louisville was riding a five-game win streak, sparking optimism among the fan base. With Mikel Brown Jr. stepping up his game and the stakes higher than ever, there's a palpable belief that the Cardinals can ignite another winning run.
In a poll conducted on X (formerly Twitter), 40.7% of the 462 voters expressed confidence that Louisville would finish the final six games with a 5-1 record. This shows a strong belief in the team's direction, even after the recent loss.
Facing SMU was no walk in the park, as they boast one of the ACC's top offenses. While some fans may have expected a tough outing against the Mustangs, the road ahead is equally challenging with matchups against UNC, Clemson, and Miami. These games will be critical for the Cardinals to prove their mettle and regain momentum.
The stakes are particularly high with three crucial road games. A 4-2 finish was the second most popular prediction among fans, with 31.4% of voters leaning that way. Given Louisville's struggles on the road against strong teams, this outcome seems plausible.
Currently, the Cardinals are favored in all three upcoming games, according to ESPN Matchup Predictor. With UNC missing Caleb Wilson, Louisville's chances jump to 61.2%, and they have a 66.9% chance to beat Miami, despite the Hurricanes' recent hot streak, which includes a victory over UNC with Wilson.
Fans' faith in Kelsey's squad is echoed by ESPN's projections, which suggest a real possibility for Louisville to sweep the remaining games. With the team gaining momentum at just the right time and the fan base fully engaged, the Cardinals are poised to make a serious push for a top-four finish as the regular season winds down.