Louisville is ranked #8 in the nation and are off to a 2-0 Start so farIt’s hard to call a season anything but disappointing when you bust out in the opening round to a team like Morehead State. All season, Louisville had looked to be one of the true contenders, and even beat the eventual champion Huskies twice, but they failed to come up big when it counted most and lost as heavy favorites in the first round, to the surprise and dismay of most bettors, who were even expecting the Cardinals to cover the spread in that loss.
Terrence Jennings leads the Louisville Cardinals and they check in at #18 in our power ratingsThe Cardinals of Louisville (20-13, 11-7 Big East) finished tied for fifth in the Big East last season. They were dispatched in one game in the Big East Tournament, losing to Cincinnati 69-66. They then went to the NCAA Tournament where they were upset by the California Golden Bears 77-62 in round one. That was the worst showing for the Cardinals in their last four Big Dance appearances. In the previous three, they made it to the Elite Eight twice and went two and out in another. For Louisville to succeed this season they are going to have to see a lot of young guys and rookies step up quickly. If there’s one coach in college basketball who can make that happen, it’s the Cardinals’ Rick Pitino.