For coach Pat Kelsey and No. 19 Louisville, there is something magical with the 2025 calendar.
Louisville was only 8-5 when 2024 ended, but since the beginning of the new year, the Cardinals have been a robust 14-1 and have played into the thick of the ACC hunt. It is a fairly rise from two previous seasons under Kenny Payne, when the cardinals went a combined 12-52, and they will look to continue the up track at home on Pitt on Saturday.
Louisville (22-6, 15-2 ACC) rides on a crime of four high-pinging guards through an impressive ACC run in Kelsey’s first season at the helm. Reyne Smith, Terrence Edwards Jr. And Chucky Hepburn Sport Almost identical conferences that make averages in league games (15.5, 15.5 and 15.4 points per match respectively) while J’Vonne Hadley adds 13.9 points per match.
“We never really talk about the past,” Kelsey said about Louisville’s latest programs stumble and sudden improvements. “I mean, we respect our past … (but) we talk about ourselves and the present and what to do in our next game.”
The Cardinals have won their last six matches, last Tuesday’s 71-66 victory at Virginia Tech. These four high -ranked guards contributed 48 of Louisville’s 71 points and the Cardinals forced 22 sales to demand road victory. Hepburn led Cardinal’s effort by 15 points.
Pitt (16-12, 7-10) has not been the recipient of a 2025 hot streak, which sat at just 6-10 since the calendar was changed. Panthers is far outside the NCAA tournament bubble.
Despite a solid one-two point team of the guards Jaland Lowe (16.7 points) and Ishamel Leggett (16.5), Panthers have lost six of their last eight matches under coach Jeff Capel. With the ACC unlikely to surpass a handful of teams that make the NCAA tournament, Pitt’s Ninth Ligar record seems to Spell Doom.
Pitt was last in action on Tuesday and lost 73-67 at home against Georgia Tech. Panthers shot only 36.8 percent, with Lowe and Leggett Notching 45 points but shot a combined 12 for 35 (34.3 percent). Pitt was also surpassed 37-27 and saw Georgia Tech go 25 out of 28 from the free throw line.
“We have not been a good rebounding team all year and since January we have really tried different things,” Capel said about their Panthers. “We continue to try different things. … we are in the season where you can’t … put football plates on them and do the old school. We must have a desire to get basketball.”
The law met earlier January 11 in Pittsburgh, with Louisville who screamed out an 82-78 victory. The four main cardinal guards combined for 67 points, led by 25 points and seven 3 points from Smith, which is ranked second in the country to 3.7 made 3-points per match.
Lowe and Leggett were 40 for Pitt in that game, but Panthers was exaggerated 44-31 by Louisville.
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