Louisville basketball in AP Top 25 for 1st time since 2021. Cards 1 of 2 ranked ACC teams

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Would you look at that.

Louisville basketball, on its longest winning streak in five years only two months into Pat Kelsey’s first season as head coach, is back in the AP Top 25 for the first time since Jan. 25, 2021.

The Cardinals (14-5, 7-1) were 25th in the poll released Monday, joining No. 2 Duke as the ACC’s lone representatives. This comes less than a year after the end of the disastrous Kenny Payne era, during which they went 12-52.

In the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll, U of L ranked 26th with 43 votes.

Last week, Louisville came in at 30th in the AP Top 25 with 17 votes and 36th in the Coaches Poll with three votes. While rattling off wins Nos. 7 and 8 in a row, it also benefited from 20 ranked teams losing at least once during the past seven days.

“Things like that, whether it’s a winning streak or being ranked, are good for a lot of things: our brand, our fan base, recruiting,” Kelsey said Monday. “I’m very, very well aware (of) and appreciate what comes with some success that you had. Winning streak — whatever it is, how many games — that’s all in the past. Your ranking is about what you’ve done up to up to this point, not what you’re doing moving forward; and all we focus on and stress is the current thing.”

Here’s a look at how Kelsey’s team got here, what’s next and its NCAA Tournament résumé:

Louisville basketball’s path back to the polls

Jan 1, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Chucky Hepburn (24) reacts during the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Louisville began its eight-game winning streak Dec. 21, when the Cards took down Florida State on its home court for the first time since 2018, 90-76, behind a season-high 27 points from Reyne Smith. It nearly ended a week later, but Noah Waterman, playing through a broken thumb on his shooting hand that required surgery, hit a decisive layup with 1.2 seconds to spare for a 78-76 victory over…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/louisville-basketball-ap-top-25-180704579.html

Author : The Courier Journal

Publish date : 2025-01-20 18:07:00

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