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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Louisville basketball fell short of an ACC Tournament championship on Saturday night, losing to No. 1 Duke, 73-62, at the Spectrum Center.
But coach Pat Kelsey believes "the best is still yet to come" for his 13th-ranked Cardinals; starting with hearing their name called Sunday as an NCAA Tournament participant for the first time since 2019 — a major accomplishment, regardless of how they fare in March Madness, considering the program is coming off back-to-back seasons with 20 or more losses for the first time in its 111 years of existence.
"I told them the disappointment that they're experiencing right now shouldn't keep them from realizing the special season that they're having right now," Kelsey said after Saturday's loss to the Blue Devils. "And I told them that they are beloved by the citizens of our great city of Louisville.
"Our town was a bit beaten down, and this team has done a lot. ... It's a tremendous group of young men; and our fan base has seen how they've poured their heart and soul into trying to make that name across our jersey be great once again."
Here's a look at where U of L's NCAA Tournament résumé stood, and where some prognosticators had them heading for March Madness, in the wee hours of Selection Sunday:
Louisville entered Saturday's ACC Tournament championship ranked 23rd in the NET. If the Cards tumble when the rankings are updated Sunday, on account of the loss to Duke, it shouldn't be too significant of a drop; considering the Blue Devils should retain the No. 1 spot.
Here's a look at U of L's record by the all-important quadrants:
As of Sunday morning, Louisville was the top No. 6 seed (5.88) on The Bracket Project's Bracket Matrix; although that may change once the loss to Duke is factored in and chips continue to fall at conference tournaments around the country.
Seven prognosticators had the Cards as high as a No. 4 seed. Two had them as low as a No. 8 seed.
Here's a look at who — and where — a few had them them playing:
Here's a look at all of the first- and second-round NCAA Tournament sites this year:
Here are the regional sites:
The Final Four will be at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
The selection show begins at 6 p.m. Sunday on CBS.
You can also tune in via streaming services such as Fubo, which offers a free trial here.
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at [email protected] and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville March Madness bracket predictions for 2025 NCAA Tournament
Continue reading...
But coach Pat Kelsey believes "the best is still yet to come" for his 13th-ranked Cardinals; starting with hearing their name called Sunday as an NCAA Tournament participant for the first time since 2019 — a major accomplishment, regardless of how they fare in March Madness, considering the program is coming off back-to-back seasons with 20 or more losses for the first time in its 111 years of existence.
"I told them the disappointment that they're experiencing right now shouldn't keep them from realizing the special season that they're having right now," Kelsey said after Saturday's loss to the Blue Devils. "And I told them that they are beloved by the citizens of our great city of Louisville.
"Our town was a bit beaten down, and this team has done a lot. ... It's a tremendous group of young men; and our fan base has seen how they've poured their heart and soul into trying to make that name across our jersey be great once again."
Here's a look at where U of L's NCAA Tournament résumé stood, and where some prognosticators had them heading for March Madness, in the wee hours of Selection Sunday:
Louisville basketball's NCAA Tournament resume
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Louisville entered Saturday's ACC Tournament championship ranked 23rd in the NET. If the Cards tumble when the rankings are updated Sunday, on account of the loss to Duke, it shouldn't be too significant of a drop; considering the Blue Devils should retain the No. 1 spot.
Here's a look at U of L's record by the all-important quadrants:
- Quad 1: 4-6
- Quad 2: 11-1
- Quad 3: 7-0
- Quad 4: 5-0
Louisville basketball bracketology projections
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As of Sunday morning, Louisville was the top No. 6 seed (5.88) on The Bracket Project's Bracket Matrix; although that may change once the loss to Duke is factored in and chips continue to fall at conference tournaments around the country.
Seven prognosticators had the Cards as high as a No. 4 seed. Two had them as low as a No. 8 seed.
Here's a look at who — and where — a few had them them playing:
- USA TODAY: No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 Vanderbilt in Providence, Rhode Island (Midwest region)
- The Athletic: No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 Boise State in Denver (South region)
- CBS Sports: No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 Colorado State in Milwaukee (West region)
- ESPN: No. 6 Louisville vs. either No. 11 Vanderbilt or San Diego State in Milwaukee (Midwest region)
- FOX Sports: No. 5 Louisville vs. No. 12 Yale (South region)
NCAA Tournament host sites
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Here's a look at all of the first- and second-round NCAA Tournament sites this year:
- Lexington (Rupp Arena)
- Providence, Rhode Island (Amica Mutual Pavilion)
- Seattle (Climate Pledge Arena)
- Wichita, Kansas (INTRUST Bank Arena)
- Cleveland (Rocket Arena)
- Denver (Ball Arena)
- Milwaukee (Fiserv Forum)
- Raleigh, North Carolina (Lenovo Center)
Here are the regional sites:
- East: Newark, New Jersey (Prudential Center)
- West: San Francisco (Chase Center)
- South: Atlanta (State Farm Arena)
- Midwest: Indianapolis (Lucas Oil Stadium)
The Final Four will be at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
How to watch the NCAA Tournament selection show
You must be registered for see images
The selection show begins at 6 p.m. Sunday on CBS.
You can also tune in via streaming services such as Fubo, which offers a free trial here.
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at [email protected] and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville March Madness bracket predictions for 2025 NCAA Tournament
Continue reading...
