BOZICH | 5 numbers to celebrate in Louisville's 9-game winning streak | Sports

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Francisco Garcia and Taquan Dean arrived at the University of Louisville together for the 2002-03 season, the headliners in Rick Pitino’s second recruiting class.

So it was fitting that Garcia and Dean exited the Cardinals’ record book together Tuesday night when Pat Kelsey’s team blitzed SMU, 98-73, at Moody Coliseum in Dallas.

Chucky Hepburn, the Cards’ indomitable point guard, added one to Garcia’s single-game assist record by delivering 16 sweet passes against the Mustangs.

Reyne Smith added one to Dean’s single-game mark for three-point field goals. He made 10 three-pointers (four in the first half, six in the second).

Those were headline grabbing numbers as the Cards stretched their winning streak to nine, eight in Atlantic Coast Conference games. At 8-1 in the league, they sit alone in second place, behind 8-0 Duke.

But here are five more numbers to celebrate during the Cards’ current sizzling streak:

23 — That is Louisville’s rating in the Wednesday’s updated Ken Pomeroy computer power formula. It’s Louisville’s best KenPom ranking since Dec. 19, 2020 when the Cards were ranked 22nd before that 4-0 squad coached by Chris Mack lost at Wisconsin by 37 points.

Kelsey’s team is actually No. 22 in the NCAA NET formula, ahead of Rick Pitino and St. John’s (No. 25), Scott Drew and Baylor (No. 29), Danny Hurley and UConn (No. 34), Mick Cronin and UCLA (No. 35) and a cast of thousands.

For the record, here are Louisville’s KenPom rankings on Jan. 22 the previous three seasons:

2022 — No. 100.

2023 — No. 295.

2024 — No. 194.

Sources say the race for ACC coach of the year is over.

6 — The Cards’ 9-game winning streak is the sixth-longest in men’s Division I basketball.

The only programs on longer streaks are Duke (12); Michigan State (11); Auburn, Houston and Cleveland State (all 10).

84 — That’s how many points that the Cardinals have outscored their opponents from the three-point line during the winning streak.

Louisville has made 97 threes, an average of 10.8 per game, for 291 points.

Its opponents have made 69, an average of 7.7 per game, for 207 points.

The only team to outscore the Cardinals from distance during the streak was Virginia last Saturday. The Cavaliers made eight to Louisville’s half dozen, in a game Louisville won, 81-67.

During the streak, Louisville is shooting 36.6% from distance, improving its season average to 31.7%.

Shooting nearly 37% while taking a high volume of threes appears to be a winning strategy.

19 — That’s how many fewer turnovers the Cardinals have made than their opponents over the winning streak.

The Cards have committed fewer turnovers than their opponents in seven of the nine games. The exceptions were the Eastern Kentucky (they were minus-3) and Pittsburgh (they were -2) games.

Louisville has averaged 9.4 turnovers since the winning streak began at Florida State Dec. 21. They rank 86th in the nation in turnover percentage.

Still room for growth there.

113 — That’s the average Ken Pomeroy ranking for Louisville’s 11 remaining opponents in the regular season.

Unless No. 79 Wake Forest (Louisville’s next opponent here on Tuesday) or No. 62 Florida State (here Feb. 22) get on a tremendous run, the Cardinals will play only one more team expected to make the NCAA Tournament.

That team is No. 33 Pitt, which has lost four in a row. The Panthers registered as an 11-seed, only four spots above the cut line, on the latest NCAA Tournament bracket projection from Joe Lunardi of ESPN on Tuesday.

The combined ACC record of the Cards’ final 11 opponents is 30-50.

Five of the teams — Virginia Tech, California, Georgia Tech, Boston College and Miami — are ranked outside the Top 100.