LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — If you’re scoring at home, the University of Louisville men’s basketball team has delivered a record of 18-6, 11-2 and 3-0 this season.
The first number is indeed the overall record, with Pat Kelsey’s team tracking toward the most wins in a Cardinals’ season since either 2017 (25), 2015 (27) or 2014 (31).
The 11-2 record is the Cards’ performance in the Atlantic Coast Conferences. They remain on a solid flight path to a double bye in the league’s conference tournament with four teams (Clemson, U of L, Wake Forest and SMU) scrambling for three spots along with league leader Duke.
And 3-0?
That’s a Dr. Bo statistic. Louisville played three games against programs with former Cardinals on their rosters. They won all three games.
Beat Jae’Lyn Withers and North Carolina by 13. Beat Matt Cross and SMU by 25. Beat Ty-Laur Johnson and Wake Forest by 13.
The game the Cardinals play against North Carolina State (9-14) at 7 p.m. Wednesday is a game that should be the ultimate Old Friends Alert of this season.
But … life has a way flipping the script. Former Card Mike James has not played a minute for the Wolfpack all season. First it was a knee issue. Then, after James resumed practice, he suffered an illness.
Forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield’s luck has not been much better. After scoring in double figures in nine of the Wolfpack’s first 13 games, Huntley-Hatfield has been a non-factor since Jan. 11. He’s missed five games, including the last three. His current issue involves his shoulder.
On the weekly ACC coaches’ teleconference Monday, N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts did not rule James and Huntley-Hatfield in or out against Louisville. He said he needed to meet with his training and medical staff on both players.
But … after making the 2024 NCAA Final Four, N.C. State is currently on track to be one of the three teams that misses the ACC Tournament next month. The Wolfpack has lost eight straight and 10 of 11.
Maybe James and Huntley-Hatfield can at least get them to Charlotte — if they can play. And if they can play, you have to believe both guys will give it a shot Wednesday night.
Of course, they’re not the only former Cards trying to finish the season with gusto.
Let’s take another look at the other members of the 2024 team still competing this season:
Johnson, Wake Forest (18-6) — Johnson started his 11th straight game for the Demon Deacons Saturday as they completed a successful Bay Area road trip by winning at California. Wake has won 9 of the 11 games Johnson has started and he scored 16 in a win over Pitt and 14 in a victory at Stanford. Coach Steve Forbes likes the way Johnson blends with Hunter Sallis.
Skyy Clark, UCLA (18-7) — Clark made a homecoming trip to Illinois (where he started his college career two seasons ago) as the Bruins saw their seven-game winning streak end Tuesday. Clark has started every game for Mick Cronin’s club, shooting better than 36% from distance while averaging 7.7 points per game. Clark will be in Bloomington Friday night when UCLA plays at Indiana. He’s become a steadier player under Cronin.
Tre White, Illinois (17-8) — After starting in the first 22 games for the Illini, Clark has missed the last three games because of illness or coaches’ decision. White has struggled from the three-point line (less than 24%) and has not scored in double figures in the Illini’s last nine games. Since Jan. 14, White has three assists, all in one game.
Curtis Williams, Georgetown (15-9) — Williams has started one game for the Hoyas, who are tied for sixth place in the Big East with a 6-7 record. He’s averaging 4 points while getting 13 minutes of action. After a four-game stretch in January where he scored 46 points, Williams failed to score as his minutes were cut in the next three games.
J.J. Traynor, DePaul (11-14) — Traynor has started two of 25 games for the Blue Demons, who have lost 14 of 18 after a 7-0 start. Since the first of the year, Traynor has played less than 10 minutes in seven of DePaul’s 12 games. His last double-figure performance was Dec. 4 against Texas Tech, when Traynor had 11.
Emmanuel Okorafor, Seton Hall (6-18) — Okorafor is another player who has bounced in and out of the lineup on a sub-par team at his new home. After starting 9 of 10 games from early December to mid-January, Okorafor has been a deep bench guy for the worst team in the Big East, currently on a 9-game losing streak.
Kaleb Glenn, Florida Atlantic (14-10) — The former Male High star continues to thrive off the bench for the Owls, who are 14-10 overall and 7-4 in the American Athletic Conference. Glenn had his best overall game this season Monday night, scoring 18 points with six rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal as FAU defeated Charlotte for the Owls’ fourth straight win. Glenn has made better than 62% of his two-point field goals but has also been impressed shooting threes, making 30 of 76 (39.5%), a big jump from his 1 for 9 performance as a Louisville freshman last season. Glenn has positioned himself to transfer back to the Power 5 lever next season if that is his preferred path.
Danilo Jovanovich, Milwaukee (16-9) — After missing the first 10 games with injuries, Jovanovich has settled into a reserve role with his hometown Panthers who sit in fifth place in the Horizon League. He’s averaging 5 points in about 15 minutes per game.
Hercy Miller, Southern Utah (10-14) — Miller moved into the starting lineup six games ago, but it has not changed the arc of the season for the Thunderbirds, who lost five of those six games. Miller has averaged 9.5 points as a starter, making 12 of 29 shots from distance.
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