LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – On Leap Day, weird things can happen. It’s a freebie. A bonus spot on the calendar, the “not so fast, my friend” before the beginning of March, and the madness that entails. And, for the University of Louisville basketball team, it was a second chance.
Duke went down at Virginia. Florida State went down at Clemson. And before the Cardinals set their alarm clocks for their home finale today at 6 p.m. against struggling Virginia Tech, they found themselves once again in a two-way tie atop the Atlantic Coast Conference standings, again in charge of their own championship destiny.
Louisville may not be able to lay hold of the No. 1 seed in the ACC, but it stands tied with Florida State at the top of the ladder, and a win over Virginia Tech and another at Virginia on Saturday would give them at least a share of their first ACC title.
FSU needs to win at Notre Dame and at home against Boston College to secure the top seed in the ACC Tournament, to be held next week in Greensboro, N.C.
The first order of business for Louisville is playing well against the visiting Hokies, who have dropped eight of their past nine.
After losing a 12-point lead to fall by 13 at FSU on Sunday, the Cardinals have had six days of rest, which they badly needed. Even so, they might not have the services of center Malik Williams, who went down with a sprained ankle in the opening minutes of that game, and had not yet returned to practice as of Friday.
The Cards should be all right without him today, but will need him in their season finale at Virginia on Saturday. The two long breaks between games at the end of the season should be a good thing for the team, according to coach Chris Mack.
“I think our team is beat up, you’ve got Aiden (Igehon, shoulder injury), Josh (Nickleberry injury), and now you’ve got Malik,” Mack said, “So our team is beat up a little bit, but I think for the guys who are well enough to practice, this is a good time to sort of lick their wounds, get in the training room, and concentrate more on us the last few days, rather than our next opponent.”
Mack got an interesting question on Friday when he sat down with reporters. He was asked what the team has left to prove from now until its season finishes, whenever that might be. Of course, in college basketball, little to nothing is proved in the regular season. The coming weeks are when things are proven.
Louisville has gotten itself into position to win an ACC championship. That’s the next goal. From there, it is as good a team as any when it is on its game. And it is as flawed as about all of the other top contenders nationally.
“This is what you play for,” Mack said. “So we have a lot to prove. You play for a regular-season championship. I know there are different opinions on conference tournaments and what they mean, but that doesn’t mean that the guys in that locker room don’t want to hang a banner and win a championship. And hopefully we’re fortunate to play in the NCAA Tournament, and we want to win the whole thing. But we’ve got to get better and healthier.”
“So you know,” Mack continued, with a chuckle, “there’s a lot to prove.”
At the same time, Louisville today will say goodbye to a handful of seniors, and one accomplished junior. A quick rundown:
LAMARR “FRESH” KIMBLE: He came to Louisville from Saint Joseph’s and was asked to provide immediate maturity and leadership from the point guard spot – and he did. It took him a little while to find a comfort zone, but over the course of ACC play has proved to be a. steady leader and, increasingly, a contributor on offense, especially in key situations. He has been one of the team’s top defensive players all season, and his vocal leadership on that end has made him indispensable to Mack.
RYAN McMAHON: He came to Louisville with The Story: Dick Vitale championing him as a high school sharpshooter, and Louisville coach Rick Pitino being the only Division I coach willing to take a chance on him. That chance has paid off. McMahon got off the plane making threes in Louisville, but has also become a better defender and passer in his time in Louisville, and his more complete game has manifested itself in more minutes this season. Advanced metrics show that Louisville’s offense is never better than when McMahon is on the court, either making threes or stretching the defense with his threat of making threes. He’s capable of turning any game around with a hot-shooting stretch, and the team has fed off that, and the energy he brings to the court.
STEVEN ENOCH: A transfer from Connecticut who came to the game of basketball relatively late in his high school career – only when he realized it could be a path for him to attend college --- Enoch has been remarkably consistent on the offensive end and solid defensively for the Cardinals. He’s good for 10-12 points most games as a traditional post scorer, but also has the ability to pop outside beyond the arc to bury three-pointers. Opposing teams have to game plan for him. Though he has been slowed by an ankle injury the past couple of weeks, his play will be key down the stretch as Malik Williams recovers from his ankle injury. Enoch is still growing and maturing in the game of basketball. After testing the NBA Draft waters a year ago, he figures to have some professional options after this season.
DWAYNE SUTTON: He is, simply put, the most important player on the team. He doesn’t score the most, or rebound the most, or dish out the most assists, but his heartbeat sets the tempo for the Cardinals. He is, in the oft-repeated words of Chris Mack, “a warrior.” He wades in for difficult rebounds. He takes on difficult defensive assignments. He scores big points. Others may turn in a half-hearted game here or there, Sutton never does. His motor runs. All the time. Mack came into the season saying he had played Sutton too many minutes a year ago and wanting to get him more rest this season. Sutton has played more minutes this season. He’s simply too valuable for Mack to take off the court. He came to U of L as a transfer from UNC Asheville as almost an afterthought, and has blossomed into one of the most important players in program history, in the most tumultuous period in program history. As a Louisville native, his contribution to the school and the program should not soon be forgotten.
JORDAN NWORA: The junior preseason All-American and ACC player of the year tested the NBA Draft waters last season and his decision to return made this season’s No. 1 ranking and contention for the ACC championship possible. He faced enormous expectations and has largely delivered, leading the team in scoring and second in rebounding. He has struggled against some of Louisville’s better opponents – in part because he’s a marked man on their scouting reports. But he handled any subsequent criticism with grace, maturity and humor. Nwora is a likeable person, articulate and easy-going, who has improved his game in three seasons in Louisville. He’s likely to keep improving at the next level, where he won’t be asked to carry so much of the load. There’s little chance he’ll return to Louisville, but his decision to return a year ago set the program up for the chance it now has over its final two games.
KEITH ODDO: He hasn’t seen the court much, but the graduate transfer from Richmond wanted to get the big-time college experience, and hopefully get some insight into a possible coaching career. A self-proclaimed milkshake aficionado, he got some national attention with his assessment of the national milkshake scene with a piece in The Athletic earlier this season, but says the best milkshake he’s ever had has been close to campus – the Oreo shake at Dairy Castle on Eastern Parkway (extra Oreo). During the ice cream stand’s winter hiatus, he says he’s lost 11 pounds. But from his season in Louisville he’s gained valuable experience in seeing the game at the ACC level up-close.
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