LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — It wasn't Louisville's kind of game.
Not the free-flowing offense. Not the beautiful game rhythm. Not the 70-possession pace that defines Pat Kelsey's teams.
Instead, Louisville ground out a 62-58 win over SMU in its ACC Tournament opener Wednesday afternoon in Charlotte; a defensive, low-possession fight decided by rebounds, tough baskets through contact and a few late plays when they mattered most.
It may have been unlike any Louisville victory this season. It might even have been unlike any in Kelsey's two seasons at Louisville.
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The Cardinals held SMU under 60 points, something they did only once before in ACC play this season with a 100-59 win at Pittsburgh.
It was also a dramatically slower game than Louisville prefers. The teams played just 61 possessions, a season low according to Ken Pomeroy's metrics and well below Louisville's typical pace of roughly 70 possessions per game.
Still, the Cardinals did two important things.
They executed late in a game where every possession mattered. And they stopped what should've been a Top-25 level offense in its tracks, holding SMU to just .967 points per possession.
As Louisville prepares for a rematch with Miami — a team it beat five days ago — there were a couple encouraging signs from Wednesday's win. And, one concern worth watching.
1. ZOUGRIS COULD BECOME A FACE OF MARCH
Every postseason produces unexpected stars.
These aren't always the biggest scorers but the players whose energy and personality seem to capture the moment.
Louisville's 6-foot7-inch forward from Greece, Vangelis Zougris, could easily fill that role.
With just under seven minutes remaining Wednesday, Zougris scored six straight points. This turned a two-point deficit into a two-point lead, igniting Louisville's late push.
He entered the starting lineup in Louisville's next-to-last regular-season game, part of a decision by Kelsey to inject more toughness, energy and defensive presence into the lineup.
Close observers saw the shift coming. Zougris' minutes and his impact steadily increased throughout February.
He's not a high-volume scorer, but he contributes in other ways: setting physical screens, battling on the glass, defending with force and bringing relentless energy.
"I just feel like Zou — as we all know, he's such a passionate player," Kelsey said. "We talk so much about playing with that sense of desperation and that nastiness, that toughness that I keep talking about, and nobody exemplifies that in our program more than Zou.
Kelsey said Zougris was trending toward a larger role.
"I thought he's been giving us a good boost off the bench," he said. "He's practiced really well. He won the gold jersey (awarded to the top practice player) last week, so I just thought he deserved it."
Louisville is now 3-0 with Zougris in the starting lineup.
When he spoke after Wednesday's win — the first time fans heard from him since media day — he sounded exactly like the type of player who thrives in March.
"I'm just doing what I have to do," Zougris said. "It's been a long season for me, ups and downs, but it's been a long season for all of us, as well. Just being there every day, same attitude, same mentality. I try to keep showing up every day, and that's what I did. I think it's paying off right now."
2. WOOLEY IS GROWING INTO THE POINT GUARD ROLE
With freshman star Mikel Brown Jr. sidelined, Louisville needed someone to steady the offense.
Sophomore Adrian Wooley began to fill that role.
It's easy to forget that Wooley is less experienced than several of Louisville's transfers. But he increasingly embraced the responsibilities of initiating offense, getting the ball where it needs to go and attacking the rim when opportunities appear.
His ability to drive and draw fouls is particularly important, and because Wooley remains a scoring threat, defenses are forced to make difficult decisions when he turns the corner toward the basket.
With Ryan Conwell able to move back into a more natural off-ball role, the two formed a strong defensive backcourt combination Wednesday.
Conwell also delivered two of Louisville's biggest baskets of the game late: a step-back three and a driving layup that flipped a four-point deficit into a one-point lead in the closing minutes.
Wooley's late three at Miami last week was another reminder of what he can provide.
Louisville still hopes to get Brown back soon — he will not return during the ACC Tournament — but the Cardinals appear to have found a workable lineup while he is out.
That lineup didn't produce Louisville's typical offensive flow Wednesday.
The Cardinals took 17 of their 53 shots from mid-range, an unusually high percentage for a team that typically prioritizes threes and rim attacks. The pace was slower than they prefer.
But Louisville proved it can win a game played that way, and that matters in March.
3. THE MINUTES QUESTION
One number from Wednesday's game stands out: Louisville's bench played just 42 total minutes, a season low.
Four starters logged at least 33 minutes. Only the center spot saw minutes split with Zougris and Fru.
For a team that touted its depth entering the season, that's a notable shift.
Part of it is the nature of postseason basketball. Rotations often tighten. Coaches lean on the lineups they trust most.
And in the ACC Tournament, where teams play on consecutive days, that workload can become a factor quickly.
It may be less of an issue in the NCAA Tournament, where there is typically a day between games. But if Louisville keeps advancing this week, heavy minutes could become harder to sustain.
Louisville probably won't want every game to look like Wednesday's.
But in March, style points rarely matter.
Survive and advance does.
And now, the Cardinals know they can win that way, too.
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