LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Double bye or single bye?
Earn a trip to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament next month in Charlotte or be told your season is over and stay home?
Those are two of the primary questions that will be in play Wednesday night when the University of Louisville men's basketball team visits Boston College at what figures to be a somewhat empty 8,606-seat Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
U of L (16-6) will work to end its one-game losing streak and maintain its hold on third place in the ACC. The top four teams will be rewarded with a double bye and start play in the quarterfinals Thursday, March 13, at the Spectrum Center.
Duke, Clemson and Louisville hold the top three spots today — with Wake Forest and SMU tied for fourth.
After reviewing video of Louisville's surprising 77-70 loss in Atlanta on Saturday, Kelsey said the defeat was created by Louisville's defensive issues (GT scored 50 points in the second half) and the Cardinals' 14 turnovers (eight in the second half).
Oh, don't forget U of L missed eight of 17 free throws in the second half, too.
"They played a much cleaner game," Kelsey said.
"They shot too high of a percentage from the field (nearly 48%), and we didn't get stops when we needed to, and then we had some untimely turnovers. But you credit them. You credit them for that."
Boston College (10-11) lives in a different neighborhood.
The ACC is an 18-team league with 15 slots available in Charlotte. The three teams currently under the cut line are Miami (1-10), Boston College (2-8) and North Carolina State (2-8).
Georgia Tech reminded the world of the dangers associated with projecting the future off previous results by upsetting the Cardinals as an 8.5-point underdog Saturday.
On Tuesday night the Cards project to be favored by 12-13 points against a BC team that had lost six straight prior to its 77-76 victory over Florida State on Saturday.
BC has some ugly moments on its resume. There was a five-point home loss to Dartmouth, the fourth-place team in the Ivy League. There was a 22-point home loss to South Carolina, the only winless team in Southeastern Conference play. There was a 26-point home loss to SMU, a team the Cardinals recently defeated by 25 points in Dallas.
I mentioned that Boston College was tied for 17th in the ACC standings. The Eagles are 15th in the ACC attendance standings, averaging about 57% capacity (4,870) in their mid-sized building.
BC announced a sellout when Duke visited as well as a crowd of 6,083 for the upset of Florida State on Saturday.
Like any coach, Kelsey made certain to mention that BC has played better the last two games, taking North Carolina into overtime before losing by six in Chapel Hill and then upsetting Florida State.
"They're playing very well. They took Carolina to overtime and won a big game the other day," Kelsey said.
"Just gutted out a really gutsy, gutsy win. And that's the way that coach (Earl) Grant's teams play all the time. This one is no different. They're extremely tough, competitive, big, strong, physical and a very dangerous team."
This is a good time to mention Grant. He's in year four at BC — and he's finding the job just as challenging Jim Christian, Steve Donahue, Al Skinner and Jim O'Brien found it.
BC last made the NCAA Tournament in 2009. The program last won an NCAA Tournament game in 2007. Skinner coached both those teams. Donahue and Christian were dismissed before getting to an NCAA Tournament.
In his first 10 head coaching seasons, Grant has taken one team to the NCAA Tournament — losing a first round game to Auburn as the head coach at the College of Charleston on 2018.
Grant and Kelsey are connected because both coached at Charleston (a different school than College of Charleston). Kelsey followed Grant at Charleston after Grant left for BC in 2021.
Although Grant got BC to 20 wins last season, the Eagles played two games in the NIT, defeating Providence before losing to UNLV.
This season has been a major step backwards.
"Coach Grant and I don't know each other all too well," Kelsey said.
"We definitely are acquaintances, especially because of our connection to College of Charleston in the city of Charleston. I mean, that's where he grew up. He was born and raised (there).
"And the big thing I can tell you, from being down in Charleston for three years and following in coach Grant's footsteps, is what a class act he is and how respected he is in that town.
"Everybody that you talk to just sings his praises in terms of his character. So I know he's a phenomenal person, and, obviously, his body of work in coaching speaks to itself.
"His teams are always extremely disciplined. They are always tough and really physical and really buttoned up defensively and then they really attack you on the offensive end, as well.
"So he's got a great pedigree in coaching. He's coached under some great coaches, and his climb to where he is right now has been fun to watch. He was no fun to follow down at Charleston, just because of the success that he had, but I know we're in for a dog fight."
Louisville Basketball Coverage:
- BOZICH | My weekly AP Top 25 men's college basketball ballot; Where to put U of L, UK?
- BOZICH | Ramblin' Wrecked: Georgia Tech rallies to end Louisville's 10-game winning streak, 77-70
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