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SMU vs Louisville: Third time's the charm?
11 Mar
Summary
- SMU and Louisville meet for the third time in under 1.5 months.
- Both teams are among the highest-scoring in the league.
- SMU seeks NCAA bid, Louisville eyes tournament momentum.
The Atlantic Coast Conference tournament will feature a familiar matchup as No. 11 seed SMU faces No. 6 seed Louisville on Wednesday. This marks the third meeting between the two teams this season, with each side having secured a home victory in their prior encounters. Louisville won 88-74 on January 31, and SMU responded with a 95-85 victory on February 17.
Both SMU and Louisville are recognized as the highest-scoring teams in the ACC. SMU's coach, Andy Enfield, emphasized the need for consistent scoring and defense against the Cardinals. SMU enters the tournament after a four-game losing streak to end the regular season, which may have impacted their NCAA Tournament chances. However, Enfield believes Tuesday's 86-69 first-round win against Syracuse demonstrated NCAA Tournament-caliber play.
Louisville, currently ranked No. 24 nationally, is looking to regain form after a late-February slump that briefly removed them from the rankings. They recently defeated a nationally ranked Miami team 92-89, building confidence. The Cardinals, who reached the ACC championship game last year, are aiming for their 50th win under coach Pat Kelsey. Key players for Louisville include All-ACC selections Ryan Conwell and Mikel Brown Jr., with the health of reserve Aly Khalifa also a factor.
