Louisville takes aim at its first 20-win season since 2019-20 when it plays at Notre Dame on Sunday night in South Bend, Ind.
The Cardinals (19-6, 12-2 ACC) are coming off a 91-66 victory at NC State on Wednesday and have won three in a row.
The Irish (11-13, 5-8) also won on the road Wednesday, surviving a 97-94 double-overtime thriller against Boston College and snapping a three-game skid. They trailed by 14 late before battling back.
“That’s the biggest thing, this group’s resiliency and resolve,” Notre Dame head coach Micah Shrewsberry said after the win.
Standout guard Markus Burton, who returned in January from a knee injury and is averaging 21.3 points per outing, said the team has remained positive despite the tough moments.
“It’s been a rough time,” Burton said. “We’ve been going through a lot of ups and downs. It feels good.”
The Cardinals have made sure to stay ready game in and game out, which has fueled their success.
“We break the game down into four 10-minute segments, and we always say, ‘No one of those segments is more or less important than any of the others,” first-year Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey said. “When the ball goes up at the jump circle, our readiness is really, really important.”
The Cardinals are led by senior guard Chucky Hepburn, who is averaging 15 points and 6.2 assists per game. He scored 15 in the win over NC State and is averaging 16.4 points per contest in road games this season.
Burton scored 32 for the Irish in their thrilling win over Boston College and has scored 23 or more in five of his last seven games.
Notre Dame is 8-3 at home this season while Louisville is 7-2 in road games. The Cardinals are playing their second straight game on the road.
–Field Level Media
