Louisville basketball is moving on to their first ever ACC Title appearance.
There must be something in the water down in Charlotte. The 2025 ACC Tournament has been enticing to say the least: in this bracket, a large lead means nothing. On Thursday night, Louisville basketball rallied to win against a Stanford team that had gotten fifteen points ahead of them in the second half. Last night’s first semifinal game between arch rivals Duke and UNC saw the Blue Devils lose a twenty four point lead to the Tar Heels, who pulled defeat from the jaws of victory by turning a pair of what could have been game winning free throws into a miss and a lane violation. Duke won a thriller, 74-71, advancing to the ACC Championship.
The winner of the following game, between the Louisville Cardinals and Clemson Tigers, would have Duke in the final round. It was not a matchup for the faint of heart.
Getting started strong
Though the Cards started off the game with a pair of turnovers, they tightened up quickly. Clemson’s plan was evident from the get go: the Tigers wanted to pound the ball inside, taking advantage of Louisville’s struggles in the interior with the physical play of forward Ian Schieffelin and center Viktor Lakhin. They succeeded in doing so. Clemson’s bigs were able to get shots close to the basket and grab offensive rebounds, racking up 22 of the team’s 28 first half points in the paint.
Louisville basketball came to play, though. In spite of the physicality brought by the lumbering Tiger front court, the athletic play of UofL’s dynamic senior guards, Chucky Hepburn and Terrence Edwards, Jr., provided a more potent offensive response that kept Kelsey’s Cards on top. Between Edwards, Jr. and Hepburn creating offense out of nothing and J’vonne Hadley being productive inside and out, Kelsey’s team took a 33-28 advantage into the locker room after the first half. Both teams were getting shots, but the better-conditioned Cardinals were making more of theirs, especially when Schieffelin had to go to the bench. Things were looking good for UofL.
Picture perfect
The second half began with the teams trading points and fouls: Noah Waterman connected on each side of the three point line, but Clemson’s Chase Hunter responded in step. Hunter picked up his third foul two minutes in, but Hepburn got his own third penalty ninety seconds later. At this point, the Cards turned up the defensive intensity. Louisville would hold Clemson without a field goal for over six minutes, expanding the lead to 47-34 largely on the back of Edwards, Jr.’s offensive output during a 9-0 run.
Schieffelin would re-enter the game and end the drought: the Tigers hoped to use their big men to close the gap by getting high percentage shots near the rim. The Cards would offset this by using their superior athletic ability to get to the foul line. Between what they got from the charity stripe and field goals from Hadley and Waterman, Louisville opened up their lead.
Khani Rooths got a transition slam on an outlet pass and Hadley got two more free throws when Viktor Lakhin drew his fourth foul with five minutes to go, making the score 62-49. After another pair of free throws from Chucky, the lead grew to as large as fifteen points, 69-56, with three and a half minutes remaining and Viktor Lahkin fouling out.
Photo finish
In a desperate move to change a game fast getting out of his reach, Clemson Coach Brad Brownell started pressing after made shots. It worked like a charm. Louisville’s usually reliable backcourt suddenly found itself in a perpetual double team trap as soon as it gained possession.
Chauncey Wiggins connected from distance, followed by another three from Hunter that closed the Tigers within six, 75-69. On the ensuing in bound, Hepburn committed a loose ball foul: after two free throws, the Cards’ lead shrunk to 75-71. Following another UofL turnover and easy layup for Hunter, the score was 75-73 with fifty five seconds remaining. A tie up at the 27 second mark gave the ball to the Cards, but the shot clock failed to reset. Hadley’s errant attempt at a field goal missed everything, resulting in a shot clock violation and giving the ball back with 24 seconds left. UofL had lost a five possession lead in three minutes. Clemson called a timeout.
Out of the timeout, the Tigers cleared out for Chase Hunter. Tailed by James Scott, Hunter drove the middle, meeting Traore at the basket. Aboubacar kept the ball from ever getting near the rim, rejecting the shot into the hands of Edwards, Jr., who found Chucky Hepburn. Hepburn was fouled, connecting on one of two free throws. Clemson missed a desperation attempt to tie the game again, and the final buzzer sounded as J’Vonne Hadley heaved the ball to the far side of the court. Louisville escaped again, 76-73.
Bird’s eye view
I was so proud of the Cards for the first thirty six and a half minutes of gameplay. For a team that has struggled with giving up too many interior shots playing a seasoned, top ten opponent that specializes in doing just that, Louisville managed to best Clemson for most of the game by challenging them defensively and leaning into their own superior guard play and athletic proficiency.
The ability of the Tigers’ pressure to cause such loud problems for UofL was as shocking as it was effective. Still, Kelsey’s team found a way to win, in spite of falling apart in crunch time. It’s a lesson they are fortunate to learn, both before the Big Dance, and in victory. Tonight they take on Duke, the number one team in the nation, who themselves gave up an even larger lead last night.
Friday was a real testament to what Kelsey’s team has been: a battle tested, integral group of athletes who continue to find ways to win in spite of anything, even themselves. Now they face the top team in the conference, and the country, again. This matchup gives Louisville a chance to show that they are what we all hope they have become.
It’s time to see what’s really in these Cards.
