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BUFFALO, NY — It’s up to the senior guards now for Louisville basketball in the NCAA Tournament.
Ryan Conwell and Isaac McKneely helped UofL coach Pat Kelsey secure his first career tournament win during the Cardinals’ 83-79 win over South Florida at KeyBank Center in the first round.
If they are to advance to the Sweet 16, it’ll take all of what they gave the Bulls on Thursday and a little more. Especially if Saturday’s second-round foe is No. 3 seed Michigan State, which faces No. 14 North Dakota State on Thursday.
They already know freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. will not be there to help out. Brown missed his 13th game of the season and fifth straight with a back injury and, barring a minor miracle, will again be out for the second-round game.
There’s no question Brown is the biggest talent on the team and will give UofL a huge spotlight when the NBA draft comes around in June and he’s among the top 10 picks selected.
But this here is the NCAA Tournament.
Conwell and McKneely know they are making their final appearance and are equipped for one shining moment or two, as they showed, sometimes in consecutive possessions, against USF.
McKneely scored 11 of his season-high 23 points in the first half — with Conwell struggling to a 1-for-8 start shooting — to help UofL jump out to a 10-point lead at halftime. McKneely connected on a career-high tying seven 3-pointers and topped the 20-point mark for just the second time this season.
Conwell, who finished with 18 points, made up for it by starting the second half scoring 11 of the Cards’ first 15 points. During one stretch, both seniors made two 3s apiece to help the UofL lead balloon to 62-39 with 12:50 left.
They needed every bit of that cushion while USF showed why Brown’s absence matters.
The Cards couldn’t handle the Bulls’ full-court pressure in the second half. They fumbled and stumbled into a season-high 22 turnovers while their lead dwindled down to 78-72 with 1:58 left.
This column will be updated.
Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at [email protected], follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his columns.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball March Madness win vs South Florida keyed by vets
Continue reading...
Ryan Conwell and Isaac McKneely helped UofL coach Pat Kelsey secure his first career tournament win during the Cardinals’ 83-79 win over South Florida at KeyBank Center in the first round.
If they are to advance to the Sweet 16, it’ll take all of what they gave the Bulls on Thursday and a little more. Especially if Saturday’s second-round foe is No. 3 seed Michigan State, which faces No. 14 North Dakota State on Thursday.
They already know freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. will not be there to help out. Brown missed his 13th game of the season and fifth straight with a back injury and, barring a minor miracle, will again be out for the second-round game.
There’s no question Brown is the biggest talent on the team and will give UofL a huge spotlight when the NBA draft comes around in June and he’s among the top 10 picks selected.
But this here is the NCAA Tournament.
Conwell and McKneely know they are making their final appearance and are equipped for one shining moment or two, as they showed, sometimes in consecutive possessions, against USF.
McKneely scored 11 of his season-high 23 points in the first half — with Conwell struggling to a 1-for-8 start shooting — to help UofL jump out to a 10-point lead at halftime. McKneely connected on a career-high tying seven 3-pointers and topped the 20-point mark for just the second time this season.
Conwell, who finished with 18 points, made up for it by starting the second half scoring 11 of the Cards’ first 15 points. During one stretch, both seniors made two 3s apiece to help the UofL lead balloon to 62-39 with 12:50 left.
They needed every bit of that cushion while USF showed why Brown’s absence matters.
The Cards couldn’t handle the Bulls’ full-court pressure in the second half. They fumbled and stumbled into a season-high 22 turnovers while their lead dwindled down to 78-72 with 1:58 left.
This column will be updated.
Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at [email protected], follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his columns.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball March Madness win vs South Florida keyed by vets
Continue reading...
