Louisville Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey looks up at the scoreboard as the Louisville Cardinals host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in an NCAA basketball game at the KFC Yum! Center, Saturday, February 21, 2026, Louisville. Despite being atop the Atlantic Coast Conference standings, the no. No. 24 Louisville and host Clemson found themselves in desperate need of a win when they departed on Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers (20-8, 10-5 ACC) lost their fourth straight game with a 70-65 loss to Florida State last Saturday.
But despite the dry spell, Clemson is in a three-team tie for the fourth and final double-bye of next month’s ACC Tournament.
That said, the losing streak has led some bracket experts to no longer consider Coach Brad Brownell’s team a contender for the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers’ hold on the No. 4 seed could be considered weak as only the Cardinals (20-8, 9-6) are one game behind them in the standings. Additionally, North Carolina (22-6, 10-5) is also looking for a double bye and is scheduled to host Clemson on Tuesday.
Clemson boasts the second-best scoring defense in the ACC, allowing opponents to score just 65.5 points per game. The Tigers are holding their opponents to just 41.2% shooting from the floor, the third-highest mark in the conference.
But in their fourth straight loss, the Tigers have allowed three opponents to shoot 50 percent or better, and all four opponents have made at least 10 3-pointers. Before the losing streak, Clemson was one of only two teams to make more than 10 3-pointers this season.
“We win because we have to play defense at a very high level,” Brownell said after the loss to the Seminoles. “We have a saying on this team: ‘Everybody, always,’ and we need everybody to win. That’s true.”
The Cardinals’ recent difficulties defending 3-pointers could plague Clemson on Saturday, as they have made an ACC-high 332 shots from beyond the arc this season.
Unlike the Tigers, Louisville’s NCAA Tournament ranking remains solid. But the team considered a Final Four contender by some analysts early in the season struggled on the road. Coach Pat Kelsey’s team is 3-6 on the road in action, including a 77-74 loss at North Carolina on Monday.
A win against the Tigers on Saturday would mark Louisville’s best road win of the season.
Kelsey said he liked the way his team battled against the Tar Heels, who outscored Louisville by as many as 16 points in the second half. He added that his team can’t afford to be in another hole like Saturday’s.
“Clemson is a tough, physical team that we play in really tough conditions all year,” Kelsey said. “So we have to go in with the right mindset.”
Reserve Ace Buckner has been playing well for the Tigers recently. The sophomore guard averages 8.3 points per game, but has scored in double figures in five of his last six games and seven of his last nine. He scored a team-high 15 points against Florida State.
Louisville freshman Mikel Brown Jr. has performed well in his last five games in a row. The point guard averaged 29.2 points per game during that span, leading the team in scoring (18.9). He scored 24 points in a loss to the Tar Heels.
The key to Brown’s recent success has been accurate perimeter shooting. Over the last five games, he has made 27 of 50 3-point attempts (54.0%).
–Field level media
