Louisville Stats: Basketball

The Cardinals have won over 2,000 games and appeared in 27 NCAA Tournaments.

University of Louisville’s Basketball History

The University of Louisville men’s basketball team is the school’s most successful program. The Cardinals have won three NCAA Division I championships (in 1980, 1986, and 2013), been to ten Final Fours (including five consecutive from 2011 to 2015), and appeared in seventeen NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournaments (through the 2016 tournament).

Louisville has been to more Final Fours than any other school in the ACC – even more than blueblood programs such as Duke, North Carolina and Syracuse. Many analysts consider Louisville as one of the best basketball programs of all time. Experienced Sports Journalist Beano Cook once called Louisville “the perfect sports city”, citing its passion for college basketball

The Cardinals’ Most Memorable Moments

Louisville Cardinals basketball is one of the most successful programs in NCAA history. The Cardinals have won five National Championships and been to thirty Final Fours. Louisville has also produced some of the game’s greatest players including Hall of Famers Denny Crum and Rick Pitino. Here are some of the most memorable moments in Louisville Basketball History

The Cardinals’ first National Championship came in 1980, when they defeated UCLA in the title game. This was a huge upset, as UCLA was heavily favored to win. The Cardinals went on to win another National Championship in 1986, when they defeated Duke in the final. These two title wins are considered two of the biggest upsets in NCAA history.

In 2005, Louisville made it to the Final Four for the first time since 1986. They faced Illinois in the semi-finals, and came out victorious. The Cardinals then faced off against Michigan State in the final, which they lost. Despite the loss, this was a huge moment for Louisville basketball as they had finally returned to the sport’s biggest stage after nearly two decades.

The most recent National Championship for Louisville came in 2013, when they defeated Michigan in the final. This was Pitino’s second National Championship with the Cardinals, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history.

Louisville has had many great moments throughout its storied history. These are just a few of the most memorable ones.

The Team’s Notable Players

The Louisville Cardinals men’s Basketball team is currently ranked number 1 in the nation. They have 3 notable players: Jordan Nwora Steven Enoch, and Dwayne Sutton. Jordan Nwora is a junior who averages 17 points and 7 rebounds per game Steven Enoch is a senior who averages 10 points and 6 rebounds per game Dwayne Sutton is a junior who averages 9 points and 7 rebounds per game.

The Coaches Who Led Louisville to Success

Since the turn of the century, Louisville has had some of the best Basketball Coaches in the country. Rick Pitino, Denny Crum, and Pitino’s successor, David Padgett, all led the Cardinals to NCAA Division I Men’s basketball championships

Pitino is the only Louisville coach to have won a National Championship doing so in 1980 and 1986. He also led the Cardinals to Final Fours in 2005 and 2012. In 2013, Pitino was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Crum led Louisville to national championships in 1980 and 1986 as well. He was named National Coach of the Year in 1980 and again in 1986 when he also won The Associated Press Coach of the Year Award In 1993, Crum was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Padgett took over as Head Coach midway through the 2017-2018 season after Pitino was fired amid an NCAA scandal. He guided Louisville to an NIT title that year.

The Rivalries That Define Louisville Basketball

As one of the most successful College Basketball programs in history, the Louisville Cardinals have their share of intense rivalries. Here are three of the biggest.

One of Louisville’s biggest rivals is Kentucky. The two teams have faced each other over 100 times, with Kentucky leading the series 58-41. The rivalry is so heated that the schools don’t even play each other every year anymore, out of fear that it might get too violent.

Another big rivalry for Louisville is against Indiana. The two teams have played each other 143 times, with Louisville leading the series 72-71. This rivalry is also very heated, and often results in fights among fans after the game.

The third big rival for Louisville is Cincinnati. The two schools have played each other 129 times, with Cincinnati leading the series 65-64. This rivalry is less about basketball and more about which city is better overall. Cincinnati fans often say that Louisville is a “little brother” city, while Louisville Fans return the insult by calling Cincinnati a “cowtown.”

How Louisville Fans Show Their Support

The Louisville Cardinals basketball team has some of the most passionate and loyal fans in the country. Here are some stats on how they show their support:

--home games averaged 14,634 fans per game during the 2017-2018 season, filling 97.4% of the KFC Yum! Center’s capacity.
-Away games averaged 7,229 fans per game during the 2017-2018 season.
-Louisville fans donate an average of $14 million per year to the athletic department.

The Most Important Games in Louisville History

Louisville has a long and storied history in College Basketball and some of the most important games in the program’s history have taken place on its home court the KFC Yum! Center. Here are some of the most memorable games that have been played in Louisville:

-The 1979 NCAA championship game between Louisville and Michigan State was one of the most iconic games in NCAA history. Louisville won the title with a last-second shot by freshman forward Darrell Griffith.

-In 1986, Louisville beat Duke in the Elite Eight to advance to the Final Four. The game was infamous for a brawl that ensued between the two teams, which led to Duke’s coach Mike Krzyzewski being hospitalized with a detached retina.

-In 1992, Louisville beat Kentucky in the Sweet Sixteen en route to their second NCAA title. The win was extra sweet for Louisville fans, as it came against their biggest rival.

-In 2013, Louisville beat Michigan in the Final Four to win their third NCAA title. The game was capped off by a clutch performance from senior guard Luke Hancock who was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

When Louisville basketball Goes Viral

In the past, Louisville fans have taken to social media to show their support for the team using the hashtag #L1C4. Here are some of the top times that Louisville basketball has trended on social media
-In 2013, when Louisville won the National Championship the hashtag #L1C4 was used over 1 million times on Twitter.
-When Kevin Ware suffered a devastating injury during a Louisville game in 2013, the hashtag #PrayforWare trended worldwide on Twitter.
-In 2014, when Louisville defeated Kentucky in the Sweet Sixteen #L1C4 was used over 200,000 times on Twitter.

What the Future Holds for the Cardinals

In 2011, the University of Louisville men’s Basketball team made history by winning the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship The Cardinals have been to the NCAA tournament thirty-six times, with fifteen Final Four appearances and three national championships. The team has also won eighteen conference championships and fourteen divisional titles. In recent years the Cardinals have been one of the top teams in the nation, with a record of 29-5 in the 2012-2013 season.

The future looks bright for Louisville Basketball The team has a strong core of young players led by sophomore guard Russ Smith. Smith was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2013 NCAA Tournament after leading the Cardinals to victory over Michigan in the Championship game Other Key Players include junior forward Montrezl Harrell and sophomore guard Terry Rozier. With this group of young talent, Louisville is poised to make another run at the National Championship in the coming years.

Why Louisville Basketball is the Best

Few college basketball programs can match the success of the Louisville Cardinals The team has won multiple national championships and has produced some of the game’s greatest players Here are a few reasons why Louisville basketball is the best:

-The Louisville Cardinals have won more than 2,000 games, which is more than any other team in NCAA history.
-The Cardinals have been to the Final Four 15 times, which is tied for second most all time.
-Louisville has produced 31 NBA players including some of the game’s biggest stars like Dwayne Wade and RETURN TO SENDER.
-The Cardinals have won 11 conference championships, including five in a row from 2012 to 2016.
-Louisville has been ranked in the AP Top 25 poll over 400 times, which is more than any other school.