LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — They were standing and making relentless noise in the forgotten seats at the KFC Yum! Center Saturday afternoon.
The seats that have been unnecessary for three, four or five seasons at the downtown arena. Up in section 319, tucked behind the northeast video boards. And in section 330, behind the south end basket.
“They’re loud, aren’t they?” Louisville athletic director Josh Heird said as he made his way off the floor midway through the first half of the Cards’ 81-67 victory over Virginia.
Yes, they were loud — and they were everywhere, including every corner of the upper arena. The announced attendance was 18,233, the largest announced number for a U of L men’s home game since Duke visited on Jan. 29, 2022.
But this was different. This was a crowd that came to celebrate a home team that is playing entertaining and winning basketball. This was not a crowd that came to see Kentucky, Duke or North Carolina.
“We felt it,” U of L coach Pat Kelsey said. “It was a huge boost at certain times in the game … The Yum definitely made a difference today. Let’s keep that going.”
If you’re scoring at home, the largest crowd last season was 17,293. But that was mostly Kentucky fans. The largest crowd for a non-UK game was 12,620 for Duke.
This was as loud and as joyous as people have been in this building since … 2021 … 2017 … you decide.
“I’m not going to sit here in front and say that we just don’t notice,” Louisville senior Terrance Edwards Jr. said. “We came here for that, to turn things around.”
Heird was on the court for the first-half timeout ceremony to recognize former U of L athletic director Bill Olsen, who was honored by having the court named for him at the basketball practice facility.
That was one of a string of moments when the building percolated with the energy that bubbled in Freedom Hall when Olsen, first as an assistant coach and later as an AD, teamed with Denny Crum to make Louisville basketball a potent national force.
The two men could shake hands and agree that Pat Kelsey has given U of L fans a product to love again. The Cards just swept Virginia, the first time they’ve swept any ACC opponent since Louisville beat Duke twice during the 2020-21 season.
They’re 14-5 overall and 7-1 in the ACC, winners of eight straight games, trailing only Duke in the conference standings. They gained two spots, moving to No. 28, in Ken Pomeroy’s computer power formula.
“Next thing,” Kelsey said. “Next thing. That’s all we talk about … I love that you guys are talking about an 8-game winning streak. That’s good for our program. Puts people in the seats. Recruits notice it. Keep writing it …
“… but it’s just about having the best preparation day in the program’s history tomorrow. We’ll do that again on Monday. Short turnaround and travel day. We’ll go to Dallas and play against a really, really good (SMU) team. So there is no such as an eight-game winning streak. All that’s over.”
“They’re the hottest team in the league right now,” interim Virginia coach Ron Sanchez said. “They’re playing really good basketball. They share the ball … I believe the ball has energy. The more you touch it, the better you feel.”
Reyne Smith confirmed his place as the most prolific three-point shooter in the Atlantic Coast Conference and the third most prolific shooter in the country by making 65th, 66th, 67th and 68th shots from distance on his way to scoring 19 points.
James Scott delivered 12 points and 10 rebounds. Edwards had 16, despite missing all five shots from distance. J’Vonne Hadley finished with 13. The Cards won easily even though Kelsey held out Noah Waterman to provide healing time for the broken right thumb that required four surgical pins.
Virginia had zero fast-break points. The Cavaliers scored on only 30 of 68 possessions. They never led.
“I think our defense continues to be our calling card on this winning streak,” Kelsey said. “We’ve got to continue to guard at this level.”
The Cards have a one-game assignment next week, visiting SMU in Dallas Tuesday at 9 p.m. Next home game is Tuesday Jan. 28 against Wake Forest.
Don’t tell Kelsey, but Pomeroy’s formula has Louisville as a 2-point underdog against SMU but a favorite in their final 11 ACC regular season games. His numbers have Duke finishing 19-1 in the league — with Louisville and Clemson trailing at 16-4.
“Our main thing is to get to March and to get to March you’ve got to be consistent and stack wins and keep winning,” Edwards said.
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