FORT WORTH, TX — Why is Louisville basketball here?
Why, with only three weeks remaining in the regular season, are Pat Kelsey‘s No. 23 Cardinals (19-6, 8-4 ACC) playing Baylor (13-12, 3-9 Big 12) in front of a Dickies Arena crowd that puts the whole, “Everything’s bigger in Texas” deal to shame?
A $300,000 check from ESPN Events is nice. But it all boils down to the postseason: getting a feel for the neutral-site ambiance and, ideally, walking away with a résumé-boosting Quad 1 win.
UofL did just that Saturday: 82-71 over the Bears in a performance that showcased what will take Kelsey’s team far when the calendar flips to March.
Guard play? Got it. Mikel Brown Jr. followed up his historic performance in Monday’s win over N.C. State by going for a game-high 29 points on 8-for-14 shooting. The freshman point guard accounted for half of Louisville’s eight 3s and six of its 18 assists and also tallied a career-high five steals.
Louisville wraps up its Texas road trip with a rematch against SMU – the first opponent of its five-game winning streak. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at Moody Coliseum.
The Mustangs fell to 17-8 (6-6 ACC) with a 79-78 loss Saturday at Syracuse that was decided in the final seconds of regulation.
This story will be updated.
Reach Louisville men’s basketball reporter Brooks Holton at [email protected] and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball, Mikel Brown Jr. beat Baylor, add to win streak
