Kenny Payne's Louisville Cardinals fall to Boston College Eagles in 2023 ACC Tournament
Coverage from game: Kenny Payne's 1st Louisville basketball season ends with early ACC Tournament exit, 28 losses
GREENSBORO, N.C. — When Ken Pomeroy of KenPom.com crunched the numbers, the Louisville men's basketball team has less than 0.01% odds of winning the ACC Tournament and securing an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
So, you're saying there's a chance?
The plan is to not, as Mike James put it, just show up at Greensboro Coliseum and say, "Hey, we’re here."
"We’re trying to win it," the redshirt freshman guard said after losing at No. 13 Virginia in the regular-season finale. "If our mindset isn’t that, then I don’t know what to say."
The ACC starts Tuesday in Greensboro, and the question on everyone’s mind is whether it is more difficult to win the ACC tournament or the NCAA tournament. pic.twitter.com/1gpXXmGMy1
— Ken Pomeroy (@kenpomeroy) March 6, 2023
Step 1 for the Cardinals (4-27, 2-18 ACC) is beating Boston College (15-16, 9-11) Tuesday afternoon. Head coach Kenny Payne and company were unable to do so when the teams met Jan. 25 in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, in large part due to 19 turnovers and just nine second-chance points off six offensive rebounds.
Louisville is 17-8 in its first conference tournament game dating back to the 1995-96 season and 1-0 in first-round ACC matchups after beating Georgia Tech last year in Brooklyn, New York.
Payne shares James' belief that the Cardinals could "surprise a couple people" in Greensboro and wants his team to have a mentality of, "We’re ruining somebody’s season." In order to do that, they're going to need to take care of the ball and play with a defensive intensity that hasn't been seen often during their four-game losing streak to close out what will go down as the worst regular season in the program's 109-year history.
"We have a lot of experience in what not to do," Payne said after losing at Virginia last Saturday.
ACC Tournament:The bracket is set. Here's how to follow along
The Eagles, on the other hand, went 3-1 down the stretch, including victories against UVA at home and Wake Forest on the road. Something to monitor: Head coach Earl Grant said Monday the team's leading scorer and rebounder, Quinten Post, is "day to day" with a sprained ankle; and the ACC's Most Improved Player did not participate in the team's open practice later in the day at the arena.
Boston College’s Quinten Post, the ACC’s Most Improved Player who leads the Eagles in scoring and rebounding, is not going through practice here at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Per @sourabhgokarn, coach Earl Grant said earlier today that Post is “day to day” with a sprained ankle. pic.twitter.com/07aLJxPBLp— Brooks Holton (@brooksHolton) March 6, 2023
Here’s what you need to know to watch, listen and follow along with the first-round matchup.
When is Louisville vs Boston College ACC Tournament game?
When: 4:30 p.m., Tuesday
Where: Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina)
What TV channel is ACC Tournament and Louisville-Boston College on?
Wes Durham (play-by-play) and Jordan Cornette (analyst) will call the game on the ACC Network (AT&T U-Verse 610; DirectTV 612; Dish 402; Spectrum 524 and 937).
How to stream Louisville vs Boston College in ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
Qualified subscribers can watch the game through WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app, ESPN+ or fuboTV.
How to stream Louisville vs BC in ACC Tournament for free
You can stream ESPN on YouTube TV, which offers a free trial here. fuboTV offers a free trial here.
How to listen to Louisville vs Boston College in ACC Tournament on the radio, online
Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Jody Demling (analyst) will have the call on the Cardinal Sports Network (WLCL 93.9-FM and WGTK 970-AM in Louisville). You can also listen online via GoCards.com.
Louisville basketball's history vs Boston College, in ACC Tournament
Louisville boasts a 10-5 record against Boston College, which snapped the Cardinals' three-game winning streak in the series when the teams met back in January. U of L has won eight of its past 10 matchups against the Eagles.
Since joining the ACC ahead of the 2014-15 season, Louisville is 3-6 overall in conference tournament play.
Louisville vs Boston College score, live updates, highlights from ACC Tournament
Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: ACC Tournament 2023: Louisville basketball falls to Boston College
