Louisville Cards Begin NCAA Title Quest in Lexington

With the number one overall seed, a Big East Tournament title and a nine-game winning streak on its resume,  the University of Louisville begins play in the men’s NCAA basketball tournament tomorrow  in Lexington.  

The Cards take on North Carolina A&T, which defeated Liberty in Tuesday’s play-in game.  It was the Aggies’ first-ever NCAA tournament victory.

U of L senior guard Peyton Siva says the Cards are clicking—as a team--at the right time.

"That’s what you all have been seeing the last couple of games.   It’s not just the starting five…you know everybody’s giving us a big contribution off the bench," Siva said. 

This is the second time since 2007 that the Cards will begin tournament play in Rupp Arena.    That year, U of L won its opener over Stanford, but was eliminated by Texas A&M in the second round.

Coach Rick Pitino says despite the close proximity to Louisville, playing at Rupp doesn’t give his team much of a competitive advantage.

"It really does come down to execution.    It’s certainly more convenient, but it doesn’t make a difference once the game starts," Pitino said. 

If the Cards win Thursday's opener, they’ll face either Missouri or Colorado State on Saturday.

U of L and North Carolina A&T will tip off at 6:50pm.