Louisville has major flaws that could lead to early March Madness upset

The Cardinals must try and fix some of its deficiencies before its too late

Feb 23, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey reacts in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Every team has its flaws, and some might be greater than others but the warts that surround the Louisville basketball program are too big to ignore and they were all on display Monday night against North Carolina.

The Cardinals started great and looked like a team that could make serious noise in the ACC down the stretch of the season.

They built a ten-point lead, 23-13, after making 9-of-15 shots from the field. All of its makes were either a layup or 3-pointer, and it was the freshman Mikel Brown Jr. leading the charge.

Then, the Tar Heels started to dig in and force Louisville to defend, something it’s not comfortable with. It resulted in five straight made shots and eventually a four-point lead that was trimmed to one at halftime.

But once North Carolina threw a punch, Louisville had no answer.

The Cardinals offense became stagnant and filled with one-on-one play. The shots were ill-advised and highly difficult. There was no semblance of a defense to try and slow down a Tar Heel offense missing its best player – freshman Caleb Wilson – as Seth Trimble exploded for 30 points.

In the midst of the game swinging in favor of the team from Chapel Hill, Louisville missed 15 straight shots against an average, at best, defense and when it tried to rally late it was too big of a mountain to climb.

It’s become a story too familiar for the Cardinals, despite the program being lightyears ahead of where it was when Pat Kelsey took the program over, losing its biggest conference games.

It was swept by Duke, blowing a double-digit lead at home and being embarrassed on the road. It fell at home to Virginia, a ranked team, and now its loss to North Carolina coupled with other defeats in league play.

The guards, led by Brown Jr., can be terrific and must be terrific to give this team a chance on a nightly basis because there is no inside game to speak of, but it leaves itself vulnerable entering March.

If Louisville gets the wrong matchup early in the NCAA Tournament, it could be a short stay.

A mid-major conference champion with disciplined guards and a dominant big man could be a trendy upset pick unless Louisville can plug some of its holes before the postseason arrives.