"Louisville might be next best thing after Duke": Jay Williams makes bold prediction for Pat Kelsey's team before March Madness

Pat Kelsey and the No. 21 Louisville Cardinals have surprised people in the 2024-25 season. This led a college basketball analyst to believe they could compete for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

On Saturday, ESPN held a College GameDay show at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium. The panel made their predictions for the season's success, with Jay Williams selecting Louisville.

"I think that Louisville was going to be undefeated until we get to March 1. When you look at their schedule, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Miami, NC State, Notre Dame, FSU, Virginia Tech, obviously, there are really good opponents there, but I think this Louisville team is still an underrated team," Williams said.

"And in the conference that's looking to find multiple bids to get into the NCAA Tournament, we'll see if they can get five. I think Louisville might be the next best thing after Duke basketball."

How Pat Kelsey has succeeded with Louisville so far

Jay Williams has his reasons for the prediction, which seem justified given Louisville's performance in their first year under Pat Kelsey.

Having taken over the reins after leading Charleston to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances in three seasons, Kelsey brought Louisville back into the national spotlight. They boast a 16-6 overall record, having won nine of their first 11 games of conference play.

The Cardinals are averaging 78.6 points on 43.7% shooting from the field and 31.8% from beyond the arc, beating opponents by a margin of nine points per game. They are grabbing 38.2 rebounds while limiting their turnovers to 11.1 per contest.

Five players are averaging double-digits in the offense. Among the five, Chucky Hepburn stands out with numbers of 15.1 points, 6.4 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.4 steals. Reyne Smith is the team's best three-point shooter with 83 made triples and counting, while Terrence Edwards Jr. provides 13.9 points and 3.8 rebounds.

Pat Kelsey and the No. 21 Cardinals will prepare for their next matchup against the Boston College Eagles on Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. ET.