Louisville Basketball’s Stunning Victory Over Boston College Raises Questions: Is This the Turning Point of Their Season?

In today’s college basketball scene, it’s not just about handing out big contracts or chasing flashy endorsement deals — the real game-changer is having your top talent on the court, fit and ready to battle. Louisville’s recent clash with Boston College threw that reality in sharp relief. Without Mikel Brown Jr. sidelined for a back injury and Ryan Conwell out late with a knee issue, the Cardinals had to navigate the court missing a hefty chunk of their firepower. Sure, Boston College might be at the bottom of the ACC standings, and the math says Louisville should’ve cruised — but when significant contributors are out, even the simplest wins become hard-fought battles. It’s a tough lesson in roster health and depth that no amount of paychecks or NIL deals can guarantee. This 75-62 triumph wasn’t just another notch in the belt; it was a gritty showcase of resilience amid adversity that Louisville fans won’t soon forget. LEARN MORE

Even in the age of the transfer portal, revenue sharing and name, image and likeness deals, not only do the right players have to be paid (stares blankly at Kentucky), the right players have to be available.

Louisville basketball found itself Saturday against Boston College without its best two players in the lineup: Mikel Brown Jr. missed his sixth straight game with a back injury. Ryan Conwell became a late scratch after a knee injury.

No amount of money can buy and guarantee a healthy roster.

That’s why the Cardinals’ 75-62 win over the Eagles was by far their best of this season. Boston College is, by most metrics, the worst team in the ACC. So, no, UofL won’t get any credit from any algorithm for beating a team it was supposed to beat.

Take the top two scorers out of the lineup from any team ranked in the top 25 and see if they don’t struggle.

With Brown and Conwell sidelined, the Cards were without 35% of their scoring, 32% of their assists, 43% of their free throw attempts and what felt like 100% of their swagger.

The Cards showed more fight against the Eagles, frankly, than they had at times in the second half of their loss to Duke on Tuesday. They battled through the mistakes that came with trying to figure out who would take the lead offensively.

This column will be updated.

Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at [email protected], follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his columns.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball over Boston College was a big win for Pat Kelsey