Yes, college basketball games are shorter than a football game or a baseball game and most other sports. But the reality is a championship game on a Monday night ending between 11:30 p.m. and midnight on the East Coast is just a kick to the groin of every sports fan who will watch the game.

But since then, first-year coach Pat Kelsey's club has found its stride. After a hellacious 8-24 season, Kelsey arrived from Charleston and infused Louisville with new life. After beating Stanford at home to close the regular season, the Cardinals enter the postseason on a nine-game winning streak.