Louisville Cardinal basketball wasn’t taken so seriously at the beginning of the season. Weak schedule, No Harrell or Rozier, and a big time allegation was looming over the Cardinals. But they have proven everyone in the college basketball wrong so far. They are now 16th in the nation and have proven they can hang with the big boys (Michigan State, should’ve been a win). Their nonconference schedule might be weak and could’ve gotten weaker (thanks Kentucky), but their conference schedule is a daunting one. They play Duke twice, Virginia twice, at Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, and at NC State. The ACC might be the best conference in America and not many are picking the Cardinals to even compete in the race for the crown. But here’s why the 2015-2016 Louisville Cardinals, should not be taken so lightly in that conversation for the title of the best team in the ACC.

1. Damion Lee is a proven star- Many high powered programs were after Lee this summer when he announced he would continue his college career someplace other than Drexel. After having a great career at Drexel, he decided to come to the University of Louisville thanks to some good old fashioned laser tag. He has quickly excelled at UofL as their top option on offense and is currently averaging 18.3 PPG and is shooting 45% from the field. He has already proven himself against big time competition like Michigan State and has another chance to do so against Kentucky. There aren’t many guards in the ACC if any, better than Damion L33 (yes, there is meant to be 3’s instead of an E). He will continue to play fantastic basketball and lead this Louisville team far in the ACC Tournament. He is good enough to go against Grayson Allen of Duke and Marcus Paige of UNC. Who would’ve guessed a player from Drexel would be this good on one of the powerhouse programs in college basketball.

2. Emergence of 2nd year players- This Louisville team is full of young, talented players that needed to step up for this year’s team to be taken seriously in the ACC. Last year was one of the best freshman classes Rick Pitino has seen at the University. It involved Chinanu Onuaku, Quentin Snider, Anas Mahmoud, Matz Stockman, and Jaylen Johnson. In that one sentence there are four guys who have started a game before as a Cardinal this year. Onuaku has become the go to big man in the post but foul trouble has sort of slowed him down this year. Snider had to become a starter in the NCAA Tournament last season but now he starts every game next to Trey Lewis and is averaging double digit points per game in his full time position. Anas Mahmoud is sidelined with an injury right now but he has made huge strides in his game after coming in as an unknown freshman last year. With Mangok Mathiang gone for 6-8 weeks, Mahmoud will be asked to carry more of a row. Stockman won’t get much playing time until next year but he has worlds of potential in his 7’0 frame. Jaylen Johnson is the last recruit I mentioned and he has tried to fill the shoes of Montrezl Harrell. He has become a solid bench player that can provide points and rebounds when needed. The 2014 class was an important one for Louisville and will continue to show out against some of the top talent in the ACC.

3. The ACC hasn’t been as good as everyone thought- This whole part starts with the Duke Blue Devils. They are without Amile Jefferson right now and have already lost to Kentucky and unranked Utah. Duke isn’t the powerhouse what it was last season when they had Okafor, Winslow, and Jones. But they have a lot to prove before they can be ACC favorites again. UNC is having an up and down beginning of the season. It all depends how well Marcus Paige plays for their shot to win the ACC title increases. Notre Dame was nationally ranked in the beginning of the season but a few early losses have knocked them out of early contention. Syracuse got a lot of love early on until they went on a losing streak. But the two bright spots have been Miami and Virginia. Both team have been playing fantastic basketball and could be the two best teams in the ACC right now. Louisville has a primed chance to be in the top 3 of the ACC if they continue to play as well as they are right now.

4. When healthy, Louisville has the deepest frontcourt in the ACC-The Cardinals have a huge group of great big men on their roster at their disposal. When healthy it includes; Onuaku, Mathiang, Spalding, Johnson, Mahmoud, and Stockman. On a night where everyone is at 100%, they will play five big men. But without Mathiang and Mahmoud right now, Pitino has resulted in playing Stockman who is 7’0 250 pounds as a sophomore. No matter how many injuries they will have, the Cardinals will still have plenty of quality big men to throw out there. Onuaku has been tabbed to be the best of the crop but Spalding has the most potential out of anyone. He is a freshman starting at the forward position and is a long and lengthy 6’10 forward who is a solid rebounder. If he reaches his potential this year, the ACC needs to watch out. The only teams who could possibly challenge UofL in this category is UNC and Miami. But no team in the ACC could possibly throw 6 big men at you on any given night.

5. Trey Lewis could end up being one of the best point guards in the ACC- The ACC is full of great point guards like Marcus Paige, Angel Rodgriquez, London Perrantes, Anthony Barber, and finally Trey Lewis. He is a graduate student who transferred from Cleveland State and has already become a go to option on offense for Louisville. He is averaging 14.1 PPG, 2.8 AST, and 3.8 TRB. If Lee is having an off night, Lewis is capable of taking the game over with his scoring and toughness. He excels at putting his head to the basket and blasting through defenders. He’s also shooting 42% from the 3-point line and 50% from the field. Lewis has the potential to be one of the best point guards in the ACC, and so far he is living up to that potential.

There are many more reasons why Louisville should be taken seriously to contend for an ACC title this season. But these are the five reasons why the Cardinals should be considered for the best team in the ACC for the rest of the season. Rick Pitino has this team hitting on all cylinders right now, and they will only get better throughout conference play.