Louisville has been a major disappointment this season. But I see the Cardinals hanging within single digits of North Carolina in this revenge spot. The Cardinals' confidence should be up after beating Clemson by nine points this past Saturday.

Two key takeaways from that game:

No. 1: Cardinals big man Malik Williams returned from a two-game suspension. The 6-foot-11 Williams is the Cardinals' second-leading scorer and one of the top defensive rebounders in the ACC.

No. 2: It was the Cardinals' first win since head coach Chris Mack left on Jan. 26 ending a string of seven straight losses. Only one of those last five defeats was by more than nine points.

Louisville did not have Williams when it lost in overtime to North Carolina three weeks ago. The Tar Heels made 12 of 26 3-point shots in that victory for 46 percent. North Carolina is an excellent 3-point shooting team, but not that good. The Tar Heels average 38 percent from beyond the arc.

The Tar Heels don't figure to be that hot again from 3-point range plus the presence of Williams heavily boosts Louisville's rim protection and interior defense.