It has been two months since No. 25 Louisville faced Florida State. On Saturday, a far different Cardinals team hosts the rematch between the Atlantic Coast Conference schools.The Cardinals’ 90-76 win on Dec. 21 in Tallahassee launched a 10-game winning streak that made Louisville (20-6, 13-2) the talk of college basketball for most of January. Having won 14 of their last 15, the Cardinals share second place in the ACC with Clemson and can claim a double-bye in next month’s conference tournament if they win three of their last five regular-season games.Speaking to reporters during the ACC weekly coaches’ conference call on Monday, a day after winning 75-60 at Notre Dame, first-year coach Pat Kelsey made the team’s focus clear — even as the school likely will earn its first NCAA Tournament bid in six years.”We never, ever, ever talk about that ever,” Kelsey said. “I say it all the time: Our sole focus is the most important thing in the history of our program, which is the next thing we do.”Chucky Hepburn scored 16 points, dished out six assists and added three steals in Sunday’s win at Notre Dame. The Wisconsin transfer leads the ACC in steals with 59 and ranks second in assists with 6.2 per game. He also averages a team-high 15.0 points with Terrence Edwards Jr. (14.8), Reyne Smith (14.3) and J’Vonne Hadley (12.4) right behind. Smith, whose 100 3-pointers lead all major-conference players, went 6-for-9 from beyond the arc in a 27-point performance at Florida State (16-10, 7-8).Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton believes the Cardinals have improved since the two teams played. After his team’s 74-66 win Wednesday over Miami, he told reporters he thinks Louisville will be a tough team to face in the NCAA Tournament.
