Louisville must outtough Michigan State to stay alive in March Madness

BUFFALO, NY — The moment from Pat Kelsey 's first NCAA Tournament win as a head coach he wanted to talk about the most occurred with 1:25 remaining Thursday at KeyBank Center and sixth-seeded Louisville basketball clinging to a 78-72 lead over No. 11 South Florida . That's when Kobe Rodgers , a fellow Cincinnati kid who joined Kelsey in taking the leap of faith from Charleston to the 502, "went above the trees" to secure a defensive rebound over 6-foot-10 Bulls forward Izaiyah Nelson, one of the most prolific glass cleaners in the country.

What was going through his mind? "I better get it," the 6-3 guard told The Courier Journal on Friday. "I'm living one of the best lives anybody could ask for," he added earlier in the day, during an appearance on the dais.

"Going to get a rebound, or going to dive on the floor at any opportunity that I can, that's just a little sacrifice for all the blessings that I have. " This time two years ago, Rodgers was reeling after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a 109-96 loss to Alabama in the first round of March Madness . When Kelsey offered him a spot on the Cardinals' roster despite the injury, he told him, "You could have went to Antarctica, and I would have followed you there.

" That rebound Thursday afternoon encapsulated the beauty of the Big Dance — a guy who couldn't walk off the court under his own power in 2024 rising up to all but seal UofL's first victory in the event since 2017 , 83-79 over USF. The past can't define you when tomorrow's not guaranteed. "It's a brand-new season," Isaac McKneely said.