Louisville basketball coach Pat Kelsey will continue to have guard-centric teams that place added value in maximizing 3-pointers. But in order to for the Cardinals to truly get back to being a championship contender next season, Kelsey will need to upgrade the frontcourt.

A little less finesse, a lot more muscle.

Looking back at recent NCAA Tournament champions, the pattern is there. March Madness is dominated by guard play, but the teams that cut down the nets all had frontcourts that helped lead the way.

Time and again in losses this season, the Cards were caught lacking inside. Sometimes that meant an inability to matchup with opponents who had size in the frontcourt like Duke, North Carolina or Clemson.

Against teams like Arkansas, Tennessee and Virginia, that meant being turned into a one-dimensional offense that couldn’t make up for a poor shooting performance by scoring inside.

Their final game against Michigan State crystallized their weakness.

UofL had to match up undersized power forward J’Vonne Hadley with the Spartans’ 6-foot-11 forward, Jaxon Kohler. Hadley, who entered the game averaging 11.8 points and 5.2 rebounds, was nearly held scoreless. His lone basket came with 11 seconds left in the game, as he was held to two points on 1-of-8 shooting and grabbed three boards.

UofL guards took turns trying to defend the Spartans’ 6-foot-6, 230-pound small forward Coen Carr. The Cards just didn’t have anyone who could physically match up with him.

Carr bullied his way to posting his only double-double of the season, scoring a game-high tying 21 points with 10 rebounds. It was also just the third time this season Carr scored 20 or more points.

Hadley and reserve center Aly Khalifa have exhausted their eligibility and won’t be back next season. Kasean Pryor could play another season, but a seventh year in college seems unlikely at UofL, given how unreliable he was this season. (Pryor could have made a difference against Michigan State, but he played one minute, took an ill-advised shot, and was back on the bench for the remainder of the game.)

It could be that Louisville already has the upgrades it needs on the current roster, given how young its frontcourt was.

Should Khani Rooths make a natural progression as an upperclassman next season, he’s shown the potential to be a starter. Just think back to his 12-point, 12-rebound performance against Notre Dame.

Although freshman center Sananda Fru was replaced as a starter by Vangelis Zougris the last six games of the season, the biggest improvement he will make will likely come as a sophomore.

The Berlin native spent much of this season getting acclimated to how much more physical the college game is compared to the German league he played in before enrolling at UofL.

Even Zougris, who plays with the toughness the Cards need, could be developed into a solid rotation player in the frontcourt. Since he didn’t start playing basketball until he was 15 years old, though, he still has much to learn. If he stays Louisville’s starter next season, it would more likely be a sign that no upgrades were made than that he became elite in a year.

It should be noted that no plan or roster construction will be successful if the central player or players are injured or otherwise don’t play. That was the quagmire Kelsey found himself in this season when guard Mikel Brown Jr. initially injured his back and missed 10 games in December and January.

Brown re-aggravated his back injury and, by missing the final six games, essentially put a governor on how fast the Cards could get back to contending this season. As frustrating as that experience was, it also underlies why a viable frontcourt should be a priority.

In just a few weeks, the transfer portal will open and Kelsey will begin to build a new roster for next season. He's proven in his two seasons that he has an eye for signing guards who will make an immediate impact. But the Cards won't truly contend until he makes sure the frontcourt isn't just an afterthought.

Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at clbrown1@gannett.com, follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his columns.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball needs this for March Madness run with Pat Kelsey

The Lady Vols concluded the worst season in program history with a 76-61 loss to NC State in a first-round NCAA Tournament game on March 20. But second-year coach Kim Caldwell is losing more than games.

She’s losing her fan base.

Richard writes: John, regarding your column on Kim Caldwell “identifying problems, can she solve them?” I submit she has another equally difficult one: winning back the fan base. Not since Jeremy Pruitt have fans turned on a UT coach so quickly.

She seems to have the same problem as Pruitt − hubris. And Lady Vols fans are even tougher in their expectations. Once a coach has lost them, historically it's over (see Holly Warlick and Kellie Harper), even if it takes a season or two for the AD to pull the plug.

And ironically, the highly anticipated Robin Roberts documentary on Pat Summitt isn't going to help her, either.

My response: I’m looking forward to the Summitt documentary. I also would like to see a documentary on the Lady Vols’ 2025-26 team.

The contrast between the two would be stunning.

Dan writes: The best thing to happen to the Lady Vols would be for athletic director Danny White to fire Caldwell.

Why would he keep her after the most embarrassing season in Lady Vols history?

She lies about the team and individual player issues. She shows no compassion for her team. She walks around with her arms crossed and doesn’t have a clue how to coach or motivate a team that hates her.

She is playing the AD with her BS. Many of us have talked to players and their families and know the truth.

My response: The truth: The transfer portal was created for a team just like this one.

However, transfer traffic goes both ways. So, maybe the Lady Vols can bolster their roster with an influx of transfers.

But, after this season, they better be prepared to overpay.

Dorn writes: I have been enjoying your work for a long time. I think your March 23 column may be your best yet. I was so frustrated by coach Kin Caldwell’s comments. Reading your spot-on analysis approached being a cathartic experience.

Thank you.

My response: No, thank you. When I became a sports columnist – about the same time dinosaurs roamed the earth – one of my goals was to provide a cathartic experience for readers.

Guess I can check that box now.

Tom writes: Great column, John.

One other thing I would have mentioned: if Caldwell’s system is so great (in her mind), why are all other D1 coaches not trying it?  Or using it?

My response: I’ve yet to hear from a former player or coach who believes Caldwell’s unorthodox approach will work at this level. They cite the constant substituting as a bigger problem than her devotion to the full-court press or 3-point shooting.

Mike writes: Hello, Danny White. Why hasn't Kim Caldwell been fired yet? 

My response: Tennessee’s athletic director has a tough decision to make. But Tennessee’s NIL supporters might make it for him.

Gary writes: I wonder if Danny White is still "thrilled" with his Lady Vols basketball hire?  Caldwell is clueless and evidently cannot understand the tradition and storied program that the Lady Vols have always been. 

This season has been an epic failure on her part. Let me count the ways: most losses in a season, no wins in March, not allowing a senior to start on Senior Day, wholesale substitutions that aren’t working, no in-game adjustments, benching her best players.

Lady Vols fans will not continue to support such incompetence.

My response: I wouldn't expect a stampede to purchase Lady Vols season tickets for 2026-27.

Don writes: The Lady Vols against NC State had nowhere near the intensity on defense as the Men Vols did against Miami of Ohio. For the Men Vols, there was no daylight between the defender and the would-be three-point shooter. With the Lady Vols on the other hand, the other team was getting wide-open 3s all game long.

I think that this group − and I hope they all come back next year, along with the coach − needs some additional motivation.

My response: Between now and next week, my goal is – in addition to providing more cathartic experiences for my readers – to find someone who shares your hope for the team and coaching staff to return.

On second thought, a week might not be enough time. Give me a month.

Colorado Mark writes: Having not observed the Lady Divas enough this season to form an honest evaluation, I will leave it to the experts, but I do feel there is a good deal more to this story than will be told. 

System, players, practice regimen, discipline, conditioning, coach − whatever, take your pick − but start with the low-picking fruit. Start with one problem, fix it and move on down the list.

If you don't have players that can hit 3-pointers and thrive in your system, find some who can. If not, Kim Caldwell will become the low-picking fruit.

ADAMS: Kim Caldwell identified problem for Lady Vols basketball, but can she solve it?

Personally, I think Caldwell has a great offensive system mismatched with the wrong players, but what do I know? I thought they would make it to the Final Four.

My response: Don’t beat yourself up over that prediction. They came up only four wins short.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Readers react strongly to Lady Vols, Kim Caldwell's March Madness exit

The Lady Vols concluded the worst season in program history with a 76-61 loss to NC State in a first-round NCAA Tournament game on March 20. But second-year coach Kim Caldwell is losing more than games.

She’s losing her fan base.

Richard writes: John, regarding your column on Kim Caldwell “identifying problems, can she solve them?” I submit she has another equally difficult one: winning back the fan base. Not since Jeremy Pruitt have fans turned on a UT coach so quickly.

She seems to have the same problem as Pruitt − hubris. And Lady Vols fans are even tougher in their expectations. Once a coach has lost them, historically it's over (see Holly Warlick and Kellie Harper), even if it takes a season or two for the AD to pull the plug.

And ironically, the highly anticipated Robin Roberts documentary on Pat Summitt isn't going to help her, either.

My response: I’m looking forward to the Summitt documentary. I also would like to see a documentary on the Lady Vols’ 2025-26 team.

The contrast between the two would be stunning.

Dan writes: The best thing to happen to the Lady Vols would be for athletic director Danny White to fire Caldwell.

Why would he keep her after the most embarrassing season in Lady Vols history?

She lies about the team and individual player issues. She shows no compassion for her team. She walks around with her arms crossed and doesn’t have a clue how to coach or motivate a team that hates her.

She is playing the AD with her BS. Many of us have talked to players and their families and know the truth.

My response: The truth: The transfer portal was created for a team just like this one.

However, transfer traffic goes both ways. So, maybe the Lady Vols can bolster their roster with an influx of transfers.

But, after this season, they better be prepared to overpay.

Dorn writes: I have been enjoying your work for a long time. I think your March 23 column may be your best yet. I was so frustrated by coach Kin Caldwell’s comments. Reading your spot-on analysis approached being a cathartic experience.

Thank you.

My response: No, thank you. When I became a sports columnist – about the same time dinosaurs roamed the earth – one of my goals was to provide a cathartic experience for readers.

Guess I can check that box now.

Tom writes: Great column, John.

One other thing I would have mentioned: if Caldwell’s system is so great (in her mind), why are all other D1 coaches not trying it?  Or using it?

My response: I’ve yet to hear from a former player or coach who believes Caldwell’s unorthodox approach will work at this level. They cite the constant substituting as a bigger problem than her devotion to the full-court press or 3-point shooting.

Mike writes: Hello, Danny White. Why hasn't Kim Caldwell been fired yet? 

My response: Tennessee’s athletic director has a tough decision to make. But Tennessee’s NIL supporters might make it for him.

Gary writes: I wonder if Danny White is still "thrilled" with his Lady Vols basketball hire?  Caldwell is clueless and evidently cannot understand the tradition and storied program that the Lady Vols have always been. 

This season has been an epic failure on her part. Let me count the ways: most losses in a season, no wins in March, not allowing a senior to start on Senior Day, wholesale substitutions that aren’t working, no in-game adjustments, benching her best players.

Lady Vols fans will not continue to support such incompetence.

My response: I wouldn't expect a stampede to purchase Lady Vols season tickets for 2026-27.

Don writes: The Lady Vols against NC State had nowhere near the intensity on defense as the Men Vols did against Miami of Ohio. For the Men Vols, there was no daylight between the defender and the would-be three-point shooter. With the Lady Vols on the other hand, the other team was getting wide-open 3s all game long.

I think that this group − and I hope they all come back next year, along with the coach − needs some additional motivation.

My response: Between now and next week, my goal is – in addition to providing more cathartic experiences for my readers – to find someone who shares your hope for the team and coaching staff to return.

On second thought, a week might not be enough time. Give me a month.

Colorado Mark writes: Having not observed the Lady Divas enough this season to form an honest evaluation, I will leave it to the experts, but I do feel there is a good deal more to this story than will be told. 

System, players, practice regimen, discipline, conditioning, coach − whatever, take your pick − but start with the low-picking fruit. Start with one problem, fix it and move on down the list.

If you don't have players that can hit 3-pointers and thrive in your system, find some who can. If not, Kim Caldwell will become the low-picking fruit.

ADAMS: Kim Caldwell identified problem for Lady Vols basketball, but can she solve it?

Personally, I think Caldwell has a great offensive system mismatched with the wrong players, but what do I know? I thought they would make it to the Final Four.

My response: Don’t beat yourself up over that prediction. They came up only four wins short.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Readers react strongly to Lady Vols, Kim Caldwell's March Madness exit

OKLAHOMA CITY — It almost didn’t matter. All of it.

All those Nebraska fans. All the roars and heckles and boos. Vanderbilt had the gumption to stare it down, hopes teetering after another slow start, yet never dissipating. Not until that final impossible heave by Tyler Tanner impossibly touched every bit of the rim but didn’t drop through, meaning his spectacular night somehow still wasn’t spectacular enough.

Nebraska 74, Vanderbilt 72.

March Madness, am I right?

No event in American sports like it. But gracious, it can be cruel. Sometimes, that’s for someone else to endure. But eventually, it comes for you, too, and then you’re sitting there uttering the truly heartbreaking words that Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington did:

“I just want one play back.”

There were plenty of things in Vanderbilt’s control it could’ve done. I’ll start with an 11-for-19 performance at the free-throw line. That’s 57.9% for a team that led the SEC this season at 79.4%.

Consistently, Nebraska got better looks offensively. That’s why the Cornhuskers shot 55.8%, making 9 of 19 attempts from 3-point range. Vanderbilt shot 37 times from 3-point range and missed 24. Most of the game, you looked at the stats and wondered how the game was still there for the taking. But it was.

The Commodores led 72-70 in the final minute. Then they allowed two buckets and nearly let the shot clock expire on their last full possession, forcing Chandler Bing to hoist a hurried one-timer that missed. That was a tough ask for a freshman with two points who had attempted only one previous shot.

None of that can be blamed on the crowd discrepancy that, again, almost didn’t matter.

But it did matter.

It’s insincere to suggest otherwise.

The record books will state this NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament game between Nebraska and Vanderbilt occurred at a “neutral site.”

Tell that to the Commodores.

OKC: Enjoy this video of something you’ll rarely see… A full house in downtown OKC loudly united behind one team…… pic.twitter.com/SEbKr9L2ve

— Mayor David Holt (@davidfholt) March 22, 2026

That’s nothing against Nebraska. What the Cornhuskers’ fans did here was special, and their team earned this on the court. The Commodores made sure of it.

From Vanderbilt’s perspective, though, the toughest part of this will just be the what-if of a NCAA selection process that didn’t appropriately value its season. It won’t be easy to look at how this played out in Oklahoma City and not feel shortchanged — and to wonder why you deserved this ordeal.

The day before the NCAA selection show, Vanderbilt whipped Florida — the reigning national champs and a deserving No. 1 seed in this bracket — by 17 points at Bridgestone Arena. That was after consecutive wins over Tennessee, a No. 6 seed that had made the past two Elite Eights.

Vanderbilt was under-seeded as a No. 5. Metrics were consistent in saying that it should’ve been a No. 4 seed, maybe even before beating Florida. Instead, Alabama got that No. 4 seed despite losing to Vandy in January, losing by 23 to Florida in February and to Ole Miss in its lone SEC Tournament game.

The committee tries to favor top-four seeds in determining sites. So Alabama is getting to play in Tampa, while Vanderbilt was sent here. Along with Nebraska. And its fans.

Tell you what, I have a newfound respect for the passion and devotion of Cornhuskers fans. Television didn’t do justice to how loud it was in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s arena.

Sure, teams have crowd advantages all the time in “neutral site” Men’s NCAA Tournament games. But if you were here to experience this, you’d understand how this wasn’t just a typical road game for Vanderbilt. It was the most difficult road game of the season. With all that was riding on the result, the atmosphere never eased up. It was relentless.

“I know it had to be incredible on TV,” Byington said. “It was an incredible game. I mean, it sucks we were on the side we were on. A high-level game, and I'm sure the crowd lifted them up and had them playing. They played so hard.

“But (you) second-guess where you are put or your seeding and all these other things, it just adds to the list of things that you're kind of sitting here thinking, ‘I just want one play back, and we win the game, in this environment.’ And that would have been even more rewarding. It's hard when you felt like you were that close to winning and didn't.”

Vanderbilt, from Byington to his players, didn’t make the crowd an excuse. But it’s hard to believe it wasn’t worth at least three points. It's one thing if it’s a conference game in January, but this is a tournament that rarely, if ever, asks that of its teams, much less an SEC team that won 27 games and had stellar metrics all season.

This wasn’t a second-round matchup of a No. 1 and a No. 9 seed, where the top seed had earned having the crowd in its corner. These were very similar teams who had very similar seasons, and that didn’t justify the disadvantage one was dealt.

You can credit Nebraska's fans for causing that while also wondering what the heck Vanderbilt did (or didn’t do) to deserve to be in such a position in the first place.

A commonly brutal March Madness ending, in this instance, was uncommon. While great seasons end all the time in moments like these, they don’t usually die with thoughts of the court being stormed once it happens.

Reach Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes at gestes@tennessean.com and hang out with him on Bluesky @gentryestes.bsky.social

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt's season deserved better than the March Madness fate it got

OKLAHOMA CITY — It almost didn’t matter. All of it.

All those Nebraska fans. All the roars and heckles and boos. Vanderbilt had the gumption to stare it down, hopes teetering after another slow start, yet never dissipating. Not until that final impossible heave by Tyler Tanner impossibly touched every bit of the rim but didn’t drop through, meaning his spectacular night somehow still wasn’t spectacular enough.

Nebraska 74, Vanderbilt 72.

March Madness, am I right?

No event in American sports like it. But gracious, it can be cruel. Sometimes, that’s for someone else to endure. But eventually, it comes for you, too, and then you’re sitting there uttering the truly heartbreaking words that Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington did:

“I just want one play back.”

There were plenty of things in Vanderbilt’s control it could’ve done. I’ll start with an 11-for-19 performance at the free-throw line. That’s 57.9% for a team that led the SEC this season at 79.4%.

Consistently, Nebraska got better looks offensively. That’s why the Cornhuskers shot 55.8%, making 9 of 19 attempts from 3-point range. Vanderbilt shot 37 times from 3-point range and missed 24. Most of the game, you looked at the stats and wondered how the game was still there for the taking. But it was.

The Commodores led 72-70 in the final minute. Then they allowed two buckets and nearly let the shot clock expire on their last full possession, forcing Chandler Bing to hoist a hurried one-timer that missed. That was a tough ask for a freshman with two points who had attempted only one previous shot.

None of that can be blamed on the crowd discrepancy that, again, almost didn’t matter.

But it did matter.

It’s insincere to suggest otherwise.

The record books will state this NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament game between Nebraska and Vanderbilt occurred at a “neutral site.”

Tell that to the Commodores.

OKC: Enjoy this video of something you’ll rarely see… A full house in downtown OKC loudly united behind one team…… pic.twitter.com/SEbKr9L2ve

— Mayor David Holt (@davidfholt) March 22, 2026

That’s nothing against Nebraska. What the Cornhuskers’ fans did here was special, and their team earned this on the court. The Commodores made sure of it.

From Vanderbilt’s perspective, though, the toughest part of this will just be the what-if of a NCAA selection process that didn’t appropriately value its season. It won’t be easy to look at how this played out in Oklahoma City and not feel shortchanged — and to wonder why you deserved this ordeal.

The day before the NCAA selection show, Vanderbilt whipped Florida — the reigning national champs and a deserving No. 1 seed in this bracket — by 17 points at Bridgestone Arena. That was after consecutive wins over Tennessee, a No. 6 seed that had made the past two Elite Eights.

Vanderbilt was under-seeded as a No. 5. Metrics were consistent in saying that it should’ve been a No. 4 seed, maybe even before beating Florida. Instead, Alabama got that No. 4 seed despite losing to Vandy in January, losing by 23 to Florida in February and to Ole Miss in its lone SEC Tournament game.

The committee tries to favor top-four seeds in determining sites. So Alabama is getting to play in Tampa, while Vanderbilt was sent here. Along with Nebraska. And its fans.

Tell you what, I have a newfound respect for the passion and devotion of Cornhuskers fans. Television didn’t do justice to how loud it was in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s arena.

Sure, teams have crowd advantages all the time in “neutral site” Men’s NCAA Tournament games. But if you were here to experience this, you’d understand how this wasn’t just a typical road game for Vanderbilt. It was the most difficult road game of the season. With all that was riding on the result, the atmosphere never eased up. It was relentless.

“I know it had to be incredible on TV,” Byington said. “It was an incredible game. I mean, it sucks we were on the side we were on. A high-level game, and I'm sure the crowd lifted them up and had them playing. They played so hard.

“But (you) second-guess where you are put or your seeding and all these other things, it just adds to the list of things that you're kind of sitting here thinking, ‘I just want one play back, and we win the game, in this environment.’ And that would have been even more rewarding. It's hard when you felt like you were that close to winning and didn't.”

Vanderbilt, from Byington to his players, didn’t make the crowd an excuse. But it’s hard to believe it wasn’t worth at least three points. It's one thing if it’s a conference game in January, but this is a tournament that rarely, if ever, asks that of its teams, much less an SEC team that won 27 games and had stellar metrics all season.

This wasn’t a second-round matchup of a No. 1 and a No. 9 seed, where the top seed had earned having the crowd in its corner. These were very similar teams who had very similar seasons, and that didn’t justify the disadvantage one was dealt.

You can credit Nebraska's fans for causing that while also wondering what the heck Vanderbilt did (or didn’t do) to deserve to be in such a position in the first place.

A commonly brutal March Madness ending, in this instance, was uncommon. While great seasons end all the time in moments like these, they don’t usually die with thoughts of the court being stormed once it happens.

Reach Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes at gestes@tennessean.com and hang out with him on Bluesky @gentryestes.bsky.social

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt's season deserved better than the March Madness fate it got

OKLAHOMA CITY — Rapid reaction from fifth-seeded Vanderbilt’s 74-72 loss to No. 4 seed Nebraska in a second-round Men's NCAA Tournament game at Paycom Center:

A painful end to a wonderful season

Badly outnumbered against a hostile crowd, Vanderbilt played hard enough to hang all night with a difficult opponent in a very difficult atmosphere. It just didn’t quite shoot well enough – from the perimeter or the foul line – to win in the end.

Nebraska’s Braden Frager drove for the go-ahead basket with 2.2 seconds remaining after Chandler Bing missed with the shot clock expiring on the other end. Tyler Tanner’s desperate heave at the buzzer rimmed out.

It sent fourth-seeded Nebraska (28-6) to the Sweet 16 and made a painful finish to a wonderful season for No. 5 seed Vanderbilt (27-9).

How it got away

When they look back on this one, they’ll remember Tyler Tanner’s 27 points. They’ll remember the tenacity with which the Commodores rallied to take their first lead of the evening with 8:22 to play and nearly pull this off in the final moments.

But they’ll also remember an uncharacteristic 11-for-19 performance for Vanderbilt at the foul line, when that has been a Commdores strength this season.

They’ll also remember another slow start. The Commodores fell behind 8-0 in the game’s first three minutes. They missed their first eight 3-pointers. They were only 3-of-15 (20%) from long range in the opening half. It was another slow start for Vanderbilt, same as in the first-round win over McNeese.

The Cornhuskers, meanwhile, didn’t have that problem early. They shot a sizzling 6-of-10 from 3-point range in the first half and 15-of-25 from the field (60% for both). Given that discrepancy, Vanderbilt was fortunate to only be down 39-32 at intermission.

Different story in the second half, but it just wasn’t quite enough.

Tyler Tanner was sensational

What a night this was for Commodores guard Tyler Tanner. He deserved much of the credit at halftime for his team still being in this game after such a shaky opening half offensively against a tough Nebraska defense.

Tanner had 15 of his 27 points in the first half. He also made key defensive plays, including a steal and runout in which the 6-foot Tanner dunked on Nebraska’s 6-foot-10 forward Rienk Mast on the other end.

Tanner, who has been mentioned in mock drafts, has said that he will consider NBA options after this season. If this was his final performance for Vanderbilt, it would be a memorable one.

Duke Miles didn’t seem himself

After the McNeese game, Vandy’s Duke Miles had his left hand checked, saying later that he jammed it.

While it wasn’t serious enough to sideline Miles, he started this second-round game with his thumb wrapped (though he appeared to shed that at some point), and he wasn’t his usual self in terms of scoring. He had six assists, but he was 2-for-10 from the field, missing his first six shots.

The crowd was a factor

There’s just no getting around how many Nebraska fans were at this game, how loud it was in this arena and how much of a disadvantage that was for Vanderbilt. As expected, this was every bit a road game for the Commodores and felt like it from start to finish, with the crowd hanging intently on every bucket and every call by the referees.

That’s no excuse. It’s just the truth. Credit Nebraska’s fan base for a being a sixth man and helping swing this game in the Big Red’s favor.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt basketball season ends painfully in March Madness 2nd round

OKLAHOMA CITY — Rapid reaction from fifth-seeded Vanderbilt’s 74-72 loss to No. 4 seed Nebraska in a second-round Men's NCAA Tournament game at Paycom Center:

A painful end to a wonderful season

Badly outnumbered against a hostile crowd, Vanderbilt played hard enough to hang all night with a difficult opponent in a very difficult atmosphere. It just didn’t quite shoot well enough – from the perimeter or the foul line – to win in the end.

Nebraska’s Braden Frager drove for the go-ahead basket with 2.2 seconds remaining after Chandler Bing missed with the shot clock expiring on the other end. Tyler Tanner’s desperate heave at the buzzer rimmed out.

It sent fourth-seeded Nebraska (28-6) to the Sweet 16 and made a painful finish to a wonderful season for No. 5 seed Vanderbilt (27-9).

How it got away

When they look back on this one, they’ll remember Tyler Tanner’s 27 points. They’ll remember the tenacity with which the Commodores rallied to take their first lead of the evening with 8:22 to play and nearly pull this off in the final moments.

But they’ll also remember an uncharacteristic 11-for-19 performance for Vanderbilt at the foul line, when that has been a Commdores strength this season.

They’ll also remember another slow start. The Commodores fell behind 8-0 in the game’s first three minutes. They missed their first eight 3-pointers. They were only 3-of-15 (20%) from long range in the opening half. It was another slow start for Vanderbilt, same as in the first-round win over McNeese.

The Cornhuskers, meanwhile, didn’t have that problem early. They shot a sizzling 6-of-10 from 3-point range in the first half and 15-of-25 from the field (60% for both). Given that discrepancy, Vanderbilt was fortunate to only be down 39-32 at intermission.

Different story in the second half, but it just wasn’t quite enough.

Tyler Tanner was sensational

What a night this was for Commodores guard Tyler Tanner. He deserved much of the credit at halftime for his team still being in this game after such a shaky opening half offensively against a tough Nebraska defense.

Tanner had 15 of his 27 points in the first half. He also made key defensive plays, including a steal and runout in which the 6-foot Tanner dunked on Nebraska’s 6-foot-10 forward Rienk Mast on the other end.

Tanner, who has been mentioned in mock drafts, has said that he will consider NBA options after this season. If this was his final performance for Vanderbilt, it would be a memorable one.

Duke Miles didn’t seem himself

After the McNeese game, Vandy’s Duke Miles had his left hand checked, saying later that he jammed it.

While it wasn’t serious enough to sideline Miles, he started this second-round game with his thumb wrapped (though he appeared to shed that at some point), and he wasn’t his usual self in terms of scoring. He had six assists, but he was 2-for-10 from the field, missing his first six shots.

The crowd was a factor

There’s just no getting around how many Nebraska fans were at this game, how loud it was in this arena and how much of a disadvantage that was for Vanderbilt. As expected, this was every bit a road game for the Commodores and felt like it from start to finish, with the crowd hanging intently on every bucket and every call by the referees.

That’s no excuse. It’s just the truth. Credit Nebraska’s fan base for a being a sixth man and helping swing this game in the Big Red’s favor.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt basketball season ends painfully in March Madness 2nd round

BUFFALO, NY — To lift Louisville basketball back to the level of competing for national championships, second-year coach Pat Kelsey will have to win games like Saturday’s, with elevated stakes like advancing to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16.

He’ll have to do it against perennial powerhouse programs like Michigan State.

And he’ll have to beat coaches like the Spartans’ Hall of Famer Tom Izzo.

It’s the next big step for Kelsey and the Cardinals’ program to take. It’s the most difficult one. And one that UofL's 77-69 loss to the Spartans showed it's not quite ready to make.

But it’s also the one that will have the biggest impact in thrusting the program forward.

Kelsey led the "ReviVille" last season just to get the program back to competing at a high level after it won only 12 games during former coach Kenny Payne’s two seasons.

Had they beaten Michigan State, Kelsey could have laid claim to the "ArriVille" despite whatever disappointments the season may have had from the will he or won’t he play back injury saga of Mikel Brown Jr.

Kelsey doesn’t look at it that way. 

He never has in coaching stints at Winthrop and College of Charleston, where winning one game was looked at as some kind of signal that he’d made it. On Friday, Kelsey said even if the Cards won, he wouldn't view it like he's arrived.

"It's not the accomplishment, it's not the destination, man — it's the journey," Kelsey said. "That's what fires me up." 

Whether Kelsey has arrived as a coach, is up for debate.

What is undeniable is that Kelsey needs a win to change the perception of what he’s capable of doing at UofL. Because this was the kind of win, with those kind of stakes, against that kind of opponent, that has, for the most part, eluded Kelsey so far in his tenure.

Kelsey has been a bit unlucky in that regard.

An early-season win over rival Kentucky was supposed to be one way to solidify him, but when the Wildcats fell from the top 10 to not receiving votes at all, it took all the shine off that victory.

A lot of times over the past 25 years, wins over Cincinnati, Memphis and Indiana would also serve to certify a coach, but not this season. None of those teams even made the NCAA Tournament.

UofL’s regular-season schedule was littered with losses in marquee matchups to some of the nation's best programs and some of the most venerable coaches. The Cards had yet another year of getting swept by Duke to go with a second straight loss to Tennessee and coach Rick Barnes. A non-competitive game at Arkansas and another loss to coach John Calipari, followed later with a loss at North Carolina.

Those losses were enough to humble any coach. But even if UofL won all those games, Kelsey would still feel like he had more to prove. Having a constant chip on his shoulder is what he believes makes him good.

“I like to think if we're lucky enough to raise a banner, win a national championship at Louisville, I'll still have that same chip on my shoulder,” Kelsey said.

Losing to Izzo and Michigan State ensured that chip shall remain.

For now.

This column will be updated.

Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at clbrown1@gannett.com, follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his columns.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball March Madness Sweet 16 next step for Pat Kelsey