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There’s plenty of room on the Louisville bandwagon. Join me, won’t you?

University of Louisville's Gorgui Dieng(10) blocks the shot of Notre Dame's Jerian Grant (22) during the second half of play in their NCAA basketball game a Yum! Center in Louisville

University of Louisville’s Gorgui Dieng (10) blocks the shot of Notre Dame’s Jerian Grant (22) during the second half of play in their NCAA basketball game at Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky, March 9, 2013. REUTERS/ John Sommers II (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

REUTERS

I hope you guys didn’t write off Louisville.

I hope that three-game losing streak back in January didn’t scare you off.

I hope that you the five-overtime loss and all of the ugly late-game possessions didn’t make you believe that all of the people that picked the Cardinals to make the Final Four back in October were crazy.

Because on Saturday afternoon, No. 8 Louisville exacted their revenge on No. 24 Notre Dame in dominating fashion, whipping the Irish 73-57. That came after Louisville did much the same thing to Cincinnati on the final Big Monday and a week after Louisville went into the Carrier Dome and knocked off Syracuse. All told, that five-overtime loss at Notre Dame was the only game that Rick Pitino’s club has lost since January 26th.

Their five losses? They came by a combined 21 points.

The Louisville defense? The best in the efficiency era, according to Kenpom.com.

And while their offense is a long way from being anywhere near that effective, Russ Smith is slowly but surely learning that there are such things as ‘shot-selection’ and ‘decision-making’. Throw in the fact that Luke Hancock has finally found his stroke, hitting 12-18 from three over the last five games for a team that is currently 249th in the country in three-point shooting, and Louisville is peaking at the right time.

The Cardinals are now tri-champions of the final season of the Big East as we know it. And if the win next week’s Big East tournament -- hell, maybe even if they reach the finals -- Louisville will be a No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday.

You can find Rob on twitter @RobDauster.