The thrill of the chase. The agony of defeat. That’s what makes March Madness the most captivating show in the country. It’s where legends are born and hearts are shattered. And right now, Louisville Cardinals fans are bracing for heartbreak. As things stand, the march madness run for the Cardinals is all but over leaving fans to wonder — what could’ve been if Reyne Smith was fit?

Smith’s night ended in heartbreak during the first-round game against Creighton. He reaggravated his ankle injury — the same one that kept him out for the last four games. A devastated Smith covered his head with a towel as he was helped off the court, barely able to put weight on his right foot.

With around 11 minutes left in the game and Louisville down by 13, Reyne Smith went down with an injury. It happened after he attempted a three-pointer and landed on Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner’s foot. Smith immediately hit the floor and he knew something was wrong.

Smith has been one of the Cardinals’ most valuable players, averaging around 13 points and 3 rebounds per game this season. His injury only added to Louisville’s problems, as they were already missing another key player. With a fully fit squad, things might have played out differently for the Cardinals.

March madness run over for Smith and his Cardinals

This was Louisville’s first March Madness appearance since the 2018-19 season, but it ended as a one-and-done campaign for the Cardinals. The Cardinals struggled throughout the game, losing 89-75 to the Bluejays on Thursday at Rupp Arena. Creighton’s Jamiya Neal erupted for a career-high 29 points and 12 rebounds while Steven Ashworth connected from well beyond the arc on the way to 22 points. Losing senior guard Reyne Smith mid-game made things tougher but they were already shorthanded. The Cardinals were also without the services of senior forward Kasean Pryor.

Pryor, who tore his ACL in the game against Oklahoma back in December, was spotted in the stands at Rupp Arena cheering on his Cardinals. No doubt, he would have much rather been on the court helping his team.

While this season is over for 8th-seed Louisville, they’ll be back next year aiming for a higher spot in the big dance. And there’s a good chance Kasean will return too, since he was forced to redshirt this season. The forward seems confident about his comeback. “Once all those rules come to fruition, there’s definitely (the) potential of me being back here next year,” he said.