Jan 30, 2016 12:00 PM EST By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

The final stretch of the Louisville Cardinals' (16) schedule will a long way toward deciding the ACC's regular season champion.

Starting with Saturday afternoon's home game against the Virginia Cavaliers (11), Louisville plays seven ranked conference opponents, including two games against both Virginia and Duke, a home game against North Carolina, and a road game against Miami.

Tipoff: 1 p.m. ET in Louisville, Ky.

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Despite the controversy surrounding the program, Louisville head coach Rick Pitino has the Cardinals in top form. While their shooting percentage as a group has regressed in the second half of the season, ESPN noted, the team has shown an ability to adapt their approach on both sides of the court to their opponent.

A lot of credit has to be given to Pitino for emphasizing the mental aspect of the game heading into the final months of the season.

"We have to play more with our intellect than with our feet. We'll get it. We're getting better at it," he said at a news conference ahead of the Virginia game.

Virginia's defense is not quite as tough as it was last year, but the Cavaliers still holding opponents to a 43.1 shooting percentage. Despite shooting 44.7 percent in its past eight games, Louisville shot for a 51.9 percentage against Virginia Tech on Wednesday.

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