Louisville still has a lot of work to do to get back on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble, but last night was a step in the right direction.

A loss last night would have put Louisville in a dangerous place, but the Cardinals did what they needed to do: they found a way to win.

Now, at 2-0 in the ACC, and facing a favorable schedule coming up, Louisville really has a chance to string together some wins.

Here's what stood out to me:

While we don't know for sure, Matt Cross was likely a player who was still getting his wind back from the COVID pause, and only played 11 minutes.

Enter Sam Williamson.

The junior forward made his first start of the season, and delivered for Chris Mack.

Williamson scored 12 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in 29 minutes of action. He was active cutting to the basket, and finished multiple times in the lane on curl sets.

He was aggressive, too, getting to the free-throw line seven times, and converting six of those.

Williamson ran down a missed shot with just under 30 seconds to go, forcing Wake Forest to foul.

If Louisville can get 12 and 8 from Williamson consistently, Louisville's ceiling is much higher.

Chris Mack was pleased with what he got from Williamson:

"He's never quit coming in with the right attitude. He deserved the opportunity that he got tonight. He's going to be a big part of our team moving forward"

Mason Faulkner gave Louisville a much-needed lift off the bench, not only with his play, but with his energy.

Faulkner finished with 11 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds, and 0 turnovers. You can see that Faulkner is a veteran with the way he handles himself, and with the way he controls the game when he's on the floor.

Chris Mack talked about Faulkner after the game, and noted the edge that Faulkner brings:

"He plays with a lot of energy. He plays with a lot of emotion. He's a tough kid and cares about the game and he's growing into being healthy and figuring it out.”

Louisville played with three guards down the stretch as Faulkner, West, and Locke were all on the floor at the same time.

West and Faulkner can both play on or off the ball, giving Louisville another lineup option.

Williams struggled early in the season. A lot of folks wrote him off. But, over the last month, the captain and leader of this team has come on strong, and has proved to be the most important piece on this team.

Williams scored 11 points, and grabbed 6 rebounds in 28 minutes. Williams also had 3 blocks, and is huge for Louisville on the defensive end of the floor.

Williams finished at +9, second-highest on the team behind Jarrod West who finished at +10.

Chris Mack talked about the leadership Malik Williams brings:

"I thought Malik (Williams) set the tone. He talked to the team at today’s shootaround. I have always said that he is a terrific leader. Today, his message was spot on. Our guys responded. I am happy we won."

- Jarrod West makes winning plays. He's not flashy, he's not the fastest guy on the floor, or the most athletic guy on the floor, but he makes winning plays. His defense on Alondes Williams down the stretch was huge.

- Noah Locke got back to making shots. Locke made some big threes late in the game, and he didn't hesitate when his number was called.

- Sydney Curry only played 6 minutes, but he made the most of those minutes and gave Louisville some strong play.

- The 34 free-throw attempts number is extremely encouraging.

Louisville's next seven games are all very winnable.

Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh (twice), Florida State, NC State, Boston College, and Notre Dame is what lies ahead for Louisville.

None of those teams are tournament teams right now, and Louisville has an opportunity to go on a run.

I'm not ready to say that I saw enough last night to say everything is fixed, but it was a step in the right direction.