Pat Kelsey revived Louisville basketball in his first year as head coach. Now he has a signature win to start his second.
No. 12 Louisville raced out to a 78-58 second-half lead Tuesday night over No. 9 Kentucky, then fended off a late Wildcats rally to secure a 96-88 win over its longtime in-state rival.
The Cardinals looked well on their way to a blowout win, but a cold shooting stretch late in the game allowed Kentucky to close within 88-84. Louisville then missed 7 of 8 free throws in the minute of regulation to keep Kentucky’s hope live. But the Wildcats couldn’t capitalize on offense, and the Cardinals closed out the victory.
The win marks the first for Louisville against Kentucky since 2021, a span that featured three straight Wildcats wins. And it announced Louisville as a legitimate early-season contender to compete for a Final Four and beyond.
The Cardinals won Tuesday night thanks to superior guard play led by senior transfer Ryan Conwell (Xavier) and five-star freshman Mikel Brown Jr., both of whom were preseason first-team All-ACC selections. They showed why Tuesday night as they combined for 53 points.
Brown finished with a game-high 29 points and five assists while committing just one turnover and shooting shooting 8-of-16 from the field. The effort marked his entry into what’s been a stellar start to the season from a freshman class that might be college basketball’s best in years.
Conwell added 24 points while shooting 4 of 10 from 3 as the game’s third-leading scorer.
But perhaps more impressive, Louisville’s backcourt controlled the game. While Kentucky committed 14 turnovers, the Cardinals dished out 20 assists on 31 made field goals. And they turned the ball over just six times.
Denzel Aberdeen, who transferred within the SEC after winning a national title with Florida last season, led Kentucky with 26 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists.
But All-America candidate Otega Oweh struggled from the field (4 of 13) and with ball control while posting 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 5 turnovers. He was clearly outplayed by his Louisville backcourt counterparts.
Strong guard play is a hallmark of successful NCAA tournament teams, and Louisville looked very much the part Tuesday night.
Kelsey took over as coach last season from College of Charleston. He inherited a proud program that had missed four straight NCAA tournaments and finished a combined 12-52 the previous two seasons.
He led Louisville to a second-place finish in the ACC, a 27-8 record and the program’s first NCAA tournament bid since 2019.
That season set up high expectations for his encore performance, which is off of to a strong start with Tuesday’s win for a 3-0 record.