KFC Yum! Center 10-3-2015 Photo by Seth Bloom

#12 Louisville vs. #9 Kentucky

Mark BlankenbakerNovember 11, 2025

Louisville men’s basketball will host the 58th edition of the Battle of the Bluegrass on Tuesday evening in the KFC Yum! Center. The game will be broadcast on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET. This is the earliest in a season the game has ever been played, with the in-state rivalry dating back to 1913.

Both No. 12 Louisville and No. 9/8 Kentucky have started their seasons 2-0 on the year – the Cards most recently defeated Jackson State 106-70 while Kentucky defeated Valparaiso 107-59.

The Cardinals trail the all-time series 17-40 and hold a 10-14 mark when facing the Wildcats in Louisville.

PROMOTIONS

Too Nice. Too Louisville. | Fans can visit the adidas pop-up shop in the main concourse to shop all kinds of Donovan Mitchell merch, including an exclusive colorway of D.O.N. Issue 7’s.

CARDINAL NOTES

A pair of Cardinals represent Louisville on the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Watch List as well as the Oscar Robertson Trophy Preseason Watch List; both Ryan Conwell and Mikel Brown Jr. were named to the esteemed lists.
Freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. was named to the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award Preseason Watch List while senior guard Ryan Conwell was named the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award Preseason Watch List.
Louisville led 59-15 at halftime against South Carolina State on Nov. 3. The 44-point halftime lead was the largest in program history.
Louisville’s two season opening victories marked the first time the Cardinals have had back-to-back 30-point victories since 2016.
Head coach Pat Kelsey is the reigning ACC Coach of the Year – he is one of 10 active DI head coaches that have earned a Coach of the Year honor in three or more DI conferences.
Louisville landed two Cards on the ACC Preseason First Team. Both senior guard Ryan Conwell and freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr., earned the nod from the league. Louisville as a program was picked second in the league.
There are 14 players returning to DI this season that have made at least 175 3-pointers with a career 3-point field goal percentage of 38% or more; Ryan Conwell and Isaac McKneely are two of those 14.
Currently, five of Louisville’s 2025-26 opponents are ranked in the AP Poll, with four more receiving votes.
Louisville has 10 newcomers on the 2025-26 roster including redshirt seniors Aly Khalifa and Kobe Rodgers who redshirted the entire 2024-25 season due to injury.
Louisville is 29-0 under Kelsey when leading with five minutes to play.