Cards Set To Host #23 Ole Miss

Mark BlankenbakerDecember 3, 2024

Louisville men’s basketball returns to the KFC Yum! Center for a three-game homestand, beginning with No. 23/20 Ole MIss in the SEC/ACC Challenge on Tuesday night at 9 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network.

Louisville finished as the runner-up in the Battle 4 Atlantis after falling 69-64 to Oklahoma in the championship game. Ole Miss lost 80-78 to Purdue in the Rady Children’s Invitational Championship.

Only three games have been played in the all-time series between Louisville and Ole Miss. Mississippi won the first two in 1997 and 1998. The Cardinals won the most recent game 77-68 in the SEC/Big East Invitational on Dec. 18, 2008.

PROMOTIONS

Annual Teddy Bear Toss | This is the fourth annual halftime event where fans are encouraged to bring teddy bears to toss onto the court at halftime, with all items collected being donated to local children in need.

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As of Dec. 2, UofL is 30th in the NCAA NET Rankings. Louisville has already played three Quad 1 teams; Ole Miss will be the fourth the Cardinals have played as the Rebels sit at 55.
The Cardinals received 27 votes in the Dec. 2 AP Poll.
Senior guard Chucky Hepburn was named ACC Player of the Week on Monday after his stellar performance in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Louisville is 98-87 all-time against the current SEC membership. The Cardinals’ only two losses this season came at the hands of SEC teams.
Fifth-year senior forward Kasean Pryor tore his ACL and will be out for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
Louisville’s 89-61 victory over No. 14/15 Indiana on Wednesday was Louisville’s first win over a ranked team since beating No. 19/20 Virginia Tech 73-71 on Jan. 6, 2021. It’s the highest ranked opponent the Cards have beat since beating No. 3 Duke 79-73 on Jan. 18, 2020.
In the win over Indiana, UofL’s Chucky Hepburn logged 16 points, 10 assists and seven steals. He’s the first DI player with at least those marks since Markquis Nowell of Kansas State did it against West Virginia with 23 points on Dec. 31, 2022.
As of Dec. 1, Louisville is eighth in the country in three point attempts per game (31.9), 10th in turnovers forced per game (17.86), and 28th in the country in turnover margin (4.6).
Against Winthrop on Nov. 22, Louisville logged 10 blocks, including seven in the first half. Sophomore James Scott blocked five on his own. The 10 total, seven in a half and Scott’s five were all the first time those feats happened for the Cardinals since March 7, 2018 against Florida State.
Louisville will play six ranked teams all before January 2.
Louisville has 11 players who were on teams that played in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The roster in total has made 14 NCAA Division I Tournament appearances at their previous schools, playing in 20 NCAA Tournament games across their careers.