Louisville basketball hosts Kentucky today in not only the earliest meeting ever between the archrivals but also their first as top-25 foes since Dec. 28, 2019. Tipoff between the No. 12 Cardinals (2-0) and the No. 8 Wildcats (2-0) is set for 8 p.m. inside the KFC Yum! Center.
U of L took care of business against South Carolina State and Jackson State in Week 1 of the regular season, winning 104-45 and 106-70, respectively. UK is coming off victories over Nicholls (77-51) and Valparaiso (107-59) and jumped to No. 1 in the country on advanced analytics website KenPom.com over the weekend.
“The nice thing for us is that every game is the biggest game we’ve ever played,” Pope said after the Cats beat the Beacons last Friday, Nov. 7. “In-state rivalry games are always fun and exciting. We can’t wait to get to it.”
“It’s going to be a big-time college game and a big-time college atmosphere,” Kelsey added Monday. “They’re going to find out a lot about themselves — as are we — by the end of it.”
Louisville coach Pat Kelsey dislocates finger celebrating win over rival Kentucky
Second year coach Pat Kelsey got a little too excited after the first rivalry win of his tenure. His right middle finger is patched up in the pictures below. Kelsey said during his postgame press conference that he didn’t feel anything with all the adrenaline running through his body after the victory.
Pat Kelsey press conference
Watch Pat Kelsey’s postgame press conference live here:
Louisville vs Kentucky basketball record
After securing their first win of the Pat Kelsey era, the Cards are now 18-40 all-time against the Cats, according to the Louisville record book.
Louisville coach Pat Kelsey joins student section after win over UK
Louisville Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey went into the Cardinal student section after the Cards beat the Cats 96-88 in the UofL-UK annual rivalry game at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky Nov. 11, 2025.
Pope wants UK to play better defense this year. Here’s what was missing vs. Cards
U of L begins Year 2 under Pat Kelsey with early statement win vs. UK
Read Louisville men’s basketball beat writer Brooks Holton’s instant recap here.
FINAL: Louisville 96, Kentucky 88
The Cards snap a three-game losing streak against the Wildcats thanks in large part to the heroics of Mikel Brown Jr. (29 points) and Ryan Conwell (24). Beating No. 8 Kentucky marks Pat Kelsey’s second ever win over a top-10 team, the first coming against No. 10 Clemson in last season’s ACC Tournament semifinal.
1:24, 2H | Louisville 95, Kentucky 88
After nearly four minutes with no field goals, an and-1 layup from Mikel Brown Jr. revived Louisville’s offense and dejected home crowd. The Cards are now in the double bonus.
3:35, 2H | Louisville 88, Kentucky 84
U of L has missed its last four field goals and only made one of its last seven. The Cards haven’t made a basket in over three minutes of game time.
4:45, 2H | Louisville 87, Kentucky 81
The Wildcats whittled the Cardinals’ lead down from 20 to single digits. Pat Kelsey called a timeout, and a cacophony of “Go Big Blue” and “boo” chants rained down from the crowd.
9:54, 2H | Louisville 81, Kentucky 67
A three from Ryan Conwell ended a two-minute drought for Louisville and a 6-0 run for Kentucky.
12:36, 2H | Louisville 76, Kentucky 58
Louisville has tied its largest lead of the day. The Cards are shooting 49% from the field (26-of-53), including 41% from three (12-of-29).
Mikel Brown Jr., checks out of game after being helped off court
U of L guard Mikel Brown Jr., who leads all scorers with 20 points, had to be helped off the court with 14:06 left in the second half. He was grabbing his left calf and stomping his foot. But it appears to be nothing more than a cramp. He came to the sideline and was greeted with a bottle of Gatorade.
16:01, 2H | Louisville 66, Kentucky 54
The Cards stretch their lead from seven at halftime to 12 by the first timeout of the second half. Three different U of L players have made a three in the last four minutes: Ryan Conwell, Isaac McNeely and J’Vonne Hadley.
Mikel Brown Jr. stats
Louisville’s star freshman point guard leads all scorers with 20 points at intermission. He has made seven of 12 shots (including 3-of-8 from three) and sank three of four free throws. Brown also has three assists, two rebounds and one turnover in 16 minutes of play. His plus/minus is 5.
HALFTIME: Louisville 53, Kentucky 46
Kentucky vs Louisville basketball history
UofL-UK has been a heated rivalry since its inception in 1983, when the NCAA Tournament bracket forced Kentucky to play Louisville after years of refusing to schedule the Cards under Adolph Rupp’s direction. Here’s a look at the history of the rivalry, from legendary coaches Denny Crum and Joe B. Hall to Rick Pitino and John Calipari to Pat Kelsey and Mark Pope.
3:47, 1H | Louisville 46, Kentucky 32
Louisville has made six of its last seven field goal attempts. After a layup and a three-pointer from Mikel Brown Jr. to extend U of L’s lead to 18 points (the largest of the night), Cards fans placed their hands on their heads in what could only be described as the opposite of a surrender cobra.
Last time Louisville beat Kentucky in basketball?
The last time the Cards beat the Cats in basketball was Dec. 26, 2020, at the KFC Yum! Center. Carlik Jones and David Johnson led U of L with 20 and 17 points apiece.
Louisville currently leads Kentucky 32-22 with less than eight minutes left in the first half.
7:53, 1H | Louisville 30, Kentucky 22
11:35, 1H | Kentucky 21, Louisville 19
15:51, 1H | Louisville 12, Kentucky 8
Louisville vs Kentucky basketball starting lineups
Louisville’s JVonne Hadley available vs Kentucky
J’Vonne Hadley will be available for Louisville against Kentucky, a team official told The Courier Journal.
Hadley sat out of U of L’s win over Jackson State on Nov. 6 while in concussion protocol. Afterward, Kelsey said the sixth-year guard got hit in the head during the team’s season-opening victory over South Carolina State on Nov. 3.
How to watch U of L-UK basketball game today amid YouTube TV-ESPN dispute
For the latest news on the YouTube TV-Disney contract dispute and how to watch Louisville vs Kentucky men’s basketball on ESPN today, click here.
How Kelsey, Pope helped vault U of L-UK hoops rivalry back into national spotlight
College basketball is abuzz over the Louisville Cardinals and Kentucky Wildcats again. Read why Pat Kelsey and Mark Pope have people excited here.
Lamont Butler shredded U of L last year. What other Cats have excelled vs. Cards?
In Year 1 under Mark Pope, Lamont Butler had a signature showing for UK vs Louisville. What other Cats have made their name at the Cards’ expense? Read more here.
Who will have an MVP performance when U of L battles UK? Our picks
Which Louisville Cardinals and Kentucky Wildcats could have MVP showings during the Louisville vs Kentucky game at the KFC Yum! Center? Our picks here.
Brown: It’s time U of L basketball lives up to its end of rivalry with UK
It’s time for Louisville basketball to live up to its end of the rivalry with Kentucky. Columnist C.L. Brown explains why Pat Kelsey and UofL basketball need this win. Read more here.
Donovan Mitchell is at the KFC Yum! Center to watch Louisville vs Kentucky
What channel is Kentucky vs Louisville basketball on?
The game between the Cards and the Cats will air on ESPN, which is channel 602 on AT&T U-Verse; channel 206 on DirecTV; channel 140 on Dish; and channel 506 on Spectrum. Dan Shulman (play-by-play) and Jay Bilas (analyst) will be on the call.
If you subscribe to a cable package, you’ll be able to livestream the game via ESPN.com and the ESPN app. If you don’t have cable, you can livestream the game via Fubo, which offers a free trial here.
How to listen to Louisville vs UK basketball on the radio
Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (analyst) will have the call on the Cardinal Sports Network (WLCL 93.9-FM and WGTK 970-AM in Louisville). You can also listen online via GoCards.com.
Tom Leach (play-by-play) and Jack Givens (analyst) will have the call on the UK Sports Network (WHAS 840-AM in Louisville and WLAP 630-AM and WBUL 98.1-FM in Lexington). You can also listen online via UKAthletics.com.
Kentucky vs Louisville basketball betting odds, score predictions
Betting odds: Louisville is a 2 ½-point favorite (-110) on DraftKings, which set the over/under at 168 ½ points (-110) The moneyline odds are U of L -155, UK +130.
Score predictions: KenPom gives the Cards a 51% chance of winning and projects an 84-83 final score in their favor. BartTorvik.com is also forecasting a U of L victory (68%), with a projected final score of 85-79.
Louisville vs Kentucky basketball officials
The officials for today’s game are A.J. Desai, Courtney Green and Ron Groover.
Louisville basketball 2025-26 schedule
Friday, Oct. 24: vs. Kansas (exhibition) | SCORE: Kansas 90, Louisville 82
Tuesday, Oct. 28: vs. Bucknell (exhibition) | SCORE: Louisville 99, Bucknell 76
Monday, Nov. 3: vs. South Carolina State | SCORE: Louisville 104, South Carolina State 45
Thursday, Nov. 6: vs. Jackson State | SCORE: Louisville 106, Jackson State 70
Tuesday, Nov. 11: vs. Kentucky, 8 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, Nov. 15: vs. Ohio, noon, The CW
Friday, Nov. 21: vs. Cincinnati (at Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati), 6:30 p.m., either ESPN2 of ESPNU
Monday, Nov. 24: vs. Eastern Michigan, 7 p.m., ACC Network
Wednesday, Nov. 26: vs. NJIT, 9 p.m., ACC Network
Wednesday, Dec. 3: at Arkansas (ACC/SEC Challenge), 7 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, Dec. 6: vs. Indiana (at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis), 2 p.m., CBS
Saturday, Dec. 13: vs. Memphis, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday, Dec. 16: at Tennessee, 7 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, Dec. 20: vs. Montana, noon, ACC Network
Tuesday, Dec. 30: at California, 9 p.m., ACC Network
Friday, Jan. 2: at Stanford, 8 p.m., ACC Network
Tuesday, Jan. 6: vs. Duke, 7 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, Jan. 10: vs. Boston College, noon, The CW
Tuesday, Jan. 13: vs. Virginia, 7 p.m., either ESPN or ESPN2
Saturday, Jan. 17: at Pittsburgh, 8 p.m., either ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU
Saturday, Jan. 24: vs. Virginia Tech, 3:30 p.m., The CW
Monday, Jan. 26: at Duke, 7 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, Jan. 31: vs. SMU, 7 p.m., either ESPN or ESPN2
Wednesday, Feb. 4: vs. Notre Dame, 7 p.m., either ESPN2 or ESPNU
Saturday, Feb. 7: at Wake Forest, noon, ACC Network
Monday, Feb. 9: vs. N.C. State, 7 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, Feb. 14: vs. Baylor (at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas), 4 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday, Feb. 17: at SMU, 7 p.m., either ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU
Saturday, Feb. 21: vs. Georgia Tech, 2:15 p.m., The CW
Monday, Feb. 23: at North Carolina, 7 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, Feb. 28: at Clemson, TBA, either ESPN or ESPN2
Tuesday, March 3: vs. Syracuse, 9 p.m., ACC Network
Saturday, March 7: at Miami, 2 p.m., either ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU
Tuesday, March 10, through Saturday, March 14: ACC Tournament (Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina)
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