Louisville basketball went head-to-head with Kansas in an exhibition at the KFC Yum! Center. What stood out and where the Cards fell short.
The first exhibition for Louisville basketball was a night to forget for the fans, but a night to build on for the players and coaches. Louisville fans packed the KFC Yum! Center for an early-season exhibition matchup against the Kansas Jayhawks, which raised some honest questions for the coaching staff about execution on both the offensive and defensive ends.
Though the game doesn’t count in the record books, it definitely carried some weight for the fanbase.
More questions or more answers?
Every fan had different expectations for what they wanted to see from the Cardinals in this game. While everyone hoped for a win, some were focused on watching true freshman Mikel Brown Jr., while others were eager to see how veterans like Ryan Conwell, J’Vonne Hadley, and Isaac McKneely would step into leadership roles and help develop the younger players into the dynamic team the country is expecting.
Overall, the individual performances left a lot to be desired. Louisville left too many points on the table, and no single player could find their rhythm. Conwell eventually led the Cards in scoring with 26 points on 21 attempts, starting out slow but finding ways to create more opportunities for himself down the stretch.
All eyez on me
No player had more eyes on him than Mikel Brown Jr., and you could tell it from the opening tip—his first shot was a three-pointer just five seconds into the game. Matched up against future lottery pick Darryn Peterson, this game felt personal for the young freshman. Unfortunately for Mikel and Cards fans alike, Peterson was unstoppable. He finished the first half with 24 points, shooting 6-for-9 from three.
That created a steep mental and physical challenge for Mikel in his first game wearing a Louisville uniform. He ended up finishing with just 10 points, going 2-for-10 from three and 2-for-15 from the field overall.
Short-term memory for long-term results
After a rough debut, the last player left in the gym was Mikel Brown Jr., getting up as many shots as the staff would allow. It’s clear this game meant a lot to him. Mikel has connected deeply with the city and fanbase throughout the offseason, and this certainly wasn’t the start he envisioned to his Louisville career.
Even after a tough night, his work ethic didn’t waver. After the game, Head Coach Pat Kelsey praised the young guard, saying:
“Mikel’s a great player and a terrific talent, and all I’ve talked about and raved about is his approach, his mentality, and his professionalism. This is what we preach every day: if you stay steady in daily excellence, great things are going to happen. And that kid’s future is—bright doesn’t even describe it. He knows he didn’t have his best night tonight, but he’s an unbelievable player, and he’s going to have a terrific year.”
Safe to say, if Kelsey believes in the kid, we should too—and Mikel is already showing us why.
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Preparation starts now
After the disappointing outcome against Kansas, the Cardinals have a quick turnaround before what should be a bounce-back game against Bucknell University on Tuesday, October 28th. This is the kind of “get-right” tune-up game Louisville fans are used to seeing before the season officially tips off.
Expect the key pieces in the lineup to show what they’ve been working on and give a glimpse of where this team is headed. Even in a loss to a top-25 Kansas squad, playing that level of competition this early only bodes well for Louisville’s growth throughout the season.
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