Louisville basketball taking down challenges one at a time

Wildcats, Bobcats, and now the Bearcats — Louisville basketball has handled them all in unique fashion.

Written by:

Matt Childress

Through just five games, Louisville basketball has won in a multitude of ways, and a Cincinnati victory might end up being a fan favorite.

A brother from another mother (or city)

Cardinal fans knew going into this matchup that the Bearcats ran a similar style of offense. Cincinnati loves to play with pace, closely mirroring Louisville’s tempo.

The Cardinals rank 44th nationally in possessions per game at 77.7, while the Bearcats sit at 52nd with 77.4. It was an intriguing test: through the first four games Louisville had been outrunning opponents and testing their depth, but this matchup asked whether Pat Kelsey and his team could adjust to facing someone who could run right with them.

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#2 vs. #2

Louisville basketball was going to be tested in a way they hadn’t yet been — and they answered. Entering as the No. 2 offense on KenPom, the Cardinals faced a Cincinnati defense also ranked No. 2 nationally.

Games like this become battles of identity and will: which side falters first, and who handles adversity?

Cincinnati landed the first punch, holding Louisville to 0–8 from the field and taking an early 10-point lead. In classic Pat Kelsey fashion, he called a quick timeout and returned with a completely different energy.

Louisville’s fast-paced transition game was being neutralized by Cincinnati’s smothering defense, raising concerns about the Cardinals’ half-court execution — a preseason question mark. But Kelsey stepped up to the plate and crushed it.

“Life, uh… finds a way.”

When things get tough, the best teams find ways to win — and Louisville did it in a way few expected. The most impressive takeaway was the Cardinals’ poise and confidence in the half-court.

While everyone loves the trademark Louisville tempo, it certainly calmed fans’ nerves to watch the Cards slowly, systematically pick apart the nation’s No. 2 defense with disciplined offense and connected team defense.

Guards win in March

In defensive slugfests like this, even a team averaging over 100 points per game can struggle to get rolling. These are the matchups where your stars have to shine — and Louisville’s blinded the Bearcats from start to finish.

In the 74–64 win, the backcourt duo of Ryan Conwell and Mikel Brown Jr. combined for 47 points, good for 63.5% of Louisville’s scoring. Ideally, you’d like more players involved in a true committee win, but in March you need your big names to rise — and last night proved these guys don’t shy away from adversity.

Can the Cards continue to soar?

After winning the first of two neutral-site matchups against Cincinnati, the Bearcats will visit Louisville next season for a showdown at historic Freedom Hall — a perfect setting to fully renew this old-school rivalry.

Looking ahead, Louisville will face NJIT on Wednesday, where they’ll be a heavy favorite (-43.5 according to DraftKings) at home in a late night tip. This one will offer the Cards another chance to build on their momentum before heading to Fayetteville to take on John Calipari and the man who shall not be named.

Pat Kelsey – No Breaks

With much of the country playing higher-level basketball during Feast Week—whether that’s the Maui Invitational or the Players Era Festival—the Cardinals are taking a different route this season. Their Monday night matchup against Eastern Michigan and Wednesday’s NJIT battle give them an opportunity to work on a few key areas that were exposed against Cincinnati. Louisville struggled to get going early, and it took Pat Kelsey and his team longer than they would’ve preferred to find their rhythm.

These next two games will be important as the Cards head into a heavy December slate, where they’ll face No. 22 Arkansas, No. 25 Indiana, Memphis, and No. 17 Tennessee. After an incredibly physical and challenging matchup against UC, these contests could be valuable for maintaining momentum and cleaning up a few miscues.