— Matt Norlander has Louisville at No. 12 in his annual preseason ranking of the top 100 teams in college basketball.
Was it really just a couple of years ago when Louisville had the worst program in high-major basketball and was enduring the nadir of its 100-plus-year existence? How quickly things have changed. Pat Kelsey engineered the biggest turnaround of ’24-25, taking Louisville from an eight-win program to going 27-8 and earning a No. 8 seed. This year’s team should be even better, even though U of L lost more than 75% of its production.
The player inspiring the most optimism is Mikel Brown Jr., a slender 6-4 freshman who was outstanding in FIBA World Cup play this summer and figures to be a top-five frosh in the sport. He’ll play with, and off of, Xavier transfer Ryan Conwell, a bona fide flamethrower in Kelsey’s offense. (Conwell had a 62.4 true shooting percentage last season.) Look for Louisville to be one of the best shooting teams in America: Kelsey brought on Isaac McKneely (42.1 3-pt%) from Virginia and Adrian Wooley (42.2 3-pt%) from Kennesaw State to join up with returnees J’Vonne Hadley and Khani Rooths. There’s also reinforcements from Kobe Rodgers and Aly Khalifa, two guys who didn’t play last year but will factor into a 10-deep rotation. That Nov. 11 game against Kentucky can’t get here fast enough. It’s great to be excited about Louisville hoops again.
— Jeff Walz says there’s been some toughness lacking within his program in recent years, and it’s time for that to change.
— Matt McGavic has some points of emphasis for Louisville vs. Boston College.
— Congratulations to Louisville punter David Chapeau on winning the PorkRinds.com Crunch Time Hero of the Week Award for his successful fake field goal against Miami last week.
You won’t see a better promotional photo for a Cardinal athlete winning an award than this one:
— Pro sports fans learned a long time ago to completely dismiss results from the preseason. With recent rule changes allowing for high-profile exhibitions, college basketball fans are now going to have to learn the same lesson.
— The U of L women’s soccer team continued its stellar 2025 season with a 3-0 win at NC State Thursday night.
— BC’s main focus going into Saturday night is slowing down Louisville’s athleticism.
— J’Vonne Hadley is your gold jersey wearer for this week.
— ESPN has two Louisville players among the top 15 in its list of the 50 most impactful newcomers in college basketball for 2025-26. Sananda Fru also gets a mention on the “most intriguing” list.
Brown is one of the most skilled guards in the country, with perimeter shooting reminiscent of Trae Young when it comes to a quick release, deep range and accuracy. Pat Kelsey is going to put the ball in Brown’s hands and has surrounded him with shooters and scorers, allowing Brown to control the pace of the action and create scoring opportunities while putting points on the board. — Biancardi
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Pat Kelsey needed scoring and shooting in the portal, and Conwell was among the premier players in those categories this past spring. He was a third-team All-Big East selection after averaging 16.5 points and shooting better than 41% from 3. He and Mikel Brown Jr. will form a truly elite backcourt for the Cardinals. — Borzello
— The Athletic ranks the 25 best stadiums in college football.
— Louisville AD Josh Heird sat down for a conversation with Terry Meiners than you can listen to here.
— No one has more integrity than Nevin Shapiro.
— Frank Beamer, Mike Krzyzewski and Mack Brown might not have survived their slow starts as coaches in today’s fire, aim, ready climate. All coaches want is a little patience, but more firings are coming. And soon. Who’s next?
— Grant Brisbee has an entertaining lover’s guide to the World Series.
— If you want to make it out to see the ACC Huddle crew tomorrow morning, here’s what’s going down:
Breakfast will be provided to fans while supplies last and fans can take part in exclusive giveaways including a limited-edition t-shirt.
Free parking is available in the Solea Lots (2441 S. Floyd St.) beginning at 9 a.m., with The Alley opening also at 9 a.m.
ACC HUDDLE LIVE TIMELINE (will follow marking verbiage to promote event)
Solea Lot*: 2441 South Floyd Street (former Silos site)
-Coach Jeff Brohm to kick off the show on set at 10:15 am
*At conclusion of The Huddle’s 10am-12pm window, attendees will need to clear vehicle from Solea Lot by 12:30 PM to prepare for gameday traffic patterns
— Christian Academy standout WR and Louisville recruit Ja’Hyde Brown is No. 290 in the latest Rivals rankings for the class of 2027.
— Louisville will defend the MacGuffin for the first time in program history on Saturday.
— And finally, beat Kansas, then beat Boston College.
