No. 20 Louisville Looks to Rebound Against Surging SMU

Cardinals suffered worst loss under coach Pat Kelsey, while Mustangs have won 3 of 4 games

Jan. 30, 2026 at 7:07pm

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No. 20 Louisville will host surging SMU on Saturday, looking to bounce back from an 83-52 blowout loss at No. 4 Duke earlier this week. The Cardinals shot just 29.6% and were outrebounded 47-26 in the lopsided defeat. Meanwhile, SMU has won 3 of its last 4 games and is led by a veteran backcourt trio that has scored over 57% of the team's points this season.

Why it matters

This game provides Louisville an opportunity to regroup after its worst loss under second-year coach Pat Kelsey. The Cardinals will need to find a way to bounce back against a surging SMU squad that has been one of the highest-scoring teams in the country so far this season.

The details

Louisville freshman star Mikel Brown Jr., playing in just his second game after missing eight contests with a back injury, struggled mightily against Duke, making only 1 of 13 shots. Ryan Conwell led the Cardinals with 18 points, while J'Vonne Hadley added 11. SMU, on the other hand, is led by a veteran backcourt trio of Jaron Pierre Jr., B.J. Edwards, and Boopie Miller, who have combined to score over 57% of the team's points this season.

  • Louisville suffered its worst loss under coach Pat Kelsey on Monday night against Duke.
  • SMU last played on Saturday, defeating Florida State 83-80.

The players

Pat Kelsey

Second-year head coach of the Louisville Cardinals.

Mikel Brown Jr.

Freshman star for Louisville who is returning from an 8-game absence due to a back injury.

Ryan Conwell

Leading scorer for Louisville, averaging 19.4 points per game.

Andy Enfield

Second-year head coach of the SMU Mustangs.

Jaron Pierre Jr.

Senior guard for SMU who scored 28 points in the team's last game.

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What they’re saying

“We got our butt kicked. Every metric that you would look at speaks to a butt-kicking.”

— Pat Kelsey, Head Coach, Louisville Cardinals

“The advantage of having experienced players, especially three guards, they've been there many games and our team has been very good in close games this year.”

— Andy Enfield, Head Coach, SMU Mustangs

What’s next

Louisville will look to bounce back against the surging SMU Mustangs on Saturday afternoon.

The takeaway

This game provides Louisville an opportunity to regroup after a blowout loss, while SMU aims to continue its strong start to conference play led by its veteran backcourt.