Louisville Basketball Looks to Build Momentum Ahead of March Madness

After a lopsided loss to Duke, the Cardinals rallied to beat SMU and are looking to carry that effort into the final stretch of the season.

Feb. 3, 2026 at 4:31am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Louisville basketball has 10 games left in the regular season as they look to build momentum ahead of the NCAA Tournament. After a 31-point loss to Duke, head coach Pat Kelsey challenged his team to play with more "relentless effort, grit, toughness, and tenacity." The Cardinals responded with an 88-74 comeback win over SMU, showcasing improved defense and balanced scoring. Now Louisville needs to sustain that level of play through the final stretch, focusing on stifling defense, efficient offense, and contributions from their entire roster to secure a high seed in the ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament.

Why it matters

Louisville entered the season with high expectations, but has had some uneven results so far. This stretch run will be crucial in determining whether the Cardinals can live up to their preseason hype and make a deep March Madness run. Their ability to rebound from the lopsided loss to Duke and establish a consistent identity on both ends of the floor will be key.

The details

After the blowout loss to Duke, Kelsey challenged his team to have a "freaking football practice" to "reestablish the core principle" of playing with "relentless effort, grit, toughness, and tenacity." That mentality paid off in the comeback win over SMU, as Louisville played stifling second-half defense, forced 10 turnovers, and had seven different players record steals. On offense, the Cardinals attacked the paint, shooting 75% on 2-pointers, which then opened up their perimeter game in the second half. Kelsey emphasized the need for better ball movement and shot selection, rather than just "shooting their way out of trouble." Freshman Mikel Brown Jr. has a big role to play, as Kelsey wants him to focus on getting his teammates involved rather than forcing his own offense. Louisville also needs continued contributions from their bench, which outscored SMU 47-5 in the win.

  • On January 26, Louisville suffered a 31-point loss at No. 4 Duke.
  • Five days later, on January 31, Louisville rallied from a 12-point deficit to beat SMU 88-74.

The players

Pat Kelsey

The head coach of the Louisville Cardinals basketball team, who challenged his players to play with more intensity and focus after the lopsided loss to Duke.

Mikel Brown Jr.

A freshman guard for Louisville who Kelsey wants to focus more on getting his teammates involved rather than forcing his own offense.

Andy Enfield

The head coach of the SMU Mustangs, who said his team "got whatever shot we wanted" in the first half against Louisville before the Cardinals made defensive adjustments.

Adrian Wooley

A Louisville player who emphasized that the team's defense has to be the catalyst for taking the team to the next level, as it creates transition opportunities.

Kobe Rodgers, Khani Rooths, Aly Khalifa

Louisville bench players who provided valuable contributions in the win over SMU, showcasing the depth the Cardinals need to sustain their success.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We're going to have freaking football practice. Clear the board — compete. I don't care who starts.”

— Pat Kelsey, Head Coach (Louisville Courier-Journal)

“It definitely fired us up.”

— Mikel Brown Jr., Player (Louisville Courier-Journal)

“We needed to reestablish what the core principle of our deal is. That's relentless effort; that's grit; that's toughness; and that's tenacity.”

— Pat Kelsey, Head Coach (Louisville Courier-Journal)

“Even when the offense is not clicking, we've still got to have fire on this side. This side's going to win us the game. Getting stops is everything.”

— Adrian Wooley, Player (Louisville Courier-Journal)

“We were trying to shoot our way out of trouble against Duke instead of executing our way out of trouble. We want paint force; we want drives; we want cuts. We didn't have a chance to do any of that (at Duke) because we just jacked it. Pass it.”

— Pat Kelsey, Head Coach (Louisville Courier-Journal)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This stretch run will be crucial in determining whether the Louisville Cardinals can live up to their preseason hype and make a deep March Madness run. Their ability to sustain the defensive intensity and balanced offensive attack they showed in the comeback win over SMU will be key to their success down the stretch.