Louisville Cardinals Face South Florida Bulls in NCAA Tournament Opener

The Cardinals look to advance in the Big Dance after up-and-down regular season

Mar. 16, 2026 at 12:48am

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The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team will take on the South Florida Bulls in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Louisville, led by Second Team All-ACC guard Ryan Conwell and Third Team All-ACC point guard Mikel Brown Jr., enters the tournament after a somewhat disappointing regular season. Meanwhile, the Bulls are one of the hottest teams in the country, riding an 11-game winning streak that earned them the American Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles.

Why it matters

This matchup features two programs with deep histories, as Louisville and South Florida were both formerly members of the Metro Conference, Conference USA and Big East. The Cardinals hold a dominant 29-4 all-time record against the Bulls, but USF is making just its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2012, so they'll be looking to pull off the upset against the more established Louisville program.

The details

Louisville, ranked as high as No. 6 in the preseason, has had an up-and-down year under second-year head coach Pat Kelsey. However, they've still managed to earn a sixth seed in the NCAA Tournament. South Florida, led by AAC Player, Defensive Player and Newcomer of the Year Izaiyah Nelson, as well as First-Team All-AAC point guard Wes Enis Jr. and Third-Team All-AAC guard/forward Joseph Pinion, are one of the hottest teams in the country after winning 11 straight games to close the season.

  • The first round matchup between Louisville and South Florida will take place on Thursday, March 19 at 1:30 p.m. EST.
  • Louisville and South Florida last met on February 18, 2014, with the Cardinals winning 80-54.

The players

Ryan Conwell

A Second Team All-ACC selection, Conwell is Louisville's starting shooting guard.

Mikel Brown Jr.

The Cardinals' starting point guard, Brown earned Third Team All-ACC and ACC All-Rookie Team honors.

Izaiyah Nelson

The AAC Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, Nelson is South Florida's leading scorer and rebounder.

Wes Enis Jr.

The Bulls' starting point guard, Enis was named First-Team All-AAC.

Joseph Pinion

A versatile guard/forward, Pinion earned Third-Team All-AAC recognition for South Florida.

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What they’re saying

“We must be ready for a tough battle against a very talented South Florida team that is playing its best basketball of the season. They have some dynamic players that will present a real challenge for us.”

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

“This is a huge opportunity for our program to make some noise on the national stage. We've worked hard all year to get to this point, and we're excited to show what we can do against a traditional power like Louisville.”

— Bryan Hodgson, Head Coach, South Florida Bulls (Tampa Bay Times)

What’s next

The winner of the Louisville-South Florida matchup will advance to face the winner of the game between the No. 3 seed and No. 14 seed in the next round of the NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

This first round clash features a classic NCAA Tournament battle between a perennial powerhouse program in Louisville and an upstart mid-major in South Florida looking to pull off the upset. The game will showcase some of the top individual talent in the country, setting the stage for an exciting tournament opener.