Stanford men’s basketball loses to the No. 14 Cardinals in a feisty Louisville clash

Stanford men’s basketball (19-12, 11-9 ACC) suffered a 68-48 loss against the No. 14 Louisville Cardinals (25-6, 18-2 ACC) at the KFC Yum! Centre on Saturday. Stanford’s struggles with rebounds and finishing in the paint were damaging to their success.

The Cardinals were on a nine-game winning run and playing Stanford on their senior night, so the excitement in Louisville, Kentucky, was high going in. Stanford, on the other side, hoped to rebound from their 54-56 setback to Notre Dame on Wednesday.

The first few minutes of the game were a fight for possession. Stanford traded points with Louisville but was able to maintain a tie. However, Louisville demonstrated their superiority as they began to drive to the basket. The dynamic team’s combination of dazzling finishes and intensity made it tough for Stanford to contain them at the basket. Stanford fell down 10-20 with nine minutes remaining in the first half, as Louisville capitalised on their momentum.

Stanford failed to keep up with Louisville’s shooting accuracy. The Cardinal’s field goal percentage at the end of the game was 26.7, while Louisville’s was 42.6. This was due in part to scoring troubles by junior guard Oziyah Sellers and graduate guard Jaylen Blakes, who only scored 8 and 5 points, respectively, significantly below their season averages.

Furthermore, Stanford struggled to rebound, both defensively and offensively. Stanford allowed 14 second-chance points and 13 offensive rebounds. This allowed Louisville to drive the ball down the floor, resulting in easy finishes on the other side of the court. Stanford was not far behind the Cardinals in terms of defensive rebounds, but they struggled to convert due to Louisville’s speed and athleticism.

The Cardinal fought in front of a boisterous Louisville crowd that tried to distract them during foul shots and offensive possessions. With five minutes left in the half, Louisville extended its lead to 11-29, their second-largest of the game.

At halftime, the Cardinal were behind 15 points, 18-33. Stanford came out of halftime determined to reduce the difference, concentrating on battling for rebounds and boosting ball movement while in possession.

Stanford had back-to-back defensive stops, allowing junior centre Chisom Okpara to go to the hoop for two layups, reducing the margin to 51-41 with eight minutes remaining. While it appeared like Stanford would be able to capitalise on this, Louisville made sure to break the momentum, driving to the hoop for a dazzling finish that elicited a shout from the crowd and put an end to Stanford’s developing surge.

While Louisville was able to score the majority of their points in the paint, Stanford struggled to finish at the basket. However, the Cardinal attempted to score outside the arc, scoring 21 points to Louisville’s 15.

The game concludes Stanford’s regular season and first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Overall, Stanford improved significantly this season, going from 14-18 to 19-12, despite the challenges of transitioning to a new league and adjusting to a new coach.

Head Coach Kyle Smith expressed his delight in his team’s performance this season, particularly in light of the ACC’s estimate that they would place 17th in the rankings.

“We didn’t really pay much attention to it; we just talked about the process and doing our best every day,” Smith told The Daily. Smith also lauded the team’s focus in the midst of media hype and forecasts. “They did a really good job of staying present and trying to improve,” he told me.

The 7th seeded squad will travel to Charlotte, North Carolina on Wednesday (Opp. TBD) to begin the ACC Tournament.

At the ACC Coaches Call, Pat Kelsey talks about the ACC tournament and gives a preview of Cal

This week, No. 14 Louisville (23-6 overall, 16-2 ACC) will play two of the ACC’s newest members at home to wrap off the regular season. Before Stanford (19-10, 11-7) visits for a Saturday afternoon match, Cal (13-16, 6-12) will make an appearance at the KFC Yum! Centre on Wednesday night.

During his appearance on the ACC Coaches Call on Monday, UofL head coach Pat Kelsey talked about the upcoming game versus Cal, the ACC Tournament, and other topics.

This will just be the second time the two programs have met. The previous matchup occurred when Cal defeated Louisville, 77-62, to terminate the Cardinals’ season in the first round of the 2009–10 NCAA Tournament.

Cal defeated Boston College 82-71 at home on Saturday to end a five-game losing streak.

PK’s rigorous challenge will make or break Louisville’s basketball season

Pat Kelsey emphasised that the season is far from done, therefore there is no time to ponder. His squad is unable to linger on the past or guess on what lies ahead in the coming weeks, as the Cardinals play a big game against Pitt on Saturday. Kelsey is laser-focussed on ensuring that his squad is completely prepared for that game, and just that game.

Louisville basketball won only eight games last season and four the year before. Pat Kelsey has recently been asked a number of questions regarding his team’s performance, comeback, and what he has to say about the Cardinals’ success. Kelsey, on the other hand, does not enjoy reflecting on the season and has challenged the entire Cardinal population to do the same.

“There probably come a time in the offseason you can get above the trees and look back and appreciate the type of season that we’ve had, but now is not the time because we got three really tough games remaining at home, and the one we only care about is the one on Saturday.” “Kelsey stated Tuesday night.”

During their historic turnaround season, Kelsey repeatedly emphasises the significance of remaining present. While the team’s extraordinary trip is something to be proud of, he made it plain that now is not the time to reminisce. Kelsey’s approach is to focus on the present work at hand and to urge everyone not to get too caught up in the moment, remembering that there are still many games to be played.

“We really never talk about that.” Pat Kelsey commented on his team’s amazing comeback season. We do not talk about the past. We honour our past. We honour our past, as well as the outstanding players, teams, and championships that have emerged from this great school.

“When people claim the record was set last year, we never, ever discuss it. We constantly talk about ourselves, the present, and what we plan to do in the upcoming game.” Kelsey stated.

The Cardinals’ next game is March 1 at 6:00 p.m. local time versus Pitt. If the Cardinals win, they will be on a seven-game winning streak, have won 17 of their past 18 games, and will have the most ACC victories in a single season.

Nate Ament’s update provides an exquisite wider picture of Louisville basketball

Louisville’s basketball program is becoming a destination for four and five-star recruits, and this is becoming increasingly clear as the recruiting season progresses.

Louisville basketball is still among Nate Ament’s top five colleges, as reported yesterday.

The 6-foot-9, 185-pound small forward is a consensus 5-star recruit in the 2025 class, ranking unanimously fourth overall and second among shooting guards. The only tiny forward Ament trails is the top overall prospect, AJ Dybantsa.

Ament had a great junior season at Highland School, averaging 19.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.0 blocks, and 3.7 assists per game. Louisville basketball, even among Ament’s last five institutions, is an accomplishment in and of itself.

Nate Ament’s desire in becoming a Louisville Cardinal offers a larger picture about Pat Kelsey and his program, and it is invaluable.

Louisville basketball has finally become an appealing destination for elite players.

Louisville’s basketball program is becoming a destination for four and five-star recruits, and this is becoming increasingly clear as the recruiting season progresses.

Louisville basketball signed 5-star talent and McDonald’s All-American Mikel Brown Jr., who is ranked eighth overall by On3 Sports, seventh overall by 247Sports, and eleventh in ESPN’s 100. Brown Jr. was the first domino to fall, and Cardinals supporters began to fantasise about the ideal pairing of Mikel Brown Jr. with Nate Ament and others.

Brown Jr. chose Pat Kelsey and his Cardinals over blue-blood institutions such as Kentucky and Kansas, as well as Alabama, the country’s current number four team.

Brown Jr. is excited to be a Cardinal, and he hopes to be one of the driving forces behind restoring Louisville basketball’s rich tradition. Brown’s pledge broke the prevailing notion that Louisville’s basketball program is no longer relevant or appealing to some of the finest prospects in the country.

UofL is on track to sign Tyran Stokes, the top recruit for the 2026 class. According to On3Sports, the Cardinals have a strong 66.8% probability of acquiring the consensus number one prospect.

Stokes had one official visit to Louisville in October 2024, and he went on to compete for Team USA U17 World Cup throughout the summer. During the World Cup, the 6-foot-7, 230-pound power forward averaged 12.3 points, seven rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.1 blocks, earning All-Second Team honours.

Nate Ament has fuelled the trend of 5-star recruits wanting to play under Pat Kelsey and his Louisville Cardinals. Ament is one of the top emerging players in high school right now, with a chance to be a first-round NBA Draft choice in 2026.

Louisville basketball has fully shed its current stigma from the previous five years and is returning to prominence. The Cardinals’ turnaround in this recruitment area should lead to continued excellence for many years. Louisville basketball appears to be going back to the 2010s and being national title contenders, and Pat Kelsey and company have helped reclaim that narrative.

The University of Louisville’s ability to draw 5-star recruits is making it a top collegiate basketball destination. Ament allegedly wants to be a part of this squad because of Coach Carr and Pat Kelsey’s “enthusiasm” and the opportunity to collaborate with fellow 5-star prospect Mikel Brown Jr.

Even if Ament does not choose the Cardinals, the fact that he contemplated the school demonstrates that Pat Kelsey and the Louisville basketball program have a bright future ahead.