Louisville basketball rode Fatt Edwards’ outstanding night to an eighth straight victory.

Terrence Edwards Jr.’s career-high 35 points were more than enough to propel Louisville basketball to another ACC win over west coast rival California.

Louisville’s senior backcourt had heroic performances in a series of hard-fought victories leading up to their late-night battle against California. When Wednesday’s game began, it looked like the trend would continue.

The game began with Terrence Edwards, Jr. and California graduate transfer player Jovan Blacksher, Jr. exchanging three-pointers, giving the Cards an early 8-6 lead. Edwards, Jr. was the lone Cardinal with a field goal for the most of the first half, hitting threes at 11:13, 7:50, and 7:20, with a great scoop and score in the middle at 10:40.

J’vonne Hadley, who had been limited to two free throws for the first thirteen minutes, hit a three with six minutes and twenty one seconds left in the first half, snapping his and the team’s field goal drought. During the following California possession, Noah Waterman blocked a DJ Campbell layup, resulting in a Cardinal fast break and another Hadley field goal at 5:50. The Cards were ahead by 27-22.

Terrence Edwards, Jr. received his third flagrant foul when Mady Sissoko attempted to step over him while he was attempting to stand up. Sissoko received a technical foul, but Edwards, Jr. had to sit. Up until this time, Edwards, Jr. had been the sole source of Louisville’s offence. The Bears were keeping pace with the Cards, fouls forced Coach Pat Kelsey to the bench, and there was still plenty of basketball to go.

Louisville basketball wakes awake.

Right on time, the remainder of the Cards awoke. Waterman hit a three after a fantastic shot fake at 2:55, extending the advantage to 34-24. James Scott hit a thunderous dunk with 80 seconds remaining in the first half. Chucky Hepburn, who had been frigid from the floor since setting a career high against Pittsburgh, sank a three with 48 seconds left. The Cardinals led 41-26 at halftime and held the Bears scoreless for eight minutes.

When the second half began, so did Louisville’s advantage. Hepburn would hit three more 90 seconds after the break, followed by another from Edwards, Jr. Hepburn was fouled on a made layup, which increased the score to 53-29 following the free throw. Cal would respond with back-to-back three-pointers, cutting the deficit to 53-37, but the Cards were always prepared.

Khani Rooths’ dunk put the Cards ahead 66-51. At 7:31, Hepburn delivered a huge lob to Rooths, causing the Yum! Centre to burst and give the Cards a 70-51 advantage. The Bears never recovered or threatened again, and Louisville won the game 85-68.

Photographs by Jared Anderson.

Getting ready for March

There was a lot to enjoy about this. For a club that has previously struggled defensively and given up early leads, this game appeared to go just as planned: the Cards took an early lead that gradually grew as the game progressed. They forced the Bears to go eight and four minutes without a field goal, allowing them to put the game out of reach and maintain it there.

When Louisville’s top, and only, scorer (Edwards, Jr.) departed the game in foul trouble, the rest of the squad took up where he had left off. Coach Kelsey’s emphasis on the next-man-up philosophy allowed the Cards to deploy a longer, faster lineup to disrupt the Bears in several ways when sharpshooter Reyne Smith exited due to a leg injury. Despite the rugged interior play of California’s players, the drama around the rim of Wednesday night’s game was how Scott lived above it (67 dunks this season).

What does winning mean for Louisville basketball?

After a string of games in which Terrence Edwards, Jr. and Chucky Hepburn carried the club to ugly victories, it was refreshing and exciting to see a more balanced effort in a game that never came close after the Cards extended their advantage to double digits. While the trend of a single player accounting for the majority of the team’s offence over long chunks of games is concerning, it’s comforting to know that Kelsey has individuals capable of doing so. What’s promising is that his defence has performed admirably, thwarting the Bears for extended chunks of both half.

During a break around the 15:54 minute, a graphic comparing legendary Coach Denny Crum’s debut season to what we’ve seen so far from Kelsey: Crum had twenty-six victories, an NCAA tournament berth, and a Final Four appearance. Kelsey has twenty-four wins and is undoubtedly destined for the big dance. In fact, four minutes into the first half, we witnessed him dancing with the rest of the squad.

How long will his first team dance?

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.