It’s time for Louisville basketball to hold up its end of the bargain by beating Kentucky

The annual rivalry between Kentucky and Louisville basketball has grown stale from a national perspective due to the Wildcats’ dominance. Now, it’s up to the Cardinals to make things interesting again.

Louisville basketball hasn’t beaten Kentucky on the road at Rupp Arena since David Padgett was with the Cardinals… as a player.

The now 34-year-old has since gone on to be an assistant on and off at UofL and IUPUI before becoming the interim head coach for the Cardinals in 2017-18. All of that happened since the Cards last won in Rupp on January 5th, 2008.

Rick Pitino was in his seventh season at Louisville, George W. Bush was still in office, the iPhone 3G wouldn’t be released for another 18 months, and the price of gas… was, well, more expensive actually (see 2008 gas crisis, kids).

You know that social media trend where people are posting their pictures from 2010 and comparing them to 2019? Just like little Tommy with the braces grew up to have a law degree and Aunt Margie’s perm went from brown to grey, Louisville went from respected rival to just another win for the Cats.

Louisville fans don’t want to hear about it, but the fact of the matter is that since John Calipari has taken over in Lexington, the annual Battle for the Bluegrass has not gone well. Like, at all.

Blame it on Calipari getting the best of Pitino, Kentucky’s superior talent, or whatever else you want, but Kentucky has dominated the last decade of the rivalry.

Since 2010, the Cards and Cats have met 12 times (twice in the postseason), and Kentucky has come out victorious in ten of them.

On three of those occasions, Kentucky has won by double digits, and only one of their wins was by less than a possession. Meanwhile, Louisville’s two victories in the rivalry are against two of Kentucky’s worst teams, and the Cards only eeked out three-point victories in both games.

What’s even more disappointing if you’re a Louisville fan is how, overall, this in-state rivalry has really turned on its head in the modern era.

Kentucky famously refused to play Louisville for 24 years, and it wasn’t until the two were forced to meet in the 1983 Elite Eight “Dream Game” that the two renewed their rivalry. Louisville won that game in overtime en route to the Final Four, but since then, Kentucky has emerged as the dominant team, leading 27-13 in the modern era.

Again, that number is a bit deceiving overall, given that the margin stood at 17-11 before Calipari took over in Lexington, but as time passes the game is moving more and more into the rearview mirror nationally.

While the game was played 10 consecutive years in CBS in a prime-time holiday slot and has been shown on CBS in 13 out of the last 16 seasons, it has recently received a lot less exposure. In 2016, Louisville’s home win over UK was on a Wednesday night prior to Christmas, and last year’s game was on ESPN2.

This is no fault of Kentucky’s. Calipari and the Cats have been the better team in this decade, and unlike rivalries like Duke-UNC, or even Cincinnati-Xavier, this has just become another game for a lot of the coaches and players.

As far as fan hostility and year-round banter go, there is still no better rivalry in college basketball, and, in my opinion, any American sport. Louisville and Kentucky fans do not like each other, and there is no love lost between friends and family members who cheer for the opposite team.

The problem is that Louisville fans have less and less to talk about.

Overall, the two programs have been on a similar trajectory over this time period. Both teams lay claim to a national title. Both teams have been to multiple final fours (Kentucky 4, Louisville 2), and both teams are considered college basketball blue-bloods who are in the national conversation yearly.

Now, the last step to spark the rivalry is simple: Louisville has to start winning.

That starts this year. For the first time since 2012, Louisville has the clear cut better team. For the first time since 2015, the Cards’ best player is far better than the Cats’ best. Additionally, Louisville is considered a title contender, while Kentucky has dropped two straight and lost another at home to Evansville.

This is Louisville’s year to get things turned around, and if the Cardinals want this rivalry to be great, it’s time for Chris Mack’s squad to hold up their end of the bargain.