Louisville basketball: Way too early bold predictions for 2020-21

Louisville beats Kentucky

The Cardinals have dropped eleven out of thirteen (that’s disgusting) against the Cats in the Calipari era, so any win over Kentucky at this point feels like a bold prediction.

However, I think this is the year that the Cardinals turn things around.

Louisville has fared well at home under Mack, and their last two wins against the Cats came in 2012 and 2016 in the KFC Yum! Center.

Kentucky brings in a hell of a squad- one that is likely to be a consensus pre-season top five yet again- But as you know, records and gameplan often go out the window in rivalry games.

This season’s match-up may have been the game that gave Mack a bit of a perspective on the intensity of the rivalry. It was his first trip to Lexington, and his first experience playing in front of their crowd and dealing with the UK home whistle. Yet, it was Louisville who outplayed the Cats for the final 25 minutes of the game. Louisville’s season-low 45 percent shooting from the free-throw line was ultimately the difference in a crushing overtime loss.

Now, with a bit more perspective on the rivalry, and a chance for Mack’s two lead guards to be Louisville born and raised players, perhaps the game will take on a new meaning.

In 2012 and 2016, it just felt like Louisville didn’t bring its best game but the home crowd willed the Cards to victory. Intuition tells me that may be the case again in 2020 when the Cats return to the Yum! Center.