The 2025-2026 Louisville basketball team added another win to its incredibly hot and impressive start to the season, as the Cardinals blew out the Eastern Michigan Eagles 87-64 on Monday night. The Cardinals got off to a slow start but found their offensive groove, delivering a dominant shooting performance, especially from 3-point range. This game provided an opportunity for the typical stars to take a back seat to the role players on Louisville’s roster. The performance once again put Louisville’s depth on full display, a strong sign that its roster has the keys to be a contender.
These types of games may not be the most exciting, edge of your seats entertainment that other games, such as Kentucky, have produced so far this season. However, dominant wins against these types of teams are expected, especially if you want to be viewed as a title contending team. Top teams take care of business in a dominant fashion against weaker opponents. Louisville is positioning themselves as one of the teams to beat in college basketball as they continue to stack wins and improve their record. This team is showing signs that they will be incredibly difficult to take down come March.
Here are 5 observations after Louisville’s dominant win over Eastern Michigan.
5. Defense finds footing and dominates
One of the keys to Louisville’s success last season came in late December, when stars such as Terrence Edwards and Chucky Hepburn decided to buy into Kelsey’s system and focus on being a defensive force. It propelled the floundering Louisville squad into elite territory in the ACC, and was a key catalyst for their rise and entry into the ACC Championship game at season’s end. It appears from Louisville’s last two games, and especially tonight’s performance, that this team may be buying into Kelsey’s system as well.
Louisville held Eastern Michigan to only 4 points through the first 10 minutes of play, 17 points at halftime, and 46 points overall. The Cardinals forced 13 turnovers and won the rebounding battle 45-36. These stats are a welcome sign to all Cardinals fans, signaling a shift in the Cardinals’ defensive production and providing a key element needed for the Cardinals’ title-contending chances at season’s end.
4. Louisville’s elite passing ability on full display
From the point guard position all the way down to the center, Pat Kelsey’s squad is chock-full of elite passers and playmakers on the offensive end. Whether it's freshman point guard Mikel Brown Jr. finding the open man on the wing as he drives to the basket, or it's senior center Aly Khalifa threading the needle through the defense, hitting a driver to the basket, Louisville’s passing continually shines and creates opportunities for the offense. Louisville’s passing fuels the offensive flow, always looking for the best possible shot and not settling for mediocrity in shot selection.
Louisville’s offense finished with 18 assists on 30 made baskets, once again showing the Cardinals’ unselfishness and elite ball movement. This motion allowed for open shot after open shot, leading Louisville to shoot an impressive 48 percent from the field and 42 percent from the 3-point line. If Louisville can continue to have this type of success on the offensive end, especially with their ball movement and passing, the Cardinals will continue to be an incredibly hard team to stop.
3. Kobe Rodgers continues to be the jack of all trades.
If you are looking for unsung leaders on this Louisville team, look no further than senior backup point guard Kobe Rodgers. Rodgers is a teammate who, no matter the challenge, gets into the game and makes an impact not only through scoring but through a multitude of other key statistics. Mikel Brown Jr. rightfully gets most of the attention for his incredible play and insane ability in the starting role. However, Louisville fans can sleep easily knowing Rodgers takes over the offense the moment Brown leaves the floor.
Rodgers had a big night off the bench, with 8 points, two rebounds, four assists, and 1 block himself. He is also absolutely relentless on the defensive end, deflecting passes and providing lockdown defense for the Cardinals at the top of the key. His leadership and his willingness to do the things others may not always want to do show his selflessness and his will to win not only on a personal level, but for his team and coach Pat Kelsey. Having a senior leader in Rodgers on the bench will be key come tournament time in March.
2. Aly Khalifa has himself a night
The “Egyptian Magician” was in full effect for Pat Kelsey and the Louisville Cardinals against Eastern Michigan. Khalifa has showcased his elite passing skills all season, fitting the perfect pass through tight defenses and showing his worth on the offensive end. Tonight, Khalifa took his game to the next level, displaying not only his passing ability but also his highly touted 3-point shooting ability.
Most of the summer, Louisville fans heard of this ability Khalifa was showing in practice. Tonight, Khalifa put this shooting on full display, going 3 for 4 from distance after starting the season 0 for 4. This quick turnaround further underscores Louisville's incredible depth, especially in 3-point shooting.
3-point shooting wasn’t the only skill Khalifa was able to put on display tonight. Khalifa had his best all-around game of the season to this point, with 11 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. He played an impressive game and was key to Louisville’s success in this game, coming off the bench. Kelsey will look to have this type of production more often from his senior leader as the season progresses.
1. Isaac McKneely shines, reinvigorates his 3-point shot
The senior shooting guard struggled in his previous outing against the Cincinnati Bearcats Friday night, going 0 for three from 3-point land in the hard-fought battle. Isaac McKneely completely reversed the narrative Monday night, posting a team-high 17 points on 5 for 9 from the perimeter. The confidence-building performance showed once again that McKneely is one of the most feared 3-point shooters in the country.
Louisville easily has one of the best (if not the best) backcourts in the country due to the sharpshooting of transfer guard McKneely. His sharpshooting is not only key to Louisville's offensive flow but also reduces some of the pressure on stars Mikel Brown Jr. and Ryan Conwell to be consistent playmakers on the offensive end. This type of performance shows the vision that Pat Kelsey had when he brought in all of this talent; that no matter what kind of night the Cardinals have, there will always be the opportunity for a new performer to step up and make a difference.