Well, the first two unofficial games of the year are in the books for the preseason No. 11 Louisville Cardinals. The Cardinals opened up the season with a 90-82 loss to the Kansas Jayhawks and followed up the performance with a 99-76 beatdown of the Bucknell Bison. Coach Pat Kelsey and the Cardinals squad had their first opportunities to iron out final tweaks and get their first real taste of live action as a cohesive unit.
The exhibitions did not disappoint in terms of highlighting Louisville’s strengths. The Cardinals have shown early, especially in the second exhibition game against Bucknell, that they will not be afraid to let the 3-ball fly and have shooting be the focus of their offense. However, the games have also put the Cardinals on blast for their performances in the interior. Plenty of teachable moments and learning opportunities for the Cardinals coming out of these two games before the season officially kicks off on Monday night.
Here are 5 things Louisville fans found out about the Louisville Cardinals to start the 2025-2026 basketball season.