Louisville basketball will play its second and final exhibition game tonight against Bucknell from the KFC Yum! Center at 7 p.m. local time. The Cardinals will try to earn their first win as a team after falling 90-82 in their first exhibition game against the No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks.
The Cardinals had a disappointing debut against the Jayhawks, but the team made it clear they are using it as a learning experience. While the fans were underwhelmed in some key areas, these are just exhibition games and learning moments for Pat Kelsey and this team. There are many new faces, and it will take time for this team to reach its full potential.
The Cards have one of the highest odds to win the 2026 National Title, so, with fans expecting a better outcome and performance tonight, let's take a deep dive into five important questions for Louisville basketball's exhibition game against Bucknell.
Related: 5 key observations from the Louisville basketball's loss to Kansas
5. Will Sananda Fru have a bigger part of the game plan?
Entering this season, the Cardinals' biggest question was their frontcourt and who would step up. A lot of experts and Louisville fans turned to Sananda Fru, as the 6-foot-11, 245-pound forward has incredibly high expectations, but after his performance against Kansas, it is clear the forward has to be more physical and more involved.
Fru got only one shot up against Kansas and finished with one point as he went 1-2 from the charity stripe. The Cardinals' frontcourt has to get more production inside the paint and be more of a threat, and while it was just a preseason game, it will be worth watching this matchup against Bucknell to see if Kelsey tries to draw more plays for Fru.