Louisville basketball suffered its first loss of the regular season last night to the Arkansas Razorbacks, 89-80. The Cards got off to a slow start in a tough environment, going down 47-29 at half, but put together a much better second half. However, the 18-point deficit was just too much to overcome, and the Cards suffered their first loss of the regular season.
Louisville falls to 7-1 on the season and drops the first game of this crucial four-game stretch. The Cards will have to quickly put this game behind them as they face No. 22 Indiana on the road this Saturday. The Cards' loss was a disappointing one, but Louisville is still one of the top teams in the nation, and there were moments last night when fans saw that.
Joe Lunardi recently updated his Bracketology and his prediction for the 2026 NCAA Tournament, and the Cardinals would be lined up for a thrilling second-round matchup.
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Joe Lunardi predicts a thrilling rematch in the second round for Louisville
It is hard to look ahead to the NCAA Tournament after a loss like that, but with Lunardi's updated bracket, it is also hard not to talk about who the Cards would play. Louisville, before their loss, is projected to be a No. 3 seed by Lunardi. The Cards dropped from his previous prediction, where they were a No. 2 seed, and in Lunardi's eyes, the Cards have been around a two-three seed all season.
He predicts Louisville to face Oakland in the first round, but in the second round, it would be an intense rematch of the Battle of the Bluegrass against the Kentucky Wildcats. The Cards already defeated the Cats 96-88, and if this game were played in the NCAA Tournament, this rivalry would show the nation why it is the best in college basketball.
Kentucky has quite a slow start, falling three of its first eight games, but if the Cats find a way to be a six seed and Louisville is a three seed, and these two teams meet in the second round, Louisville would have the opportunity to beat Kentucky twice in one season.
The Cards and Cats fans would love this opportunity, but Louisville fans are dreaming of this outcome, as there would be nothing sweeter than beating Kentucky twice in one year and ending their season. These two teams have met six times in the postseason, with Kentucky holding a 4-2 record over Louisville.
The Cards lost to Arkansas, and that certainly stings, but Louisville still has +1600 odds to win the National Title, and in Lunardi's bracket, a clear path to the Sweet Sixteen, where they could meet Houston, the No. 2 seed in the region. So, something to keep an eye on moving forward is the possibility not only of meeting Kentucky again in the postseason, but also of ending the Wildcats' season.