The 2025-26 college basketball season is just days away, and all the experts and insiders are making their bold predictions for the upcoming season. Louisville basketball is expected to be one of the top contenders in the nation as it opens the season with +2000 odds to win the National Title, which is the 10th-best odds in the country.
The Cards went 1-1 in their exhibition games, but it was clear they used that loss to Kansas as a huge learning experience. The Cardinals bounced back from their 90-82 loss to Kansas with an impressive 99-76 victory over Bucknell, which included lights-out shooting from beyond the arc.
Now, as the Cards are set to tip off with South Carolina State on Nov. 3 from KFC Yum! Center, Louisville fans are seeing their team as Final Four contenders in many predictions. Jeff Borzello of ESPN recently released a massive prediction for the entire season, and Cardinals fans will be quite pleased with what he forecasts for Louisville's season.
Related: 5 bold predictions for Louisville basketball's 2025-26 season
ESPN expert predicts historic season for Louisville basketball
ESPN recently released 'Men's NCAA basketball megapreview, predictions for 2025-26', which was produced by multiple college basketball experts and insiders, including Borzello. The ESPN expert has been a basketball insider for ESPN since 2014 and has been well-known for recruiting specifically.
In this megapreview, Borzello doesn't just label the Cards a Final Four contender, but he also predicts a historic season for Louisville.
The ESPN expert predicted the Cardinals to win their first ACC Title in program history. Four experts were contributing to this megapreview, and the other three selected Duke, but Borzello logged the Cards to earn their first ACC championship in program history. Last year, the Blue Devils won the regular season and tournament titles, while the Cardinals were the runner-up in both. Now with a sour taste in their mouths, Kelsey and the Cards want to make history and earn that first ACC Title, and Borzello is here to tell the Louisville fans it is coming.
After making the conference winner predictions, he also logged a prediction that the Cards will be in the 2026 Final Four. Louisville hasn't made the Final Four since 2013 and hasn't won a National Tournament game since 2017, but Borzello is predicting the Cardinals' streak of postseason success ends this upcoming season.
Lastly, Borzello predicts the Cardinals' head coach, Pat Kelsey, to earn his first National Coach of the Year award. Last year, Kelsey won the ACC Coach of the Year award after Louisville made history by winning 19 more games than the previous year. Now, Borzello predicts Kelsey to make history again by taking Louisville to its first Final Four since 2013, win its first ACC Title, and earn Coach of the Year.
Louisville fans are drooling over these predictions and would be a dream come true to see this Cards team in Indianapolis. It is going to be a long season, but as game one approaches, the expectations and excitement continue to rise.
Related: 5 important observations from Louisville basketball's exhibition win over Bucknell
For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's 2025-26 season and recruiting, stay tuned.