Louisville basketball has a marquee matchup tonight inside KFC Yum! Center as the Cardinals are set to take on the North Carolina State Wolfpack. Louisville has won three straight and four of its last five, and all of a sudden, it's back towards the top of the ACC standings.
The Cardinals are trying to make a push for that coveted double-bye in the ACC Tournament. The latest AP Polls were just released, and the Cardinals remained the same as last week at No. 24, but they got a big resume boost as they saw a familiar team jump into the rankings.
Louisville basketball gets big resume boost in latest AP Polls
The Kentucky Wildcats jumped into the latest AP Polls as Mark Pope’s Wildcats are now ranked No. 25 in the nation. Louisville stays one spot ahead of the Cats thanks to their 96-88 win over Kentucky back on Nov. 11, and now the two Kentucky schools are both back in the rankings since Kentucky dropped in Week 6.
🚨 NEW AP POLL IS OUT 🚨
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 9, 2026
Arizona remains No. 1, Kentucky re-enters 👀
🔗 https://t.co/S9xO3XmQ6g pic.twitter.com/5ed0OB0ZZd
Louisville hasn’t had great performances against ranked teams this year, as the Cardinals are 1-4 against current ranked teams, including a 31-point loss and an 11-point loss to Duke. However, with the Wildcats winning eight of their last nine, including a win over the previous No. 25 Tennessee, which beat Louisville by 21, Kentucky all of a sudden finds its way back into the rankings, boosting Louisville’s resume.
As of now, the Cardinals are projected as a No. 6 seed, but with key games against North Carolina State, North Carolina, Clemson, and Miami, Louisville has opportunities to earn marquee wins and climb the rankings and seedings.
So, while this Cardinals win over the Wildcats was all the way back in early November, Louisville clearly benefits from that huge rivalry win, keeping them one spot ahead in these rankings. The latest AP Polls certainly make Louisville's win a lot sweeter, as the Cardinals get a boost from Kentucky's win streak while also staying ahead of them in the AP Polls.
The Cardinals will look to win their fourth straight tonight to not only earn a huge Quad 1 win but also gain some ground on the fourth seed in the ACC.
For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's 2025-26 season and recruiting, stay tuned.