Louisville dropping in AP Poll sets up crucial top 20 showdown with SEC giant

The inevitable has happened after Louisville basketball’s first loss of the season this past week. The Cardinals slid five spots all the way down to No.11 after their loss to Arkansas. However, Louisville was great at damage control, as they then beat, at the time, No. 22 Indiana, the game after. 

The Cardinals struggled in the first half of their match against Arkansas by scoring only 29 points. They tried to fight their way back, but it wasn’t enough, as the Cards fell 89-80. Louisville knew what it needed to improve and came out of the gate hot against Indiana. They outscored the Hoosiers 41-27 in the first half and held on in the second to win 87-78.

The reality is that the Cardinals will inevitably lose games, given the demanding and grueling college basketball season. Louisville must harness that defeat as motivation, just as it did against Indiana.

Louisville dropping in AP Poll sets up crucial top 20 showdown with SEC giant

The reality is that the Cardinals will inevitably lose games, given the demanding and grueling college basketball season. Louisville must. The next-ranked opponent in Louisville’s long season comes in the form of an SEC powerhouse in the No. 20 Tennessee Volunteers. The Cardinals will travel to Tennessee on Dec. 16 to face their third SEC opponent of the year. The Cardinals currently sit at 1-1 against SEC foes and need a win to keep that record above .500. Harness that defeat as motivation, just as it did against Indiana.

Tennessee has been spiraling, losing its last three games and fighting to stay in the rankings. The Volunteers will be ready to give Louisville its all, or else a fourth loss in a row will be the final nail in the coffin to leave the Tennessee squad unranked. 

A couple of losses can’t cloud the Cardinals' view as this Tennessee squad took down No.7 Houston earlier this year. Tennessee guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie is a force the Cardinals will have to be aware of as he’s averaging 17.3 points on 41.3% shooting. 

This top-20 matchup will be critical to the Cardinals' season, as Tennessee is the highest-ranked opponent Louisville will face before conference rival Duke. Not only could it be a resume builder for the season, but it will also give the Cards confidence going into a demanding ACC schedule. 

Louisville’s bout against Tennessee won’t be a regular game. The No.11 Cardinals are fighting to continue to prove themselves and get back in the top 10, and the No.20 Volunteers are clawing to stay in the rankings. The showdown in Tennessee will be must-watch basketball, and Pat Kelsey’s squad must be ready for anything.

For all the latest on Louisville basketball's 2025-26 season and recruiting, stay tuned.