Louisville basketball is tipping off against the Kentucky Wildcats tomorrow evening from KFC Yum! Center. The Cardinals will look to snap a three-game losing streak to their biggest rival and will try to start this season with an absolute bang. While many fans expect this game to be played late in December and are accustomed to it being held in December, this matchup will take place in early November, marking the earliest these two teams have ever met in their 57 matchups, dating back to the 1912-13 season.
The Cardinals and Wildcats both enter this game 2-0 after dominant wins to start the season. Louisville saw Kasean Pryor make his debut since he tore his ACL against Oklahoma in 2024, but saw J'Vonne Hadley miss the last game. Entering this massive November matchup, Louisville fans are anxiously awaiting an update on Hadley, and in Louisville's press conference this morning, Kelsey remained cautious.
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Pat Kelsey is 'hopeful' J'Vonne Hadley will play tomorrow night
Last week, after Louisville's 106-70 win over Jackson State, Kelsey stated that they were being "very cautious" and "careful" with Hadley, and it wasn't something they wanted to mess with this early in the season. Now that the big game is taking place tomorrow evening, the first question Kelsey was asked about in this morning's press conference was regarding Hadley's availability, and he was brief and to the point with his response.
"We'll see. He is still being evaluated," Kelsey stated on Hadley's availability. "But we're hopeful."
Louisville HC Pat Kelsey says that guard/forward J'Vonne Hadley (concussion) is still be evaluated, but that he's "hopeful" he can play vs. Kentucky tomorrow.
— Matt McGavic (@Matt_McGavic) November 10, 2025
Hadley is a crucial player for Kelsey's Cardinals, as the 6-foot-5, 215-pound wing is an elite defender who can guard all positions, while also playing a significant role offensively. Hadley led Louisville in rebounds last season, and in his lone game so far this season, he led the Cards with nine rebounds. He has been more confident shooting the 3-ball early this season, while still being that dominant guard who can back his defender down and cash easy points in the paint.
Kentucky has a slight upper hand on Louisville in the backcourt, making Hadley's status crucial if Louisville wants to snap its three-game losing streak to the Wildcats. With the clock ticking, Louisville fans are still waiting to see if he will be cleared, but Kelsey's statement that they are "hopeful" is a positive sign for now and gives Louisville fans some confidence that he might play tomorrow evening.
For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's 2025-26 season and recruiting, stay tuned.