Pat Kelsey and the Louisville Cardinals played their first exhibition game last night, and it was no ordinary exhibition game. The Cardinals played the No. 17 Kansas Jayhawks in a thrilling exhibition game on the road inside Allen Fieldhouse that was one of the best preseason environments fans will ever see.
3 biggest winners from Louisville's 89-83 win over Kansas
“I can’t believe it is the preseason. I can’t believe that was an exhibition game because it sure as heck didn’t feel like it,” stated Kelsey about the environment. “The atmosphere was amazing. When they came out and jumped on us early and went up 10-3, I have been doing this a long time, and even if it is an exhibition, that is about as loud I have heard an arena. There has never been an exhibition game in the history of the National Basketball Association that had an atmosphere (like that).”
The Cardinals exhibition win showed Kelsey and these fans a lot, and it not only made Louisville pass the eye test, but they just snapped a huge Kansas streak.
Louisville gives Kansas it's first home exhibition loss since 1993
Entering Wednesday night’s exhibition game, Kansas was on a dominant 58-game home winning streak in exhibition games. Kansas's last home loss in an exhibition game was all the way back in 1993…until yesterday.
Final: Louisville 89, Kansas 83
— Mike Rutherford (@CardChronicle) October 22, 2026
Cards snap Kansas' 58-game home winning streak in exhibition games. It's KU's first exhibition loss at Allen Fieldhouse since 1993.
Louisville snapped this impressive Jayhawk streak for several reasons, but two players really stood out. Four-star transfer Jackson Shelstad impressed Cardinals fans with his ability to shoot off the dribble, whether on a pull-up mid-range or a stepback. Shelstad finished with a Cardinal-high 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc.
Another newcomer who quickly turned heads nationwide was the 5-star freshman Obinna Ekezie Jr. The 7-foot-2, 240-pound center quickly made a statement in his college debut. He finished the game with 4-of-6 from beyond the arc and 5 blocks. He dominated both ends of the floor and finished with 16 points in just 19 minutes.
While it was just an exhibition game, it felt like more to Louisville and their fans. The Cardinals struggled mightily against ranked teams last year, including in the preseason, when Kansas beat the Cardinals pretty convincingly. However, this was a legit road test for Louisville, and they responded after falling behind early.
Now, the stage is set for the season, and this UofL team is not only a legit contender in the ACC, but they also have a real shot at a Final Four run. Hopefully, the Kansas 58 home-game win streak isn’t the only streak that snaps, and the Cardinals can end their Final Four drought and make their first Final Four since 2013.
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