Louisville basketball moves up three spots in the latest AP Polls as the Cardinals are now ranked No. 20 in the nation after winning by 41 points over Pitt last week and by 14 over Virginia Tech on Saturday. The Cardinals improved to 14-5 on the season, now 4-3 in their conference, thanks to a huge performance from Mikel Brown Jr.
Brown returned after missing eight games across 42 days, and in his first game back from his back injury, he secured 20 points and six assists while shooting 7-of-11 from the field and 3-of-6 from downtown. The Cards are beginning to look like that top 10 team they once were with Brown back in the lineup, but that will truly be tested tonight in a massive ACC showdown.
Louisville basketball jumps in latest AP Polls before crucial Duke showdown
The Cardinals moved up to No. 20 in the nation, while the Duke Blue Devils also moved up to No. 4. This will be the second time these two teams have met this month, as Duke defeated Louisville on Jan. 6, 84-73.
BREAKING: College Basketball AP Poll🚨https://t.co/4Fe0B56KVE pic.twitter.com/fse1wIUWLN
— On3 (@On3) January 26, 2026
The Cardinals fans, of course, remember that game when Louisville blew a 12-point lead and a nine-point lead at halftime. Duke dominated the second half, outscoring the Cardinals 46-26, and was led by its stars Cameron Boozer and Isaiah Evans, who scored a combined 50 points of Duke’s 84 points.
However, this game is much different as the Cards will have their 5-star point guard on the floor and will look to secure their first win over Duke under head coach Pat Kelsey. Louisville is 10-1 when Mikel Brown Jr. is on the floor, including a win over No. 9 Kentucky at the time and No. 23 Indiana at the time.
Louisville is currently a 7.5-point underdog in the ACC showdown this evening and is given just a 22.7-percent chance of winning according to ESPN Analytics. Louisville and Duke will tipoff inside Cameron Indoor Stadium at 7 p.m. local time.
Two other ACC teams are ranked ahead of the Cardinals as North Carolina is at No. 16 and Virginia is at No. 17. The only other ACC team ranked is Clemson, two spots behind Louisville at No. 22.
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's 2025-26 season and recruiting, stay tuned.