5. SMU blowout/Louisville single game records broken - January 2025
The SMU road game came at a time when Louisville was perhaps at its hottest last season, right in the middle of conference play. Louisville strung together an impressive 18-2 record in ACC play, a number that would propel them into the NCAA tournament after a rocky start with the non-conference schedule. Louisville had been on a winning streak to start the 2025 calendar year; however, the SMU win propelled them to new heights (and dreams) with a 98-73 throttling of the Mustangs. This showed the country that Louisville was a serious consideration for the NCAA tournament and that they could beat tournament-level talent, as SMU was a projected bubble team at the time of the victory.
Perhaps even bigger than the win itself were the two Louisville single-game records that were broken that night. Let’s start with Chucky Hepburn. The beloved senior point guard broke the single-game assist record previously held by Francisco Garcia (15 assists) when Hepburn dished out 16 in Louisville’s massive victory. Additionally, sharpshooter Reyne Smith made 10 3-pointers (all of his points), breaking the previous record of 9 held by Louisville legend Taquan Dean. This game put the legendary Louisville team in the record books and was another reason why Pat Kelsey’s first squad will always hold a special place in the hearts of Louisville fans.