The challenging non-conference schedule for Ohio (1-2 overall) continues this weekend as the Bobcats stay on the road to travel to one of college basketball’s premier programs in No. 12 Louisville (3-0).
Ohio is coming off its biggest test of the young season after falling to a very solid Saint Mary’s team by a score of 90-60 on the road in California. The Bobcats are following that game up with another huge opponent in the form of one of the best teams in the country, in Louisville.
Here is everything you need to know for when Ohio travels south to take on Louisville.
Game information
Opponent: Louisville Cardinals
Location: KFC Yum! Center (Louisville, Kentucky)
Time: Saturday 12 p.m.
Where to watch: The CW
Follow live stats here.
Meet the opponent
Head coach
Pat Kelsey (2nd season, 27-8 record)
Projected starters
No. 00, Mikel Brown Jr.
No. 3, Ryan Conwell
No. 9, Khani Rooths
No. 10, Isaac McKneely
No. 13, Sanada Fru
Louisville Notes
The Cardinals basketball program has undergone a swift rebirth under second-year head coach Pat Kelsey. The Cincinnati native joined Louisville before last year after having a very successful stint at the College of Charleston.
Louisville is widely considered one of the most historic college basketball programs in the nation, and before Kelsey came to town, the team had some serious struggles, winning just five total conference games from 2022 to 2023.
Last year, Louisville had an immediate turnaround with Kelsey at the helm, going 27-8 overall and 18-2 in the ACC, getting to the NCAA tournament before falling in the first round to Creighton.
The Cardinals are off to a hot start this year, building on the momentum from last year in a big way. They have started the season 3-0, with their most recent coming over bitter in-state rivals No. 9 Kentucky at home in the Yum! Center.
True freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. had a statement game for Louisville in that rivalry win over Kentucky, putting up 29 points on 50% shooting from the floor while adding five assists.
Brown, a former five-star prospect in high school, was a huge recruiting win for Kelsey and the Cardinals, and he is already proving himself to be an elite player at the college level.
The other key player in the win over Kentucky was senior guard Ryan Conwell, an Xavier transfer who also had his breakout game as a Cardinal. He put up 24 points with four made threes and two steals to help Louisville secure the huge win Wednesday night.
Before the big win over Kentucky, Louisville handled business at home against two inferior opponents in South Carolina State and Jackson State. The Cardinals put up over 100 points in both of those games, and they put up a whopping 96 on the Wildcats, proving that they boast a truly formidable offense with Brown leading the attack.
After the game against Ohio, Louisville will take a short trip up north to face off against Cincinnati in its first road game of the year.
There are “trap game” possibilities with this game, as the Bobcats will catch the Cardinals coming off a rivalry game and just before a huge road match-up with the Bearcats.
