Louisville basketball’s Pat Kelsey talks Cincinnati homecoming
Louisville basketball’s Pat Kelsey spoke about what it will mean to him to coach a game in his hometown of Cincinnati.
CINCINNATI — Louisville basketball resumes one of its oldest rivalries today.
The No. 6 Cardinals (4-0) are visiting Heritage Bank Center in coach Pat Kelsey’s hometown for their 101st game against Cincinnati (4-0) dating back to 1921. This is Year 1 of a two-year neutral site series, The Hoops Classic in partnership with CareSource.
UofL has played the Bearcats more than any other opponent in its 112 years of existence and leads the all-time series 56-44. But the cross-state foes have met on the court only once in the past decade: an 81-62 victory for UC on Nov. 23, 2022, at the Maui Invitational.
Led by fifth-year coach Wes Miller, Cincinnati ranked 41st — and boasted the country’s No. 2 defense — as of Thursday afternoon on KenPom.com. The Bearcats are coming off a 72-55 win over Mount St. Mary’s on Sunday.
Here’s what you need to know to follow today’s game from home:
UofL and UC are scheduled to tip off at 6:30 p.m. today inside Heritage Bank Center.
Betting odds: Louisville is an 8 ½-point favorite (-112) on DraftKings, which set the over/under at 163 ½ points (-110).
Score predictions: KenPom gives the Cards a 66% chance of winning and projects an 83-78 final score in their favor. BartTorvik.com is also forecasting a UofL victory (71%), with a projected final score of 82-76.
The game between the Cards and the Bearcats will air on ESPN2, which is channel 606 on AT&T U-Verse; channel 209 on DirecTV; channel 143 on Dish; and channel 509 on Spectrum. Kevin Brown (play-by-play) and Jay Williams (analyst) will be on the call.
If you subscribe to a cable package, you’ll be able to livestream the game via ESPN.com and the ESPN app. If you don’t have cable, you can livestream the game via ESPN+ (subscriber only) or Fubo, which offers a free trial here.
William McDermott (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (analyst) will have the call on the Cardinal Sports Network (WLCL 93.9-FM and WGTK 970-AM in Louisville).
You can also listen online via GoCards.com.
Reach Louisville men’s basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.
