Louisville’s season is still a few weeks away, but Karter Knox already delivered the kind of quote that lands right in the middle of the Kentucky rivalry.
The Cardinals open on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, when they travel to Lawrence, Kansas, for an exhibition against Kansas, and Pat Kelsey’s roster is drawing plenty of attention before the first real game even tips. Louisville has loaded up with eight transfers, including 5-star transfer Flory Bidunga and two former 5-stars in Jackson Shelstad and Knox.
Still, the date that jumps off the calendar is Dec. 12, when Louisville meets Kentucky.
That matchup always carries weight, and it comes with a fresh layer of confidence for the Cardinals after last year’s 96-88 win over the Wildcats snapped a three-game skid in the series. Knox, though, made it clear Louisville isn’t walking into this one satisfied with just that.
Knox’s comments about Kentucky and his older brother Kevin Knox II, who was a first-round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft and also played for Kentucky, were as direct as they come.
“We do, and we had a lot of talks about it, and I told him, I said, you know who's going to come out on top. We haven’t beaten them in 10 years at Kentucky, but this year is going to be a different outcome,” stated Knox.
“This is the best team in the nation right here. We got all the dogs on the floor, and it is hard to play against a team with all dogs on the floor.”
Knox’s message comes with real edge for Louisville fans, especially because the Cardinals are chasing something bigger than just one game. Kentucky has won eight straight in Lexington, and Louisville’s last road win in the series came in the 2007-2008 season, when the Cardinals won 89-75.
If Louisville can get Kentucky again this season, it would do more than erase that eight-game road losing streak. It would also give the Cardinals back-to-back wins over the Wildcats for the first time since 2007-08 and 2008-09.
That’s the kind of statement Knox is talking about, and it’s exactly the kind of tone Louisville supporters wanted to hear before one of the sport’s most watched rivalries rolls around.
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