Louisville’s week has brought a little bit of everything: an injury concern on the football side, a breakout NBA performance from a former Cardinal, and a blunt message from Pat Kelsey about what his basketball team has to become.
On the football front, Louisville heads into its Week 10 matchup with Georgia Tech in Atlanta with one of its biggest offensive weapons in question. Lawayne McCoy, who has become one of the Cardinals’ top receivers, is dealing with a knee injury and was listed as questionable for Saturday. But the outlook got murkier after William McDermott reported earlier this week that McCoy is expected to miss “an extended period,” which would be a significant blow for Jeff Brohm’s offense.
That offense has been one of the best in the country, sitting sixth in points per game. McCoy has been a major part of that rise, while Florida State transfer Lincoln Kienholz has also given the passing game a boost with 25 catches for 513 yards and four receiving touchdowns. Even with McCoy’s status technically still listed as questionable, the latest report makes it hard to picture him suiting up in Atlanta.
Elsewhere, Mikel Brown Jr. delivered the kind of night that turns heads in Brooklyn. After struggling to find a rhythm earlier in the season, the former Cardinal put together his best game yet on Wednesday against the Hornets.
Brown shot 6-of-11 from the field, good for 54.5%, and finished with a season-high 18 points. He also knocked down 3-of-5 from deep, including a pair of step-back 3-pointers that stood out to Nets fans.
The rookie’s line went beyond scoring, too. Brown added four assists, three rebounds, one steal and one block, showing the kind of all-around aggression that made him the No. 6 overall pick. He wasn’t just looking for his own shot; he was creating chances for teammates as well.
Back in Lexington, Pat Kelsey is already laying down the standard for his Cardinals. Louisville opened the season with an 84-70 win over Chattanooga, but Kelsey wasn’t interested in pretending the second half was good enough. He called it “disappointing” and made it clear that the next step for his team is consistency.
The message was simple: good teams don’t only show up when the shots are falling. “Really good teams are consistent; regardless of if the ball is going in the hoop or not, they are still elite on defense and rebounding,” stated Kelsey.
In Other News...
Memphis Faces An Early Test That Could Say A Lot
Saturdays college basketball slate brings a handful of early-season matchups worth watching, and for Louisville fans, the most relevant one is the visit from Morehead State. The card also includes Maryland at Georgetown, VCU at Memphis and Colgate against Drexel, with the preview noting the long-running edge to the Maryland-Georgetown rivalry and offering broadcast details for fans tracking the days action.
Memphis gets one of the more meaningful tests on the schedule against VCU, a game that should tell a lot about where the Tigers stand this early. With several other games and tip times listed for viewers to check through official schedules, the day has the feel of a useful measuring stick across the board, including in Louisville, where the Cardinals will be looking to handle business at home while keeping an eye on how the rest of the slate unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Showed Off Something Fans Have Been Waiting To See
Louisville gave its fans a look at the kind of complete performance they have been waiting to see, rolling past Morehead State 107-57 in a game that was never really in doubt after halftime. The Cardinals controlled the opening half, then turned it into a runaway with a dominant second-half surge, while also imposing their will on the glass with a 59-rebound effort that underscored just how one-sided the night became.
Obi Ekezie led the way with 20 points and 13 rebounds, and he was far from alone as several Louisville players reached double figures. For a team trying to build momentum and show more consistency, it was the sort of balanced, physical showing that can carry real weight beyond one lopsided final score. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Has A Big Chance To Flex Its ACC Identity Again
Louisville gets another chance to reinforce what it has become in the ACC when Georgia Tech comes to town in Week 10. At 5-3 and riding a three-game winning streak, the Cardinals have steadied themselves after an uneven start, and the matchup sets up well for a team that has leaned on a physical, productive ground game led by Isaac Brown.
Georgia Tech arrives in a rough spot, having dropped three straight while trying to sort out its defensive issues, which is part of why Louisville is favored by two touchdowns. For the Cardinals, this is the kind of game that can say plenty about where they stand in the league hierarchy, especially if they can keep controlling the line of scrimmage and make another clean statement at home. [Read more 🡒]