No. 11 Louisville gets its 2026-27 season started Monday night at the KFC Yum! Center, and the opener comes with a familiar setup: a home crowd, a late tip and a Chattanooga team that Pat Kelsey expects to make things uncomfortable.
The Cardinals and Mocs are set for a 9:00 p.m. ET matchup on ACC Network, with Wes Durham and Debbie Antonelli on the call. For fans following from home or on the radio, the game will also air on the Louisville Radio Network at 93.9 in Louisville, with Paul Rogers handling play-by-play and Bob Valvano providing analysis.
Kelsey gave a clear scouting report on Chattanooga during Friday’s press conference, pointing to a team that spreads the floor and forces defenses to stay sharp.
"They run a system that's very hard to guard," Kelsey said. "They got shooting all over the place.
They have an Aly Khalifa type big, a point center, and then their bigs that they bring off the bench are skilled bigs too. They recruit very skilled, passing bigs."
Monday’s game is part of a season-opening doubleheader at the Yum! Center, with the 7th-ranked UofL women’s team taking on Bellarmine at 5:00 p.m. before the men’s team takes the floor later that night.
There’s some history behind the matchup, too. Chattanooga leads the all-time series 6-5, and the Mocs beat Louisville 81-71 at the KFC Yum! Center in 2023.
A few other notes frame the opener. Monday marks the beginning of the 113th season for Louisville men’s basketball and the 50th season for Chattanooga men’s basketball. Three Cardinals also landed on Naismith Starting 5 Preseason Watch Lists: Jackson Shelstad for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, Seth Trimble for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award and Flory Bidunga for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award.
Louisville’s two public exhibitions offered a glimpse of the offense, with the Cardinals shooting 49.6% from the floor. And in the numbers game, WarrenNolan.com is forecasting a 21-point Louisville victory.
After Monday night, Louisville turns right around and hosts in-state foe Morehead State on Saturday at noon.
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Louisvilles Opening Win Still Left Fans With One Big Concern
Louisvilles season-opening win over Chattanooga had plenty to like, especially in the first half when the Cardinals came out sharp, shot efficiently and built a comfortable lead. Five players reached double figures, a sign of balance that should matter as the schedule tightens, and the 84-70 final gave Kenny Paynes team a clean result to start with.
Still, the second half left a familiar kind of unease for a fan base that wants more than just a win in November. Louisvilles offense cooled off, the shots stopped falling and a few late misses kept the game from feeling as comfortable as it once did, while 10 turnovers added to the uneven stretch. The opener showed the Cardinals can score in waves, but it also hinted at the kind of offensive lapses that can linger if they are not cleaned up quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Just Lost An Early Rotation Piece Pat Kelsey Needed
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Now the Cardinals have to reshuffle before the season even gets going, and Kelsey is leaning into the next-man-up mentality as the staff sorts through the backcourt and wing minutes Montgomery was expected to help fill. It is an untimely setback for a player Louisville was counting on to add depth and versatility, and it leaves the staff with one less proven piece while it waits for him to get back on the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville 4-Star Commit Just Added To Jeff Brohms Recruiting Hype
Louisvilles latest win over Stanford gave Jeff Brohm another chance to point to the kind of explosive offense he wants his program to be known for, with Isaac Browns 75-yard rushing touchdown serving as one of the biggest highlights of the afternoon. It also came at a good time for the Cardinals on the recruiting front, because one of their most important commitments keeps piling up attention of his own.
JaHyde Brown, the 4-star wide receiver pledged to Louisville, just set a new state record with 31 receiving touchdowns in a season, topping the old mark of 30. The production has helped send him climbing in the national recruiting rankings, giving Louisville another reason to feel encouraged about the talent it has lined up for the future. [Read more 🡒]