Game Info:

When: Wednesday, Oct. 21, 7:00 p.m. (EST)

Where: Allen Fieldhouse

Watch: ESPNU

Meeting History: Louisville is 5-6 all-time versus Kansas (Non-Exhibition)

Last Meeting: (10/24/2025) Louisville 82, Kansas 90 (Exhibition)

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Louisville Men’s Basketball unofficially opens the 2026-27 season Wednesday in an exhibition match versus the Kansas Jayhawks.

Last year, the Cardinals hosted the Jayhawks in a preseason game at the KFC Yum! Center, and Kansas came out on top 90 to 82, led by Darryn Peterson.

Louisville Notes:

We haven’t gotten a chance to see the Cardinals yet, but they have taken the floor. In late July, Louisville met the Bahamas Raw Talent squad in Nassau for an untelevised summer exhibition; the Cards beat the Bahamas team 101-52.

Dayton transfer De’Shayne Montgomery led the team with 20 points, followed by an 18-point, 10-rebound, 6-block game from Kansas transfer Flory Bidunga. Louisville went 44% from the field and 41% from 3, with Montgomery and Iowa transfer Alvaro Folgueiras both shooting 75% from distance.

Junior Arkansas transfer Karter Knox and freshman Obinna Ekezie Jr. were both recently fully cleared for all basketball activities. Knox is progressing well after knee surgery and should see good minutes immediately, and Ekezie is coming off of shoulder surgery. If head coach Pat Kelsey wants Knox (a presumed starter) to ease into things, he will come off the bench. Ekezie may not see the court a ton at the beginning of the season, but he will work his way into his role after recently being cleared.

Louisville has plenty of ways they can mix and match the lineup. Adrian Wooley, UNC transfer Seth Trimble and De’Shayne Montgomery could all be legitimate starters at the 2 or possibly 3. Having depth is a great issue to have, but it leaves you with a ton of possibilities. It will be interesting to see what Kelsey rolls with.

A Look at Kansas:

Kansas starts the year ranked 17th in the AP Poll following a 24-win season which ended in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. They are coming off a 80-62 win over the Pittsburg State Gorillas Friday.

Head coach Bill Self put together the third-ranked recruiting class (247 Sports) and added some solid transfers. Also, the Jayhawks return some key talent thanks to injunctions. Melvin Council Jr and (former Card) Tre White both return to Lawrence for their fifth year. Last season, Council averaged 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, while White averaged 13.5 points, 5.7 rebounds per game. The wing led the team in scoring against the Gorillas with 16 points off the bench.

Self’s recruiting class is led by five stars Tyran Stokes and Taylen Kinney. Stokes, a Louisville native, scored 11 points in his first game in a Kansas uniform and started. Kinney, a Kentucky native, started and scored 6 points.

College of Charleston transfer Christian Reeves recorded a double-double Friday. Reeves, a 7-foot-2 center, scored 14 points while being 6-8 from the field, brought in 10 rebounds and had 4 blocks in just 11 minutes.

Monday, Kansas made a splash by adding former Purdue big man and NBA Draft pick Trey Kaufman-Renn to its roster. The 24-year old received an injunction to play and is currently eligible. He was a finalist for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award last season, where he averaged 14.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Kaufman-Renn isn’t expected to suit up against the Cardinals, however.

Storylines:

• Flory Bidunga Returns to Lawrence: Louisville big Flory Bidunga makes his return to his old stomping grounds. Bidunga was a McDonald’s All-American out of high school and spent the last two years with Kansas. He was rated by 247 Sports as the No. 1 rated transfer of the offseason.

• Stokes Faces Hometown School: Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2026, wasn’t heavily pursued by Kelsey and the Cardinals despite him being from the 502. With that said, Stokes may have a little extra motivation for this matchup.

Game Prediction:

Louisville 77, Kansas 88