The No. 11 Louisville Cardinals went on the road to Allen Fieldhouse and defeated the No. 17 Kansas Jayhawks 89-83 in an exhibition Wednesday night.

It was the start the Cardinals could absolutely not have, especially in an environment like The Phog. The Jayhawks began the game on a 10-3 run in the first 5 minutes, with the Cards beginning 1-7 from the field. However, from that point, the Cards were able to chip away at the deficit and get some shots to fall. An Alvaro Folgueiras 3, Obinna Ekezie 3, Seth Trimble layup, and Jackson Shelstad jumper helped nod things up at 17 half-way through the first half. Louisville was able to keep up with the Jayhawks and go into halftime down by 1.

They finished the half 13-32 from the field, 5-16 from 3, with 7 turnovers.

The second half was a completely different story, and the Cardinals got off to a hot start.

In the first 6 minutes of the second, Louisville turned a 36-37 deficit to a 56-45 lead, thanks to back-to-back threes from Adrian Woolley to get the scoring started. Louisville would be able to maintain a comfortable lead for most of the 2nd half, until Kansas trimmed it back to 2 with just 2 minutes remaining. However, the Cards were able to make stops on defense and hit their free throws, solidifying a 6-point road win.

Louisville flipped the switch, going 16-28 from the field and 9-14 from 3 in the second half. Jackson Shelstad, after scoring 7 in the first, was 5-7 from the floor and 3-4 from 3 for 16 points after the break.

Yes it was only an exhibition, but there was a lot to like from the Cardinals.

Key Cards:

Jackson Shelstad: 23 points | 8-15 FG | 4-8 3PT | 4 REB |

Shelstad had a terrific showing, especially in the second half. He and Seth Trimble split time as the primary ball-handler and both did a solid job. Shelstad found a lot of success as a spot-up shooter, as he had a terrific outing late, shooting 71% from the field and 75% from distance. The Oregon transfer showed how shifty he is with the ball with his ability to stop on a dime and confidently shoot. Shelstad showed that he can be a threat at the 1 or 2.

Obinna Ekezie Jr: 16 points | 5-7 FG | 4-6 3PT | 8 REB | 5 BLK |

Ekezie Jr. was the biggest surprise of this contest. Coming off shoulder surgery, the reclassified freshman was recently cleared for full contact, so there were some questions about how much he would play. Playing 19 minutes, he filled the box score and made his presence felt inside the paint and on the perimeter. Ekezie shot 67% from 3 while having 5 blocks down low. With Flory Bidunga having a disappointing showing, Ekezie showed up in a huge way. It’s hard to say the 5-star’s debut could have gone any better.

Final Thoughts:

Going into The Phog and getting a W against a ranked (albeit preseason) Kansas team isn’t something to go unnoticed. After getting hit in the mouth early, Louisville was able to weather the storm and respond. While the offense was clumsy at times, having 12 turnovers, they shot the ball well and had an inside presence. This game won’t go into the books, but it shows what could be with this team.