Louisville basketball: Pat Kelsey on final seconds of game vs EKU
Louisville Cardinals basketball coach Pat Kelsey talks about the final eight seconds of the game versus Eastern Kentucky at the KFC Yum! Center.
After ending 2024 with a scare against Eastern Kentucky, Louisville basketball has a chance to put its best foot forward on the first day of 2025.
Pat Kelsey‘s Cardinals (8-5, 1-1 ACC) begin the bulk of conference play today with a Quad 2 game against North Carolina (8-5, 1-0) at the KFC Yum! Center.
U of L is 7-20 all time against the Tar Heels, losing the past five matchups by an average margin of 19.2 points. Its most recent win in the series was Feb. 22, 2020, at the Yum! Center.
Led by fourth-year coach Hubert Davis and reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis, UNC was picked to finish second in the conference’s preseason poll after reaching the Sweet 16 of last season’s NCAA Tournament. As of New Year’s Eve, it ranked 39th in the NET and was a No. 10 seed in ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s projected March Madness field.
Per KenPom.com, the Tar Heels have played the toughest schedule of any Power Four program to this point. Like the Cards, all of their losses have been to teams currently ranked in the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.
Here’s what you need to know to follow today’s game from home:
U of L and UNC are scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m. today inside the Yum! Center.
Betting odds: Louisville is a 1 ½-point favorite (+100) on BetMGM, which set the over/under at 164 ½ points (-110). The money line odds are North Carolina -105, U of L -115.
Score predictions: KenPom gives the Cards a 46% chance of winning and projects an 82-81 final score in UNC’s favor. BartTorvik.com is forecasting a Louisville victory (60%), with a projected final score of 84-81.
The game between the Cards and North Carolina will air on the ACC Network, which is channel 610 on AT&T U-Verse; channel 612 on DirecTV; channel 402 on Dish; and channels 524 and 937 on Spectrum.
Jay Alter (play-by-play) and Debbie Antonelli (analyst) will be on the call.
Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (analyst) will have the call on the Cardinal Sports Network (WLCL 93.9-FM and WGTK 970-AM in Louisville).
You can also listen online via GoCards.com.
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Reach Louisville men’s basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.
