Louisville Cardinals men’s basketball coach Pat Kelsey on loss to Duke
Louisville Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey talks about the second-half breakdown in their loss to Duke at the KFC Yum! Center.
Sam Upshaw Jr.
Louisville basketball has one final tuneup before squaring off against its archrival, No. 5 Kentucky, this weekend.
The Cardinals (5-4, 0-1 ACC) host UTEP (6-2) today at the KFC Yum! Center looking to end a three-game losing streak.
Down to only eight healthy scholarship players, head coach Pat Kelsey said after Sunday’s loss to then-No. 9 Duke that he’s still “figuring out what buttons to push to get this team to be the best that they can be.” U of L led the Blue Devils for nearly 30 minutes and by as many as 14 points during the first half but allowed the Blue Devils to take control after the break.
Led by fourth-year coach Joe Golding, UTEP has won five of its past six games and comes in at 150th on KenPom.com‘s adjusted efficiency rankings. The Miners rank 41st in the country with a 55.6% minutes continuity from a team that went 18-16 last season. This is their first matchup with a high-major opponent.
Here’s what you need to know to follow today’s game from home:
U of L and UTEP are scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. today inside the Yum! Center.
Betting odds: Louisville is a 15 ½-point home favorite (-105) on BetMGM, which set the over/under at 144 ½ points (-110). The money line odds are U of L -1200, UTEP +750.
Score predictions: KenPom.com gives the Cards an 88% chance of winning and projects a 77-65 final score in their favor. BartTorvik.com is also forecasting a Louisville victory (83%), with a projected final score of 77-67.
The game between U of L and UTEP will not air on a traditional TV channel.
It’s on ACC Network Extra, which is available exclusively via livestream. Jody Demling (play-by-play) and Larry O’Bannon (analyst) will have the call.
If your cable or live TV streaming package includes ACC Network, you have access to ACC Network Extra. You can watch via ESPN.com/watch or the ESPN app after logging in with your cable or live TV streaming service credentials.
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.
