Louisville's guard J'Vonne Hadley (1) makes a shot against Stanford Saturday at KFC Yum! Center. Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Louisville to Host Kansas for Exhibition Matchup

Originally posted on Louisville Cardinals on SI
By Matthew McGavic | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 10:32 AM ET

Roughly half of the Louisville men's basketball program's non-conference schedule for the 2025-26 season has been penciled in, and now they're adding a big-time name to their preseason slate as well.

The Cardinals will host Kansas for an exhibition matchup prior to the start of the season, the program announced Tuesday. The matchup will take place at the KFC Yum! Center on Friday, October 24. Tip-off time and television designation have yet to be determined.

Additionally, Louisville will travel to Kansas for a preseason exhibition on a to-be-determined date prior to the start of the 2026-27 season.

One of college basketball's blue bloods, the Jayhawks entered the 2024-25 season as the AP preseason No. 1 team in the country. However, year 22 under head coach Bill Self was a disappointing one, as Kansas went just 21-13 to fall completely out of the AP Poll. They still made the NCAA Tournament, but were bounced in the opening round by Arkansas.

Despite losing six of their top seven scorers from that team, Kansas is still expected to be a top-25 squad entering the upcoming season. The Jayhawks are bringing in three top-100 transfers, as well as a top-25 high school recruiting class that is highlighted by five-star point guard Darryn Peterson.

As part of the regular season, Louisville knows seven of their 13 non-conference matchups. The Cardinals will host Kentucky on Nov. 11, take on Indiana on Dec. 6 from Gainbridge Arena in Indianapolis, host Memphis on Dec. 13, then travel to Tennessee on Dec. 16. They'll also host Cincinnati at a to-be-determined date, and play a yet-to-be-named opponent as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge.

Louisville is coming off of a successful year one under head coach Kelsey. The Cardinals went 27-8 overall, winning more games than over the previous three seasons combined, resulting in Kelsey winning ACC Coach of the Year. UofL made their return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 - although it resulted in a first round exit to Creighton.

Not long after the end of the season, Kelsey and his staff immediately got to work constructing next year's roster. They added three top-25 transfers in Ryan Conwell, Isaac McKneely and Adrian Wooley, while top-25 Class of 2025 prospects Mikel Brown Jr. and Sananda Fru are joining the fold. Additionally, J'Vonne Hadley and Kasean Pryor are both taking advantage of extra years of eligibility.