Louisville Cardinals guard J'Vonne Hadley (1) grabs a rebound during the Cards' 104-45 win over South Carolina State at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky Monday night, Nov. 3, 2025. Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Jackson State Tigers

Originally posted on Louisville Cardinals on SI
By Matthew McGavic | Last updated Nov 5, 2025 3:54 PM ET

Just a few days removed from winning their season-opener in emphatic fashion, the Louisville men's basketball program will be back in action this Thursday night with another tuneup game, hosting Jackson State at the KFC Yum! Center.

To say that the Cardinals were dominant in their first game of the 2025-26 season would be an understatement, as they easily handled South Carolina State for a 104-45 victory. It was their sixth-largest margin of victory in program history, and their 44-point halftime lead set the program record.

Five Cardinals finished in double figures scoring, with Khani Rooths having a career day with 20 points and seven rebounds. They shot 53.2 percent from the field whil eholding the Bulldogs to 22.8 percent, assisted on 23 of their 33 made baskets, went 26-of-33 on free throws, and produced 36 points off 25 forced turnovers.

As for the Tigers, they were on the receiving end of a similar result in their season-opener, falling 113-55 at Illinois this past Monday night. They shot just 30.6 percent from the field while allowing the Illini to shoot 54.8 percent, and were out-rebounded by as astounding 61-to-19.

Only two players for JSU cracked double figures: former Louisville forward Devin Ree (19 points) and guard Daeshun Ruffin (12 point). These two combined to go 12-of-22 from the field, while the rest of the team was 7-of-40.

This will be the fourth all-time meeting between the two programs, with the Cardinals holding a perfect 3-0 edge. Their last meeting came back on Nov. 20, 2010, with Louisville winning 62-45 at the KFC Yum! Center. UofL holds a perfect 11-0 record against current members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Jackson State Tigers (0-1, 0-0 SWAC) at No. 11 Louisville Cardinals (1-0, 0-0 ACC)

Date/Time: Thursday, Nov. 6 at 7:00 p.m. EST
Place: KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.
TV: ACC Network Extra - Play-by-play and analyst TBD.
Channel (Louisville)/Live Stream: Streaming on ESPN App.
Radio (Louisville): 93.9 FM - Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (analyst).