Mar 13, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard J'Vonne Hadley (1) is blocked by Stanford Cardinal forward Aidan Cammann (52) during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Preview: Louisville's Showdown at Stanford

Originally posted on Louisville Cardinals on SI
By Matthew McGavic | Last updated Jan 1, 2026 6:00 AM ET

After starting their trip out to the West Coast on a high note, the Louisville men's basketball program is now looking to capture one more victory before heading back home, traveling to Stanford for their second game in ACC play.

The Cardinals tipped off their trip out west on a high note, cruising past Cal for a decisive 90-70 victory. Louisville not only shot 46.4 percent from the field, but were also 14-of-37 on threes and out-rebounded the Golden Bears 50-to-31. Ryan Conwell had 26 points, Adrian Wooley added 21, while Sananda Fru notched a 13-point/14-rebound double-double.

The blowout came despite the fact that Louisville was short two important players. Star point guard Mikel Brown Jr. had to miss his third straight game due to a lower back injury, while forward Kasean Pryor missed the game at Cal due to his lingering knee issue.

As for the Cardinal without an S, year two under head coach Kyle Smith has had a handful of good and bad moments. Stanford has two solid neutral court wins against Saint Louis and Colorado, but also two bad home losses to UNLV and Seattle. They also fell in their most recent time out, losing 47-40 to Notre Dame on their home floor on their ACC opener.

Stanford is led primarily by true freshman point guard Ebuka Okorie, who enters the matchup with Louisville averaging 21.5 points per game - second in the ACC only to Duke's Cam Boozer (23.2).

This will be the fourth all-time meeting between the two programs, with the Cardinals holding a perfect 4-0 record - although they have never faced the Cardinal on the road. Their previous meeting came in last season's ACC Tournament, with Chucky Hepburn's buzzer beater giving UofL a 75-73 victory in the quarterfinals.

No. 16 Louisville Cardinals (11-2, 1-0 ACC) at Stanford Cardinal (11-3, 0-1 ACC)

Date/Time: Friday, Jan. 2 at 8:00 p.m. EST
Place: Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif.
TV: ACC Network - Play-by-play and analyst TBD.
Channel (Louisville)/Live Stream: Spectrum: 524; Dish: 402; DirecTV: 612.
Radio (Louisville): 93.9 FM - Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (analyst).