Live Game Thread & Updates for Kansas Basketball vs Louisville Scrimmage

No. 19 Kansas and No. 11 Louisville will unofficially open their college basketball seasons tonight in an exhibition matchup. While this contest will not count toward either team's record, it will serve as important experience for two young, newly assembled squads hoping to make a deep March Madness run.

We will be updating this page periodically with score updates and things worth noting throughout the contest.

First Half

20:00 - Tip-off at 6:40 p.m. CT. Starting lineup is Darryn Peterson, Melvin Council Jr., Kohl Rosario, Tre White, and Flory Bidunga.

17:29- Kansas leads, 7-0. Great start for the Jayhawks. Council Jr. has stood out so far. He plays very fast and found Bidunga for a lob early. He and Rosario are being used as the point of attack defenders. Peterson has already knocked down a pair of tough jumpers.

15:23- Kansas leads, 9-3. First TV timeout. It took Louisville 3:47 to score its first point. KU is really getting after it on the defensive end. Both teams are playing hard and physical.

12:37- Louisville leads, 12-9. Elmarko Jackson are Bryson Tiller were the first subs off the bench. The Kansas offense got a bit sloppy with turnovers and poor shot selection.

8:53 - Kansas leads, 24-18. Peterson has started to turn it up a notch, as he now has 10 points after knocking down another three. He just connected with Bidunga for his second alley-oop dunk of the game.

7:30 - Kansas leads, 30-18. We are witnessing one of the best players to ever come through Bill Self at Kansas. Peterson just knocked down a heat-check 3-pointer and is up to 16 points. This guy is the real deal.

3:19 - Kansas leads, 37-26. The Jayhawks are playing very good basketball right now. They are looking to maintain their lead going into halftime.

Halftime - Kansas leads, 46-30. It's safe to say this Jayhawk team looks a lot different than past years. They play fast, run in transition, and move the ball around well. Peterson has 24 at halftime.

Second Half

17:34 - Kansas leads, 50-38. KU has gotten off to a bit of a slow start in the second half. The Louisville is putting more pressure on Peterson and Co.

12:07 - Kansas leads, 59-46. The Cardinals and Jayhawks are going back and forth right now, but they can't seem to bridge the gap. KU is getting after it on both ends and making it difficult for Louisville to come back.

7:58 - Kansas leads, 68-50. Slowly but surely, KU is starting to pull away. White just intercepted a pass from a Louisville player for a dunk on the other end, and Mikel Brown Jr. came up limp after a drive to the rim and subsequently exited the game for precautionary reasons. It feels like the Cardinals are packing this one in.

How to Watch Kansas vs. Louisville

Time: 6:30 p.m. CT
Channel: ACC Network
Link: Watch ACC Network

Kansas vs. Louisville Preview

Today marks the first time in seven months that Kansas basketball fans will be able to see their team in action. The Jayhawks are traveling to the KFC Yum! Center to take on Louisville.

The Cardinals are ranked No. 11 nationally and have one of the strongest rosters in the ACC, largely due to the addition of star freshman Mikel Brown Jr. However, KU also boasts a strong roster led by its own freshman phenom, Darryn Peterson.

The No. 1 recruit in the class of 2025, Peterson is widely projected to be one of the best players in the country. However, the biggest question for KU is how its supporting cast will perform.

His top piece in the starting lineup is big man Flory Bidunga, who is returning to Lawrence for his second year after a brief stint in the transfer portal. The shot-blocking, high-flying big man is set to succeed Hunter Dickinson at center this season, but he still has to show he is capable of making the necessary leap to become a star in the Big 12.

Other key additions include transfer portal players like Loyola Chicago's Jaden Dawson, Illinois' Tre White, and St. Bonaventure's Melvin Council Jr.

The Jayhawks also have several freshmen ready to compete alongside Peterson, including Kohl Rosario, an Overtime Elite product who earned a spot in the starting lineup for Game 1.

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