Will Kentucky's road matchup with Louisville be the Wildcats toughest non-conference game?

Mark Pope vs. Pat Kelsey round two is going to be a great game.

Mar 20, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope looks on during NCAA Tournament First Round Practice at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Mark Pope's Kentucky Wildcats are going to play a lot of tough games in the non-conference schedule this season against teams like Michigan State, St. John's, Gonzaga, Indiana, and even an exhibition game against Purdue.

All of those matchups will be tough for Pope's squad, but perhaps the game that will be toughest for the Wildcats is their road game against the Louisville Cardinals.

The Kentucky vs. Louisville rivalry was once one of the best in college hoops, but over the last few years, it has not been all that competitive. Now that Pope has taken over at Kentucky and Louisville hired Pat Kelsey, this game should get back to being good year in and year out.

This season, both the Wildcats are Cardinals will be top ten teams when they meet in November in the KFC Yum Center. The building will be pact when these two teams meet, but there should be a lot of blue in the building.

The Cardinals are going to have an elite backcourt this season, so slowing this unit will be imperative for the Wildcats.

Based on how the schedule sits now, the road matchup with Louisville will be the only true road game the Wildcats play unless something gets added to the schedule.

The timing of this game will also be interesting for Jayden Quaintance, as it is still to be seen if he will be at 100% when the Cats take on the Cards.

In the first meeting between Pope and Kelsey, the Wildcats got the win in Rupp Arena, but this game is going to be tough to win on the road against a really good Louisville team.