Watch: Louisville HC Pat Kelsey Previews Notre Dame

The Cardinals host the Fighting Irish later this week.

Jan 26, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey directs his team during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - As quickly as it began, we are approaching the home stretch of the 2025-26 college basketball season.

For Louisville, it still remains to be seen just how far they can go when NCAA Tournament time gets here. Last week alone, they were obliterated 83-52 at Duke, but followed that up with a comeback 88-74 win against SMU.

There's a lot of variance in how Louisville plays, and they're striving to play with consistency as the regular season enters the final five weeks.

"Nothing's perfect, I'm not saying it's great, but I think our practice approach was great last week, which led to a really good performance on the offensive end," head coach Pat Kelsey said. "I thought we played with tenacity, grit, we played together, we played connected, we shared the ball. I was pleased coming out of that effort.

The first step in being more consistent ois stringing together wins, and they'll get a chance to do that when Notre Dame comes to town on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. EST. The Irish are not having a great 2025-26 season, as they're only 2-7 in ACC play and just 1-8 against Quad 1 opponents.

But Kelsey knows that Louisville is in no position to look past anyone. They are prepared to treat the Fighting Irish as if they were a ranked foe, and are ready for the target on their back.

"Not only does Notre Dame have good perimeter players, they have good post players, and every single team that we play from here on out, has the same thing," he said. "So it's being assignment impeccable. It's being relentless with your effort. It's winning battle after battle after battle."

On Monday, Kelsey took time to meet with the media on the weekly ACC Coaches Call. He discussed the previous matchup vs. SMU, previewed the showdown against Notre Dame, and more.

Below is the video from his press conference:

Head Coach Pat Kelsey

(Photo of Pat Kelsey: Rob Kinnan - Imagn Images)

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