Louisville Earns No. 6 Seed for NCAA Tournament, Draws USF in Opener

The Cardinals will gets their run in the Big Dance started against the Bulls.

Mar 12, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Ryan Conwell (3) with the ball in the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After weeks of projecting the Louisville's men's basketball program's draw for the NCAA Tournament, we finally know their path for the 2026 postseason.

The Cardinals (23-10) received a No. 6 seed for the tournament, and will start their run in the Big Dance against 11-seeded South Florida on Thursday, Mar, 19. Tip-off time against the Bulls (25-8) will be determined later this evening.

UofL was placed in the East Region, and their first and second round games will be played at the Keybank Center in Buffalo, N.Y. They're matched up against No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 11 North Dakota State, with the top four teams in the region being Duke, UConn, MSU and Kansas.

Second-year head coach Pat Kelsey has guided Louisville to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, with last season snapping a five-year postseason drought. The Cardinals ultimately fell 89-75 to Creighton in the first round, and they will be seeking their first win in the Big Dance since taking down Jacksonville State 78-63 back in the first round of the 2017 tournament.

Louisville entered the 2025-26 season as a squad who could potentially contend for a Final Four, and were ranked as high as the No. 6 team in the nation. However, year two under Kelsey has certainly had some ups and down, and has been a bit of a disappointment when compared to preseason expectations.

After winning seven straight games to open the season and starting 11-2 overall, the Cardinals struggled some with the meat of their schedule. While they have a perfect 16-0 mark against Quad 2-4 opponents, they went 7-10 vs. Quad 1 teams - including a 1-8 mark in Quad 1A matchups. They even briefly fell out of the AP Top 25 at one point late in the season.

Despite that, Louisville did still see both team and individual success this season. Shooting guard Ryan Conwell was tabbed as a Second Team All-ACC selection, while point guard Mikel Brown Jr. earned a Third Team All-ACC nod and was named to the ACC All-Rookie Team.

The 2026 NCAA Tournament is scheduled to begin with the First Four in Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday, Mar. 17 and Wednesday, Mar. 18.

(Photo of Ryan Conwell: Bob Donnan - Imagn Images)

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