Preview: Louisville Faces Cal in ACC Opener

The Cardinals head out west for a matchup with the Golden Bears to kick off ACC play.

Mar 5, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; California Golden Bears center Mady Sissoko (12) and guard DJ Campbell (3) double team Louisville Cardinals guard J'Vonne Hadley (1) during the second half at KFC Yum! Center. Louisville defeated California 85-68. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

No. 16 Louisville Cardinals (10-2, 0-0 ACC) at Cal Golden Bears (12-1, 0-0 ACC)

- Tipoff: Tuesday, December 30 at 9:00 p.m. EST
- Location: Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif.
- How To Watch: ACC Network
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: Louisville -6.0
- All-Time Series: Series Even 1-1
- Last Meeting: Louisville won 85-68 on Mar. 5, 2025 (KFC Yum! Center)

Projected Starting Lineups

Louisville

• G Mikel Brown Jr. (6-5, 190, Fr.)
• G Isaac McKneely (6-4, 195, Sr.)
• G Ryan Conwell (6-4, 215, Sr.)
• F J'Vonne Hadley (6-7, 210, 6th)
• F/C Sananda Fru (6-11, 245, Jr.)

Cal

• G Justin Pippen (6-3, 190, So.)
• G Dai Dai Ames (6-2, 190, Jr.)
• F Chris Bell (6-7, 195, Sr.)
• F John Camden (6-8, 220, Gr.)
• F Lee Dort (6-10, 235, Sr.)

Comparison

See how the Cardinals stack up against the Golden Bears, and who the statistical models favor: Tale of The Tape, Predictions: Louisville vs. Cal

Game Notes

Louisville

• Louisville men’s basketball opens conference play with its West Coast spring, visiting California first out of the two Golden State teams in the ACC.
• UofL went to the holiday break off a 94-54 victory over Montana on Dec. 20. Cal is on a nine game winning streak entering the match up, having most recently bested Columbia on Dec. 21.
• The two programs have only ever met twice, knotted up at one win apiece, but have never met in Berkeley. This will be the first ever trip Louisville has made to California's campus. Head coach Pat Kelsey is 1-0 all-time in his career against the Golden Bears.
• As this is just the second season in the ACC for Cal and Stanford, Louisville is one of seven teams making the two-game West Coast swing for the first time this year. In 2024-25, Wake Forest was the only ACC program of the nine that made the trip to return home with two victories.
• Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey is 167-63 all-time in conference play as a head coach. Kelsey is 78-38 in road league games.
• Louisville is one of five DI teams with at least four victories of 40 points or more this season, joining Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky and High Point.
• The late great Junior Bridgeman is the sixth player in Louisville men's basketball history to have their jersey number retired.
• Against Memphis on Dec. 13, Louisville had four different players with at least 3FG apiece for the first time since Nov. 22, 2010 when the Cards played Chattanooga. It was the second time in program history that six different players made at least 2FG, the first time being at WKU on Dec. 22, 2010.
• Senior guard Ryan Conwell is the only DI men's basketball player since at least 2010-11 to log at least 32 points, nine rebounds and six assists in 24 minutes or less, according to Sports Reference. He notched that stat line against NJIT on Nov. 26.
• Louisville has had four games of at least 24 assists, the first time since 2010-11 that the program has had multiple games of 24+ assists; the Cardinals had five games of at 24+ assists that season.
• Louisville is 37-0 under Kelsey when leading with five minutes to play.
• A pair of Cardinals represent Louisville on the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Watch List, Oscar Robertson Trophy Preseason Watch List and the Wooden Award Preseason Watch List; both Ryan Conwell and Mikel Brown Jr. were named to the esteemed lists. Conwell is also on the Lute Olsen Early Season List.
• Louisville netted 20 3-pointers against NJIT on Nov. 26, the second-most made 3's in a single game in program history. It's just the second time ever the Cardinals have made at least 20 3's in a game. UofL was the third team in DI this season to make at least 20 3-pointers against another DI team.
• Freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. was named to the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award Preseason Watch List while senior guard Ryan Conwell was named the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award Preseason Watch List.
• There were 14 players returning to DI this season that had made at least 175 3-pointers with a career 3-point field goal percentage of 38% or more; Ryan Conwell and Isaac McKneely are two of those 14.
• Freshman Mikel Brown Jr. scored 29 points against Kentucky on Nov. 11, 2025, the fourth-most points in a game by a Louisville freshman ever.
• The Cardinals landed two players on the Preseason All-ACC First Team, the only program to do so in 2025. Both Mikel Brown Jr., and Ryan Conwell earned the First Team nod. Louisville was picked second overall in the league by voting media members.
• UofL has three Cardinals on the roster that have scored over 1,000 DI points: Ryan Conwell (1,583), Isaac McKneely (1,224) and J’Vonne Hadley (1,138).
• There are 14 players who returned to DI this season that started the season with at least 175 made 3-pointers with a career 3-point field goal percentage of 38% or more; Ryan Conwell and Isaac McKneely are two of those 14 players.
• Of the 10 players who were on an NCAA DI roster in 2024-25, eight of them were on teams that played in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The roster has made 14 cumulative NCAA Division I Tournament appearances at their current/previous schools, playing in 10 NCAA Tournament games across their careers.

Cal

• Now 12-1 overall, Cal is enjoying its best season start since 1959-60, when the Bears went 28-1 before falling in the national championship game.
• The Bears carry a nine-game win streak — matching the longest since 2008-09 — into its first conference action of the season at Haas Pavilion, where Cal is currently undefeated at 11-0.
• In their last time out, Cal secured its ninth straight win and stayed perfect at Haas Pavilion with a 74-56 win over visiting Columbia. The Bears never trailed and overcame a sluggish start to lock up their 12th win of the year as Cal continues its best start to a season since 1959-60.
• Dai Dai Ames (21 points) and John Camden (15) both scored in double figures for the 11th time this season. Ames has now recorded six 20-point games this season. Lee Dort had a career high four blocks and career-high 14 rebounds. With 12 points, Chris Bell scored in double digits for the 10th time this season.
• Now with nine straight wins, Cal has matched its longest win streak since recording nine consecutive in 2008-09
• Cal is now 12-0 when holding teams to 72 or fewer points.
• Cal stepped onto a big stage and scored a big win, beating No. 18 UCLA 80-72 at Chase Center in the finale of the Empire Classic on November 25. It was the Bears’ first win over a ranked opponent since 2020.
• The Bears recorded 90+ points in back-to-back games — the first time Cal has done so since 2014 — vs. Cal State Fullerton and Kansas State.
• Cal scored a season-high 97 points vs. Morgan State on a season-best 59.3% shooting along with 55.0% from 3-point range and a 95.7% effort from the free-throw line.
• Cal has shot over 50 percent in five games this season, going 4-1 in those games.
• After its 97-point effort vs. Morgan State, Cal has five 90+ games this season — the most since six were recorded in 2009-10.
• Cal is 12-0 when holding opponents to 72 points or less and 7-0 when holding opponents to under 40 percent shooting.
• Four Cal starters are averaging in double figures through nonconference play. Dai Dai Ames (17.7 ppg) and John Camden (15.5) have hit double digits in 11 of Cal’s first 13 games this season. Chris Bell (14.4) has recorded 10 double-digit outings, and Justin Pippen (14.6) has done it nine times to date.
• Cal has dished out 20+ assists in three different games this season. Justin Pippen is the Bears’ top distributor with his 4.3 assists per game, including a career-high seven served up vs. CSUB in Cal’s season opener.
• In addition to Mark Madsen’s 100th career head-coaching win, several other Bears have hit career milestones this season and are looking for more. SR F Rytis Petraitis — 1,000th point scored Nov. 21 vs. Sacramento State, SR F Chris Bell — 1,000th point scored Nov. 25 vs. UCLA, GS C Milos Ilic — 500th rebound recorded Nov. 25 vs. UCLA | 851 career points (as of Dec. 22)
• Of the 13 newcomers to the roster, nine are transfers and four are true freshmen.

(Photo of J'Vonne Hadley: Jamie Rhodes - Imagn Images)

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