Preview: Louisville Hosts Virginia for Ranked Matchup

The Cardinals conclude their three-game home stand with a matchup against the Cavaliers.

Jan 18, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Virginia Cavaliers forward Elijah Saunders (2) looks to pass the ball under the pressure of Louisville Cardinals guard J'Vonne Hadley (1) during the first half at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

No. 16 Virginia Cavaliers (14-2, 3-1 ACC) at No. 20 Louisville Cardinals (12-4, 2-2 ACC)

- Tipoff: Tuesday, January 13 at 7:00 p.m. EST
- Location: KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.
- How To Watch: ESPN2
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: Louisville -3.0
- All-Time Series: Virginia Leads 24-7
- Last Meeting: Louisville won 81-67 on Jan. 18, 2025 (KFC Yum! Center)

Projected Starting Lineups

Louisville

• G Adrian Wooley (6-4, 200, So.)
• 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.)

Virginia

• G Dallin Hall (6-4, 197, Gr.)
• G Malik Thomas (6-5, 215, Gr)
• G Sam Lewis (6-7, 210, Jr.)
• F Thijs De Ridder (6-9, 238, Fr.)
• C Johann Grunloh (7-0, 238, Fr.)

Comparison

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

Game Notes

Louisville

• The Cardinals recently got back in the win column after a two-game conference skid, defeating Boston College on Saturday afternoon. The Cavaliers have won their last three ACC games, including defeating Stanford 70-55 most recently.
• Senior guard Isaac McKneely will face off against his former team on Tuesday night - the Poca, W. Va., native played his first three seasons at Virginia.
• Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey is 169-65 all-time in conference play as a head coach.
• Kelsey reached his 300th career win on Saturday afternoon with a victory over Boston College. He has achieved 39 of those wins as the head coach at UofL.
• 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.
• Freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. was recently named the 2025 USA Basketball Men's Athlete of the Year.
• 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.
• Louisville is 39-0 under Kelsey when leading with five minutes to play.
• 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.
• 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 three 3 pointers 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 multiple 3-pointers, 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 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. 
• With two 50-point victories on the season, it marks the first time Louisville has had two 50-point victories in one season since 2004-05. Louisville's back-to-back 40-point wins over Eastern Michigan & NJIT was the program's first set of back-to-back 40-point victories since 2012-13.
• Louisville's positive 38 rebounding margin against NJIT on Nov. 26 was the largest rebounding margin in program history. It was the third largest margin any DI team had against another DI team up to that point in the season.
• Louisville led 59-15 at halftime against South Carolina State on Nov. 3. The 44-point halftime lead was the largest in program history. The Cardinals are 30-3 all-time under head coach Pat Kelsey when leading at halftime.
• Freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. was named ACC Co-Player and CoRookie of the Week on Nov. 17 after averaging 24.0 ppg, 6.0 apg and shooting 48.1% from the floor in Louisville’s two Week 2 victories.
• 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 (1,651), Isaac McKneely (1,271) and J’Vonne Hadley (1,181).
• 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.

Virginia

• Last time out: Thijs De Ridder scored 22 points to lead No. 23 Virginia to a 70-55 win on Jan. 10 at John Paul Jones Arena. Chance Mallory added 13 points and Malik Thomas had 11. UVA (14-2, 3-1 ACC) held Stanford without a field goal for 7:59 in the second half.
• No. 16 Virginia (14-2, 3-1 ACC) meets its first ranked opponent.
• UVA is 4-2 away from home (2-1 in true road contests).
• UVA has scored 80 or more points in 13 games, most since 13 in 2001-02.
• The Cavaliers are averaging 85.1 points, second-most in school history (89.8 ppg in 1954-55).
• UVA is 15th in kenpom.com and 20th in NET rankings.
• Louisville guard Isaac McKneely played at Virginia from 2022-25, averaging 11.1 points and shooting 42.2 percent from 3-point range during his three-year career in Charlottesville.
• The 2025-26 roster is highlighted by 12 newcomers, including Dallin Hall (BYU), Malik Thomas (San Francisco), Devin Tillis (UC Irvine), Jacari White (North Dakota State), Ugonna Onyenso (Kansas State), Sam Lewis (Toledo) and Martin Carrere (VCU).
• UVA added European imports Thijs De Ridder (Bilbao Basket), Johann Grünloh (RASTA Vechta) and true freshmen Silas Barksdale, Chance Mallory and Owen Odom.
• Redshirt sophomores Elijah Gertrude, Carter Lang and Desmond Roberts are the lone returners from last year’s team.
• UVA returned four points (all from Roberts) from 2024-25.
• De Ridder leads UVA in scoring at 16.1 ppg, followed by Thomas (12.8 ppg), White (10.9 ppg) and Mallory (10.6 ppg).
• Grünloh leads the team in rebounding (6.9 rpg) and blocks (2.5 bpg), while Hall has a team-best 4.1 assists per game.
• UVA is averaging 86.1 points and holding foes to 67.6 ppg.
• Seven different Cavaliers have led the team in scoring (Thijs De Ridder, Dallin Hall, Sam Lewis, Chance Mallory, Ugonna Onyenso, Malik Thomas, Jacari White).
• In ACC play, the Cavaliers are averaging 81.7 points and opponents are netting 72 ppg.
• Virginia is ranked No. 16 in the latest AP Top-25 poll and has been ranked in each of the last six polls. UVA returned to the AP Top-25 rankings (No. 24) on Dec. 8 for the first time since its No. 21 ranking on Feb. 17, 2024.
• UVA ranks first in the ACC in offensive rebounds (14.1), field goal percentage defense (.380) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (.288), second in rebounds (41.9), rebound margin (+9.1) and blocks (6.5 bpg), third in 3-point percentage (36.7%) and assist/turnover ratio (1.64), fourth in scoring defense (66.8 ppg), scoring margin (+18.3) and 3-pointers (10.3) and fifth in field goal percentage (48.1%), defensive rebounds (27.8 rpg).
• Thijs De Ridder ranks 12th in scoring (16.4 ppg), eighth in field goal percentage (55.4%) and 20th in rebounds (6.1 rpg).
• Dallin Hall ranks second in assist/turnover ratio (3.0) and 11th in assists (4.1 apg).
• Ugonna Onyenso is second in blocks (2.6 bpg).
• Johann Grünloh is third in blocks (2.5 bpg) and 15th in rebounds (6.8 rpg).
• Chance Mallory ranks third in steals (2.1 spg) and ninth in free throw percentage (81.8%).
• UVA is 53-53 against ranked opponents since 2009-10. UVA is 1-9 in its last 10 games against ranked foes (0-6 in 2024-25 and 1-3 in 2023-24).

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

You can follow Louisville Cardinals On SI for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram:

Facebook - @LouisvilleOnSI
Twitter/X - @LouisvilleOnSI
Instagram - @louisvilleonsi

You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter/X and @mattmcgavic.bsky.social on Bluesky