Preview: Louisville Faces South Florida to Kick Off NCAA Tournament

The Cardinals head to Buffalo for a showdown against the Bulls to start their run in the Big Dance.

Mar 11, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Louisville Cardinals forward Vangelis Zougris (53) reacts to a score during the second half against the Southern Methodist University Mustangs at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

NCAA Tournament First Round | No. 6 Louisville Cardinals (23-10, 11-7 ACC) vs. No. 11 South Florida Bulls (25-8, 15-3 American)

- Tipoff: Thursday, Mar. 19 at 1:30 p.m. EST
- Location: KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y.
- How To Watch: TNT
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: Louisville -5.5
- All-Time Series: Louisville Leads 29-4
- Last Meeting: Louisville won 80-54 on Feb. 18, 2014 (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 Vangelis Zougris (6-8, 240, Jr.)

South Florida

• G C.J. Brown (6-2, 175, So.)
• G Wes Enis Jr. (6-2, 200, Jr.)
• G Jospeh Pinion (6-5, 200, Sr.)
• G Josh Omojafo (6-5, 200, Sr.)
• F Izaiyah Nelson (6-10, 218, Sr.)

Comparison

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

Additional Coverage

• NCAA Tournament Hub: Schedule, Seed, Opponent and Path to the Final Four
• Louisville's NCAA Tournament History: Breakdown, Record and Best Finishes
• Pat Kelsey, Ryan Conwell and Isaac McKneely Discuss NCAA Tournament Draw
• Louisville's Three Keys to Taking Down USF
• Kelsey, Conwell, McKneely, J'Vonne Hadley and Adrian Wooley Preview the Bulls
• Will Mikel Brown Jr. Play vs. South Florida?

Game Notes

Louisville Cardinals

• The Cardinals are 61-42 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, not including a 15-3 record vacated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions.
• Louisville is 6-3 as a 6-seed since 1979 in the NCAA Tournament. Louisville is 5-0 against 11 seeds in the same time period.
• Senior guard Ryan Conwell was named Second Team All-ACC while freshman Mikel Brown Jr. was named Third Team All-ACC and tapped to the All-Rookie Team.
• Freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. tied Louisville's single-game scoring record with 45 points against NC State on Feb. 9. He tied the legendary Wes Unseld who was the lone owner of the record since Dec. 1, 1967. Brown also broke the ACC freshman single game scoring record, previously set by Cooper Flagg at 42 points.
• Louisville had two 30-point scorers in one game for the first time in program history as Mikel Brown Jr. scored 45 and Ryan Conwell scored 31 against NC State on Feb. 9. UofL is one of four teams in DI this season to have a game with two 31+ point scorers, as of March 15. The duo became the first pair of ACC players to drop 30+ each against another ACC team since Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson of UNC did it at Florida State on Jan. 4, 2016.
• According to OptaSTATS, Mikel Brown Jr. and Ryan Conwell are the only DI teammate duo in the last 30 seasons to combine for 75+ points, 15+ rebounds and 15+ threes made in a game. Only one NBA duo has ever done it: Damian Lillard and Nassir Little during Lillard's 71-point game on Feb. 26, 2023.
• Mikel Brown Jr. is the only DI player since at least 2010-11 to record 45 points, nine rebounds, two assists and three steals in 34 minutes or less in a single game. He did so against NC State on Feb. 9.
• As of March 15, Louisville is one of three DI teams with at least six victories of 40 points or more this season, joining Michigan (7) and High Point (6). The six 40+ point wins are the most UofL has ever had in a single season.
• As of March 15, Mikel Brown Jr. is one of 12 players in DI this season to score 45 points, and one of eight to do it in a regulation length game.
• Louisville is one of four programs that has logged at least three games of 18+ made 3's as of March 15, joining Cornell (5 games), Charleston Southern (3) and VMI (3).
• Louisville has had five 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 one of 18 teams in 2025-26 as of March 15 to have five games or more of at least 24 assists. Louisville has had 11 games of 20+ assists, also one of 24 teams in the nation to do so.
• Louisville shot 60% from the 3-point line against the Wolfpack on Feb. 9. It was the best the Cards have shot from the arc, since shooting 62.5% in an 82-74 victory over Florida State on March 8, 2018.  

South Florida Bulls

• The Bulls are on a the nation’s fourth longest win-streak (11-games). USF hasn’t lost since 1/31 at Temple (78-79).
• South Florida only had three conference losses, all coming by three or fewer points. The Bulls first lost to UAB by three in OT. Then USF fell to Wichita State by one in OT. Lastly, the Bulls fell by one point on the road at Temple.
• South Florida previously had only ever won the 1990 Sun Belt postseason championship, last Sunday the Bulls earned their second, coming in the same arena as 1990 (renamed to Legacy Arena). Wes Enis was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament and to the All-Tournament team. Nelson also made the All-Tournament Team.
• South Florida won both the regular season title and postseason tournament for the first time in their 55-year history. They punched their ticket to their fourth ever March Madness, tying their highest ever seed (No. 11). Previously the Bulls made the tournament in 1990, 1992, and 2012. South Florida has never advanced past the Round of 32.
• Izaiyah Nelson became the first player in American Conference History to win Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Newcomer of the Year. Nelson was a unanimous selection for First Team All-Conference and was named to the All Newcomer team. Nelson is only the second player in conf. history to win POY and DPOY (Gary Clark, Cincinnati, 2017-18).
• Bryan Hodgson was named the American Conference Coach of the Year in his first season at South Florida. The honor reflects a regular season in which he guided the Bulls to the tie the record for most regular season wins with 23, (2023-24) and a program record nine road-wins.
• The Bulls also had Wes Enis named to First Team All-Conference and Joseph Pinion named to the Third Team All-Conference. Both Enis and Pinion made the All-Conference Newcomer Team alongside Nelson. Pinion and Enis both established a new program record for single season threes made, each knocking down 100 three-point field goals, breaking Tyler Harris’ previous record of 97 (2022-23). The duo helped lead South Florida to a program record in total three-point field goals made as a team (300), breaking the previous record of 295 (2023-24).
• Izaiyah Nelson was named to the First Team and Wes Enis to the Second Team NABC All-South East District Team.
• Hodgson, a Buffalo native, is expecting 40+ family members to attend South Florida vs. Louisville in Buffalo, N.Y., including his father who is battling dementia and has never seen him coach in person due to his condition making travel difficult.

(Photo of Vangelis Zougris: Jim Dedmon - Imagn Images)

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