Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Ohio Bobcats

The Cardinals host the Bobcats to cap off a four-game home stand.

Louisville Cardinals forward Sananda Fru (13) dropped in a bucket during first half action as the Louisville Cardinals hosted the Kentucky Wildcats at the KFC Yum! Center on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. | Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio Bobcats (1-2, 0-0 MAC) at No. 12 Louisville Cardinals (3-0, 0-0 ACC)

- Tipoff: Saturday, November 15 at 12:00 p.m. EST
- Location: KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.
- How To Watch: The CW Network
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: Louisville -25.0
- All-Time Series: Louisville Leads 10-3
- Last Meeting: Louisville won 59-54 on Nov. 25, 2011 (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 Khani Rooths (6-10, 215, So.)
• F/C Sananda Fru (6-11, 245, Jr.)

Ohio

• G Ajay Sheldon (6-1, 190, Sr.)
• G Jackson Paveletzke (6-2, 175, Sr.)
• G J.J. Kelly (6-6, 195, Fr.)
• F Javan Simmons (6-7, 235, R-Jr.)
• F Aidan Hadaway (6-8, 220, Sr.)

Comparison

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

Game Notes

Louisville

• No. 12/12 Louisville most recently won the Battle of the Bluegrass on Tuesday night, defeating in-state rival No. 9/8 Kentucky. Ohio enters the game off a 90-60 loss at Saint Mary’s.
• The Cardinals are 10-3 all-time against Ohio with a perfect 8-0 mark when playing in Louisville. UofL head coach Pat Kelsey is 1-0 in his career against the Bobcats, having played them when he was the head coach at Winthrop.
• Louisville’s eight-point win over Kentucky marked the largest margin of victory the Cards have had over the Cats since 2008. It was the first time UofL has won the Battle of the Bluegrass since 2020, and the first time it claimed victory at home in the matchup since 2012.
• Louisville is 30-0 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 as well as the Oscar Robertson Trophy Preseason Watch List; both Ryan Conwell and Mikel Brown Jr. were named to the esteemed lists.
• 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.
• Louisville led 59-15 at halftime against South Carolina State on Nov. 3. The 44-point halftime lead was the largest in program history.
• Louisville’s two season opening victories marked the first time the Cardinals have had back-to back 30-point victories since 2016.
• Head coach Pat Kelsey is the reigning ACC Coach of the Year - he is one of 10 active DI head coaches that have earned a Coach of the Year honor in three or more DI conferences.
• Louisville landed two Cards on the ACC Preseason First Team. Both senior guard Ryan Conwell and freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr., earned the nod from the league. Louisville as a program was picked second in the league.
• There are 14 players returning to DI this season that have 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.
• Currently, five of Louisville’s 2025-26 opponents are ranked in the AP Poll, with four more receiving votes.
• 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.
• 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.
• Louisville is one of the older teams in the country this season. When the Cardinals tipped off the season on Nov. 3, the average age of the 15-man roster was 21.3 years of age.

Ohio

• Ohio is 12-60 all-time against ranked opponents and 10-38 all-time against the top 15.
• Ohio last competed against a ranked opponent on 11/20/22 at #20 Michigan, where the Bobcats fell, 70-66 in overtime.
• Ohio last defeated a ranked opponent on March 20, 2021 when Ohio defeated No. 16 Virginia in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
• Senior guard Jackson Paveletzke recorded his second-straight 19-point performance on Nov. 11 at Saint Mary’s, going 3-of-3 from three and recording four assists.
• Freshman guard JJ Kelly made his first career start on Nov. 11 at Saint Mary’s, scoring four points and grabbing a career-high six rebounds in 28 minutes.
• Redshirt Junior forward Javan Simmons was clutch against Illinois State, scoring 16 points and grabbing four rebounds in the victory.
• Senior guard Dior Conners earned his first start in the Green and White against Illinois State on Nov. 6, scoring five points, while making one three and dishing out a career-high three assists.
• The Bobcats picked up the 72-68 victory over MVC preseason favorite Illinois State on Thursday, only making one three-pointer and scoring 50 points in the paint.
• Senior forward Aidan Hadaway opened the season with a career night against Arkansas State, dropping a career-high 28 points.
• Ohio returns four main contributors from last year’s team including seniors Ajay Sheldon, Aidan Hadaway and Jackson Paveletzke and sophomore Elijah Elliott.
• Ohio added four transfers; forward Javan Simmons from Toledo, forward Jalen Breath from UNCG, guard Dior Conners from App State and guard Carter Reese from Ohio Northern.
• Ohio adds three freshman to the roster in guard JJ Kelly and forwards Jordan Fisher and Zay Mosley.
• Ohio was selected to finished fourth in this year’s MAC Preseason Poll.
• Paveletzke was named to the Preseason All-MAC First Team, while Simmons was named to the preseason All-MAC Second Team.
• Ohio has registered an impressive 579-186 (.756) all-time record at the Convocation Center, which opened in 1968.
• Last season the Bobcats were 12-3 in the Convo.
• Ohio is 74-18 in the Convo under Boals in the last seven seasons.

(Photo of Sananda Fru: Jeff Faughender - Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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