What Louisville HC Pat Kelsey Said After 83-62 Loss at Tennessee

Listen to what the head coach of the Cardinals said after their loss to the Volunteers:

Dec 16, 2025; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Tuesday night was certainly far from the Louisville men's basketball program's night.

They made the trip down to Knoxville, hoping to avenge their emphatic home loss to Tennessee and deliver some payback. Instead, it was the Cardinals who found themselves getting drubbed yet again, falling 83-62 to the Volunteers.

"Credit to Tennessee, they were the better team tonight," head coach Pat Kelsey said. "Tough, physical team. Coach (Rick) Barnes teams are always that way. Thought the first half, our defense was pretty good. They scored it at 1.05 points per possession, which is solid defensively, and a was seven point deficit at halftime. Again, I felt like in the second half, you credit Tennessee. They scored it at like, 1.4 or 1.45 (points per game), something like that, which is not good and not solid."

Louisville was out-classed by Tennessee in nearly every category, The Cardinals shot 37.9 percent to the Volunteers' 54.7, were out-rebounded 35-to-30, and had twice as many turnovers (16) as assists (8).

Ryan Conwell and Adrian Wooley (who started in place of the injured Mikel Brown Jr.) were the only players for UofL that produced meaningful minutes. The duo combined to score 41 points and shoot 13-of-32, while the rest of the team was just 9-of-26.

"Felt like we had looks that we make a lot at a higher percentage, they just didn't go in tonight," Kelsey said. "That obviously helps. From a physicality standpoint, they're averaging 45 percent offensive rebounding percentage, which is number one in the country by three full percentage points. Overall, we held them to 35 percent on their overall misses.

"I think there was a big uptick, if you will, in the fight and the grit and the toughness in the second half. I thought we were better in that regard. But they're physical in every single aspect. They just are. They want to make it hard for you to move and to cut and the screen, things like that."

Here's what head coach Pat Kelsey had to say following the loss:

Head Coach Pat Kelsey

(Photo of Pat Kelsey: Randy Sartin - Imagn Images)

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