West Coast Swing Kicks Off Conference Slate for Cards

Tuesday, December 30

Berkeley, Calif.

9 p.m.

University of Louisville

California

December 29, 2025 | Men's Basketball

California Game Notes Pat Kelsey Press Conference Louisville Game Notes

Louisville begins its ACC conference schedule at California on Tuesday evening

By: Dana Brown

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - 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. The Cardinals will face off against the Golden Bears on Tuesday evening at 9 p.m. ET on ACC Network.

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.

GAME 13
Listen: Cardinal Sports Network (WLCL 93.9 FM & WGTK 970 AM flagship);
Streaming (Paul Rodgers, pxp | Bob Valvano, analysis)
Watch: ACC Network (Chris Sylvester, pxp | Ben Braun, analysis)
Live Stats: Louisville Statbroadcast.

CARDINAL NOTES

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.