Cards Open 2020-21 Season vs. Evansville on Wednesday

Site: KFC Yum! Center/Crum Court, Louisville, Ky. (22,090) (162-26 in 11th year)
Television: ACC Network - Mike Couzens, play-by-play; David Padgett, analyst.
Radio: WKRD (790 AM) Paul Rogers, play-by-play; Bob Valvano, analyst (XM channel 383, Internet 973)
Series History: Tied 13-13 (9-3 in Louisville, 4-9 in Evansville, 0-1 neutral)
Last Meeting: UofL 78, Evansville 47 (Nov. 11, 2016 at KFC Yum! Center)
UofL National Ranking: unranked; receiving votes in USA Today & Associated Press polls
Next UofL Game: Nov. 27 vs. Seton Hall, KFC Yum! Center, 4:02 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

Louisville opens its 107th season of collegiate basketball and 11th year at home in the KFC Yum! Center as the Cardinals face the Evansville Aces on Wednesday in their first game of the Wade Houston Tipoff Classic. It is the first of five straight home games for UofL, all part of a 16-game, season-opening event in which the Cardinals are hosting eight additional teams.

It is the opener for Evansville as well in a game scheduled just two weeks ago after the Cards' planned opening opponent Southern Illinois had to pause activities due to positive COVID-19 test results. Picked to finish 10th in the Missouri Valley Conference in a preseason poll, the Aces enjoyed victories over Kentucky and Ball State last season before finishing 9-23 on the season.

Louisville Head Coach Chris Mack played his freshman and sophomore seasons at Evansville, averaging 10.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists as a sophomore in 1989-90. Mack transferred to Xavier to complete his collegiate career. Mack is 1-0 as a head coach vs. Evansville, as his Xavier team prevailed 63-60 on Dec. 10, 2013.

Evansville assistant coach Logan Bauman was on the UofL basketball staff for four years, the last three as UofL's Director of Video Operations (2016-19). After starting the Cards' 2013 NCAA Championship season as a student manager, he walked on to the squad that year after an injury depleted UofL's roster. He played one season before returning to his manager role and earned his bachelor's degree in economics (2015).

UofL, KFC Yum! Center and Galt House Hotel are serving as host for the Wade Houston Tipoff Classic that will include nine participating teams who will play 16 games over a 10-day stretch from Nov. 25 through Dec. 4.

The field of nine teams includes seven 20-game winners from a year ago, six teams that won or finished second in their respective conferences, and a group that collectively won nearly two-thirds of their games last season (182-100 record in 2019-20, .645 winning percentage). The participating teams are Duquesne (21-9 in 2019-20, fifth in Atlantic 10), Evansville (9-23, 10th in Missouri Valley Conference); UNC Greensboro (23-9, third in Southern Conference); Little Rock (21-10, Sun Belt Champions); Louisville (24-7, tied for second in ACC), Prairie View A&M (19-13, SWAC Champions); Seton Hall (21-9, BIG EAST Co-Champion), Western Kentucky (20-10, tied for second in Conference USA); and Winthrop (24-10, Big South Co-Champion).

Notes

Season Openers — Louisville has won its last 16 straight season openers and 25 of its last 27. The Cards have posted a 73-33 record in all-time season openers (49-13 home, 11-15 away, 13-5 neutral).

Home Openers — UofL has won its last 19 consecutive home openers. Last year, the Cards beat Youngstown St. 78-55 on Nov. 10, 2019 in their first game of the year in the KFC Yum! Center.

Strong November — Louisville has won 55 straight home games in the month of November spanning the last 28 years, including a 42-0 record in the KFC Yum! Center. UofL has a 48-6 record during the month of November over the last eight years, winning 28 of its last 32 games during that month.

Later Start -- Wednesday's game marks the latest the Cardinals have started their season in 17 years, since opening the 2003-04 season against Iowa in the John Wooden Tradition in Indianapolis, Ind. on Nov. 29. Louisville had played six games, an exhibition game, a public instrasquad scrimmage and a closed scrimmage by Nov. 25 last year.

Cards Wear Unity Mark — The Cardinals are wearing the National Unity Mark on the front of their uniforms this season in support of an initiative born from the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, which also created a National Unity Pledge. In addition, "UNITY" is depicted in lettering below the player numbers on UofL's home white uniforms. The Cardinals' team organized a peaceful racial justice march on Sept. 25, as well as a voter registration drive in the west end of Louisville on Oct. 3.

Seton Hall Awaits Next — Louisville plays its second game in three days to start the season as the Cardinals face the Seton Hall Pirates on Friday in KFC Yum! Center in their second game of the Wade Houston Tipoff Classic. It will be the season opener for Seton Hall. Coached by former UofL assistant coach Kevin Willard, Seton Hall is No. 50 in the early Ken Pomeroy ratings entering the season. Willard was an assistant at UofL for six years (2001-07). Louisville has a 14-6 series advantage over Seton Hall, winning six of the last seven and 11 of the last 14 meetings. The Cardinals prevailed 70-65 in the last matchup at the Prudential Center (12-1-18). Louisville was a fellow member of the Big East Conference for eight seasons (2005-13).

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