UofL Begins Final Regular Season Stretch at UNC

Monday, February 23

Chapel Hill, N.C.

7 p.m.

University of Louisville

North Carolina

February 22, 2026 | Men's Basketball

Louisville Game Notes

Louisville plays three of its final four regular season games on the road, starting at North Carolina Monday night

By: Dana Brown

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisville men's basketball travels to Chapel Hill, N.C., to play North Carolina on Big Monday at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.

UofL has won six of its last seven games, most recently defeating Georgia Tech 87-70 on Senior Day. The Tar Heels enter the matchup having won two of their last three, including a road game at Syracuse on Saturday afternoon.

The Cardinals trail in the all-time series between the two programs 8-20. The only time Louisville has walked out of Chapel Hill with a victory was January 12, 2019, resulting in a lopsided 1-6 record when the teams meet in the Smith Center. Louisville has never won two games in a row against UNC, with the series dating back to 1929. Head coach Pat Kelsey is 1-2 in his career against the Tar Heels, with the lone win coming on New Year's Day last season at the KFC Yum! Center.

GAME 28
Listen: Cardinal Sports Network (WLCL 93.9 FM & WGTK 970 AM flagship);
Streaming (Paul Rodgers, pxp | Bob Valvano, analysis)
Watch: ESPN (Dave O'Brien, pxp | Jay Williams, analysis | Molly McGrath, sideline)
Live Stats: Louisville Statbroadcast.

CARDINAL NOTES

UofL has a 66-90 record against Top 25 teams over the last 15 years.
Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey is 176-68 (.721) all-time conference games as a head coach; he holds an 81-41 (.664) record in league road games.
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 three teams in DI this season to have a game with two 31+ point scorers. 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.
Freshman Mikel Brown Jr. was named ACC Player and Rookie of the Week on Feb. 16 in addition to Naismith Trophy Player of the Week and AP National Player of the Week.
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 Feb. 22, there are 25 players in DI shooting 41.5% or above from 3-point range in their career. No one in that group has made or attempted more 3-pointers than senior guard Isaac McKneely, who has made 307 on 736 attempts. He is 83 makes and 210 attempts ahead of the next closest player, Milan Momcilovic of Iowa State.
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.
Mikel Brown Jr. is one of nine players in DI this season to score 45 points, and one of six 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, joining Cornell (4 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 14 teams in 2025-26 as of Feb. 22 to have five games or more of at least 24 assists.