Cards Open Postseason Play Wednesday in Charlotte

Wednesday, March 11

Charlotte, N.C. | Spectrum Center

2:30 p.m.

University of Louisville

SMU/Syracuse

Aly Khalifa in triple threat position during the game against Miami at the Watsco Center on March 7.

Photo by: Mallory Peak | Louisville Athletics

March 10, 2026 | Men's Basketball

Louisville Game Notes Pat Kelsey Press Conference

Louisville will play the winner of SMU/Syracuse on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. ET in the second round of the ACC Tournament

By: Dana Brown

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisville men's basketball begins a new season on Wednesday as it opens up postseason play with the second round of the ACC Tournament. The Cardinals will take on the winner of SMU vs. Syracuse at 2:30 p.m. ET Wednesday afternoon on ESPN.

The Cardinals earned the six-seed in the ACC Tournament after earning their first ranked road win in six seasons on Saturday afternoon with a gutty 92-89 victory at No. 22/23 Miami. Both SMU and Syracuse lost their last four regular season games.

Louisville split games against SMU this season, winning at home and losing on the road. The Cardinals defeated Syracuse in their second to last regular season game.

GAME 32
Listen: Cardinal Sports Network (WLCL 93.9 FM & WGTK 970 AM flagship);
Streaming (Paul Rogers, pxp | Jody Demling, analysis)
Watch: ESPN (Kevin Brown, pxp | Jay Williams, analysis)
Live Stats: ACC Tournament Statbroadcast

CARDINAL NOTES

Senior guard Ryan Conwell was named Second Team All-ACC while freshman Mikel Brown Jr. was named Third Team All-ACC and tapped to the All-Rookie Team, the league announced Monday afternoon.
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.
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 March 8, 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.
As of March 8, Mikel Brown Jr. is one of 11 players in DI this season to score 45 points, and one of eight 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 as of March 8, joining Cornell (5 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 17 teams in 2025-26 as of Feb. 27 to have five games or more of at least 24 assists.
Louisville has had 11 games of 20+ assists, also one of 22 teams in the nation to do so.
Louisville shot 60% from the 3-point line against the Wolfpack on Feb. 9. It was the best the Cards have shot from the arc, since shooting 62.5% in an 82-74 victory over Florida State on March 8, 2018.
As of March 8, Louisville is fourth in the nation in three-pointers per game (11.9), fifth in three-point attempts per game (32.7), 16th in scoring margin (13.4), 17th in scoring offense (85.8), 18th in effective field goal percentage (.568) and 20th in assists per game (20). Ryan Conwell is seventh in three-point attempts (288) and 13th in three-pointers per game (3.4).