After Kentucky and Louisville face off, there has to be aftermath. This year, we have the most perplexing pregame mystery in the KFC Yum! Center since Ty-Laur Johnson’s missing tights. Something mysterious. Something undisclosed. Something that, according to Kentucky coach Mark Pope, happened before the game.

Kentucky failed its first big test, but that hardly makes this 2025-26 season a failure. As much as the rivalry loss to Louisville will sting — and as bad as the Wildcats looked for long stretches in the KFC Yum Center on Tuesday night — this defeat took place on Nov.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/kentucky as Mark Pope says Kentucky had distracted effort and focus in loss at Louisville.

Pat Kelsey's Louisville basketball team avoided a letdown after its big win vs. Kentucky, defeating the Ohio Bobcats Saturday at the KFC Yum! Center.

Turnovers were a big focal point in the game. Kentucky (2-1) had 14 of them that led to 19 Louisville points. The Cards turned it over just six times, which turned into 10 points for the Cats.

For a time Tuesday, Louisville ran the Kentucky men’s basketball team nearly off the floor. Buoyed by the best player on the court — freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. — the Cardinals built a 20-point lead that proved to be enough to stave off a strong Wildcat rally and some spotty free-throw shooting from the home team.