Louisville basketball wins exhibition at Kansas. Any questions?

LAWRENCE, KS — Pat Kelsey needed to check a calendar — and his pulse.

"I can't believe it's the preseason," the coach said after No. 11 Louisville basketball beat No. 18 Kansas 89-83 in an exhibition game Oct. 21 at Allen Fieldhouse. "It sure as heck didn't feel like it."

Yes, this victory means nothing with regard to the Cardinals' record and NCAA Tournament résumé. But, in the grand scheme of things, coming off a season in which they posted a 1-9 record in Quad 1A games, it means everything.

"You find out (a lot) about your team, when you get in an environment like that," Kelsey said.

Freshman Obinna Ekezie Jr. approached the result from a different perspective. It confirmed the days he and his teammates have been stacking since June.

"I didn't learn anything new," he said. "This is what we do, honestly. We're all together; we all have a common goal; we're prepared for big stages."

Any questions?

It's time for a 2026-27 season preview edition of The Courier Journal's Louisville basketball mailbag. If you've got a question about what you saw from UofL during its win over the Jayhawks, what the victory could mean for Year 3 of the Kelsey era or anything else going on around the program, click on the link below to submit:

• Have questions about Louisville basketball? We want to hear from you!

We'll also accept questions via email (bholton@gannett.com) and X, formerly Twitter (@brooksHolton).