What is Louisville basketball’s ceiling in Year 2 under Pat Kelsey?

Louisville basketball took some lumps in January. Now, Pat Kelsey’s team is reaping the rewards.

“We’re starting to click,” Mikel Brown Jr. said after tying the program’s single-game records for scoring (45 points) and made 3-pointers (10) during the No. 23 Cardinals’ 118-77 win over N.C. State on Monday at the KFC Yum! Center. “Those ups and downs, we really came together as a squad.”

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Winners of four in a row, UofL enters the final seven games of the regular season at 18-6 overall and 8-4 in the ACC. Are you dreaming big again?

This edition of The Courier Journal’s Louisville basketball mailbag begins with a reassessment of the Cards’ ceiling after Brown’s showstopping performance sparked Monday’s historic victory. From there, we dive into their tendency to start slow before reflecting on just how much the ACC has improved as a whole in 2025-26.

What’s your updated opinion on Louisville basketball’s ceiling with everyone healthy? How much did Mikel Brown Jr. going Steph Curry mode adjust that ceiling? — Chucky Ball Game

After scoring 45 points to tie Wes Unseld’s game record, Louisville Cardinals guard Mikel Brown Jr. (0) gets congratulated by his teammates after an interview as the Cards roll past NC State 118-77 at the KFC Yum! Center in downtown Louisville February 9, 2026.

My opinion on Louisville’s ceiling hasn’t changed all that much. For context:

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So, why not stay consistent? If everyone stays healthy, I think Louisville’s ceiling is reaching the Final Four for the first time since winning a national championship in 2013. Would I send the Cards to Indianapolis if I had to fill out a bracket today? No, because they’ve suffered more lopsided losses than they’ve played complete games against the team’s I’d consider second-weekend contenders on their schedule to this point.

Brown’s historic performance vs. N.C. State certainly inspires more confidence in UofL being able to flip the script against top-of-the-line competition down the stretch and…

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Publish date : 2026-02-12 10:12:00

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