Louisville vs. Mercyhurst exhibition preview

Louisville Cardinals (0-0) vs. Mercyhurst Lakers (0-0)

Exhibition Game Two

Game Time: 7 p.m.

Location: KFC Yum Center: Louisville, Ky.

Television: ACC Network Extra/Watch ESPN

Announcers: Kent Taylor (play-by-play) and Larry O’Bannon (analyst)

Advertisement

Favorite: No line

Series: First Meeting

Statistics:

Relevant Videos:

About Mercyhurst:

Coming from Erie, Pa., Mercyhurst is coming off of its most successful season as a member of Division-I, which would be a bit more impressive if it wasn’t just their second year as a member of Division-I. The Lakers won 17 games in 2025-26 and advanced all the way to the Northeast Conference Tournament championship game, where they fell to Long Island by nine. Those two teams are once again No. 1 and No. 2 in the preseason NEC poll.

The biggest reason for optimism for this squad is junior guard Jake Lemelman, who returns after averaging 13.9 points per game and earning All-NEC Third Team honors. Lemelman started every game last season and gives the Lakers a proven scoring option to build around.

Advertisement

Lemelman is joined by Tennessee Rainwater, a 6’7 senior guard/forward who arrives after spending last season at Le Moyne. Rainwater averaged 9.8 points per game with the Dolphins and was also named to the Preseason All-NEC team. His size and versatility should give Manchel another important offensive weapon, particularly against teams that can match up with Mercyhurst’s guards.

There are some question marks beyond those two, though. Mercyhurst has to replace production from a handful of players who are no longer around, and the supporting cast will need to step up if the Lakers want to make another run in the NEC. Transfers Daemar Kelly (Northern Illinois) and Marcus Jackson (Siena) bring experience to the backcourt, while Cameron Johnson and Geoff Sprouse give Manchel additional options. Sophomore forward Chris Leman will also be worth keeping an eye on as Mercyhurst tries to find some consistency in the frontcourt. How quickly all of those…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/louisville-vs-mercyhurst-exhibition-preview-172402250.html

Author :

Publish date : 2026-10-28 17:24:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.