The first Kentucky vs. Louisville game of the Mark Pope and Pat Kelsey eras is here. KSR’s LIVE BLOG will bring you all the sights and sounds from Rupp Arena as the No. 5 Cats host the Louisville Cardinals (5:15 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Kentucky is 9-1, off to its best start since the 2017-18 season. Louisville is 6-4 and down to just eight scholarship players due to injury. The Cards snapped a three-game losing streak on Wednesday with a three-point win over UTEP. The Cats are coming off back-to-back wins over Gonzaga and Colgate. Today’s game marks the first time in the series that both teams are squaring off with new coaches. Kentucky holds a 39-17 advantage vs. the Cards all time, 13-3 in the last 16 meetings. The Cats are a double-digit favorite but may be without starting point guard Lamont Butler, who continues to recover from an ankle …