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(Photo by Louisville Athletics)
November 3, 2025. KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Kentucky.
The Louisville Cardinals flew past the Bulldogs of South Carolina State on opening night of the 2025-2026 Regular Season of College Basketball. The Cards, led by a career night from 2nd-year forward Khani Rooths and Virginia-transfer Isaac McKneely in his Cardinal debut, began the game on a 13-0 run in the first three-and-a-half minutes of play. It did not stop there, continuing the scoring with a 27 to 4 Louisville lead in the first ten minutes and a McKneely 3-pointer to give the Cardinals a 59-15 lead going into halftime. The forty-four-point halftime lead is the largest in Louisville Men’s Basketball’s 111-year history, shooting over fifty percent from the field and forty-two percent from deep. The Cardinal domination would not stop there.
Within the first four minutes of the second half, the Cards went on a 16-0 run. Louisville would go on to beat the 2025 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Runner-Ups 104-45. The Bulldogs committed 25 turnovers, shot a bleak 13 of 57 (22.8%) from the field, and did not hit their first 3-pointer until 9:42 left in the second half on their fourteenth attempt. Louisville’s starting five (Mikel Brown Jr., J’Vonne Hadley, Ryan Conwell, Isaac McKeely, Sananda Fru) outscored South Carolina State’s starting five (Colin McKenzie, Derwin Hodge Jr., Jayden Johnson, D’Shay Knights Wright, Tim Okojie) 62-4. Furthermore, Louisville would assist on 23 of their 33 field goals, with ten of the thirteen Cardinal players who logged minutes assisting on a made shot.
Rooths and McKneely
Monday night was a career game for sophomore Khani Rooths. In pregame warmups and shootaround, “K9” looked much more comfortable and confident, which could be in anticipation of the first game of the year, or a potential gut feeling that Monday night would result in a breakout performance for the forward from Washington, D.C. In twenty-two minutes, Rooths finished with 20 on eight of twelve from the field, seven boards, three assists, and one steal. In the postgame press conference, head coach Pat Kelsey complimented his work ethic and readiness for the opportunity, also calling him a great teammate who “leads by example. He leads with his voice.” Rooths, a player who struggled to find a scoring rhythm in his first season as a Card, has seemingly ‘turned the page’ to begin his second season campaign.
Isaac McKneely was a consistent scorer and had a significant impact on the game elsewhere throughout the contest. In twenty-two minutes, McKneely scored 17 points with five 3-pointers, notched four rebounds, grabbed a steal, and led the Cardinals with a plus-minus of 44 when he was on the floor. After struggling in his pre-season exhibition against 19th-ranked Kansas, McKneely has performed the way Cardinal fans were hoping.
Looking Ahead
Louisville will host the Tigers of Jackson State on Thursday, November 6th, at 7pm ET. The contest is considered their second tune-up before facing their arch-rival, the Kentucky Wildcats, next Tuesday in hopes of getting their first win against Kentucky since December 26th, 2020, when they defeated the Wildcats 62-59.
The South Carolina State Bulldogs will look to play much better when they face Samford on Friday at 8:30pm ET. Although it is a squad that struggled mightily on Monday night, 4th-year head coach Erik Martin should have this Bulldog team right back in the MEAC mix and hopes to earn their first bid to the Big Dance since 2003.
(Cover photo by Louisville Athletics)
November 3, 2025. KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Kentucky.
The Louisville Cardinals flew past the Bulldogs of South Carolina State on opening night of the 2025-2026 Regular Season of College Basketball. The Cards, led by a career night from 2nd-year forward Khani Rooths and Virginia-transfer Isaac McKneely in his Cardinal debut, began the game on a 13-0 run in the first three-and-a-half minutes of play. It did not stop there, continuing the scoring with a 27 to 4 Louisville lead in the first ten minutes and a McKneely 3-pointer to give the Cardinals a 59-15 lead going into halftime. The forty-four-point halftime lead is the largest in Louisville Men’s Basketball’s 111-year history, shooting over fifty percent from the field and forty-two percent from deep. The Cardinal domination would not stop there.
Within the first four minutes of the second half, the Cards went on a 16-0 run. Louisville would go on to beat the 2025 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Runner-Ups 104-45. The Bulldogs committed 25 turnovers, shot a bleak 13 of 57 (22.8%) from the field, and did not hit their first 3-pointer until 9:42 left in the second half on their fourteenth attempt. Louisville’s starting five (Mikel Brown Jr., J’Vonne Hadley, Ryan Conwell, Isaac McKeely, Sananda Fru) outscored South Carolina State’s starting five (Colin McKenzie, Derwin Hodge Jr., Jayden Johnson, D’Shay Knights Wright, Tim Okojie) 62-4. Furthermore, Louisville would assist on 23 of their 33 field goals, with ten of the thirteen Cardinal players who logged minutes assisting on a made shot.
Rooths and McKneely
Monday night was a career game for sophomore Khani Rooths. In pregame warmups and shootaround, “K9” looked much more comfortable and confident, which could be in anticipation of the first game of the year, or a potential gut feeling that Monday night would result in a breakout performance for the forward from Washington, D.C. In twenty-two minutes, Rooths finished with 20 on eight of twelve from the field, seven boards, three assists, and one steal. In the postgame press conference, head coach Pat Kelsey complimented his work ethic and readiness for the opportunity, also calling him a great teammate who “leads by example. He leads with his voice.” Rooths, a player who struggled to find a scoring rhythm in his first season as a Card, has seemingly ‘turned the page’ to begin his second season campaign.
Isaac McKneely was a consistent scorer and had a significant impact on the game elsewhere throughout the contest. In twenty-two minutes, McKneely scored 17 points with five 3-pointers, notched four rebounds, grabbed a steal, and led the Cardinals with a plus-minus of 44 when he was on the floor. After struggling in his pre-season exhibition against 19th-ranked Kansas, McKneely has performed the way Cardinal fans were hoping.
Looking Ahead
Louisville will host the Tigers of Jackson State on Thursday, November 6th, at 7pm ET. The contest is considered their second tune-up before facing their arch-rival, the Kentucky Wildcats, next Tuesday in hopes of getting their first win against Kentucky since December 26th, 2020, when they defeated the Wildcats 62-59.
The South Carolina State Bulldogs will look to play much better when they face Samford on Friday at 8:30pm ET. Although it is a squad that struggled mightily on Monday night, 4th-year head coach Erik Martin should have this Bulldog team right back in the MEAC mix and hopes to earn their first bid to the Big Dance since 2003.
