Kansas and Louisville are set to square off in an exhibition matchup tonight in Allen Fieldhouse. It is the second part of a home-and-home series the two schools scheduled, which kicked off in 2025 when the Jayhawks defeated UL 90-82 in the KFC Yum! Center.
While this is a scrimmage that won't count toward either team's official record, it will still be nationally televised. For those who can't tune into the game or simply want to track the action, we'll be providing periodic live updates of the score and significant updates from the contest.
Kansas vs. Louisville Live Score Updates
First Half
Pregame: It's a new-look starting lineup for the Jayhawks, who substituted Leroy Blyden Jr. for Melvin Council Jr., Tre White for Keanu Dawes, and Paul Mbiya for Christian Reeves. Bill Self looking to experiment with his rotations in this one.
19:20: The Fieldhouse is absolutely rocking right now! Tre White gets the scoring started with a bucket, and we are underway in Lawrence. Kansas leads, 2-0.
15:54: The defense has been rolling so far. A lot of good minutes from big man Paul Mbiya, who looks much improved from a season ago. Melvin Council just took it coast to coast after a steal for an easy fast-break dunk. Kansas leads, 10-3.
12:10: Louisville is starting to come alive a bit, but Tre White looks excellent early on with a game-high eight points. He just hit a corner three to extend the lead to seven before Flory Bidunga scored a basket inside. Kansas leads, 13-8.
11:43: Christian Reeves continues to impress in his second game in the crimson and blue. He just threw down a nasty lob dunk and does not look impeded by his shoulder, which he had surgery on this offseason. Kansas leads, 17-10.
10:28: A few sloppy defensive possessions allow UL to get right back in this one. Ugly missed threes by Keanu Dawes and Dennis Parker Jr. as well. Bill Self is furious on the sidelines as he calls a timeout at the midway point of the half. Kansas and Louisville are tied, 17-17.
8:09: After going 1-of-2 at the foul line, Tyran Stokes found Mbiya for an easy dunk under the basket the next series. It's easy to see why his playmaking has been praised as one of his biggest qualities. Bidunga already has two fouls early in the half and headed to the bench (a story Jayhawk fans have seen quite a lot before). Kansas leads, 24-19.
6:17: Kansas leaving plenty of points at the line. Mbiya just missed four consecutive tries at the charity stripe, clearly an area he needs to work on. Melvin Council just connected on a 3-pointer from the right corner to extend the lead to five. Kansas leads, 27-22.
4:19: Seven first half turnovers for Louisville as opposed to KU's two. Obinna Ekezie Jr. is one heck of an athlete, as he just scooped up a miss off the rim for a thunderous putback slam. Council also hit his second three of the game shortly after his first. Kansas leads, 32-29.
2:13: Stokes is such a physical presence when he's on the floor. He draws a blocking foul from his sheer strength and hits both from the line. He doesn't exactly look fully comfortable yet, but the tools are obviously there. Kansas leads, 34-32.
0:00: We're going to see Stokes at the charity stripe a lot this season. He attempted six foul shots in a matter of three minutes to cap off the half. A missed halfcourt shot in the closing seconds allows the Jayhawks to carry their lead into halftime. Kansas leads at the half, 37-36.
First Half Top Performers
- Tre White: 10 points, 2 rebounds, 2-for-5 three-point shooting
- Tyran Stokes: 9 points, 4 rebounds, 7-for-10 free-throw shooting
- Melvin Council Jr. 8 points, 2 rebounds, 2-for-3 three-point shooting
Second Half
18:56: Here's something no one could have predicted entering the evening: Melvin Council has hit three of KU's five treys tonight. He and Tre White are the only players with a long-ball. Kansas leads, 40-37.
17:53: A string of consecutive threes from Louisville, two from Adrian Wooley, has all of a sudden given the Cardinals their biggest lead of the night. Transition defense from KU has been poor and Coach Self wants a timeout. Louisville leads, 46-42.
15:56: Simply put, it's been a rough night for Stokes. He missed back-to-back wide open threes and is showing poor body language on the court. Through nearly 25 minutes of game time, he technically hasn't seen a ball go through the hoop yet. His only made field goal came on a goaltend. Louisville leads, 51-45.
14:15:Louisville is 5-for-6 from 3-point range through five minutes in the second half. It's been a much different story for Kansas. The Jayhawks have completely crumbled after the break and look overwhelmed by UL's fast pace. Louisville leads, 54-45.
12:02: Council is trying to give the team momentum, pulling the Jayhawks within single digits with a gutsy and-1 basket. There's still not a lot going for this KU offense, though. Louisville leads, 61-52.
10:44: That's how you get the crowd back into it. Stokes found Mbiya for an alley-oop dunk that echoed throughout Allen Fieldhouse. Offense is beginning to find some rhythm after its slow start to the half. Louisville leads, 63-56.
9:10: It's difficult to describe the kind of night Stokes is having. He has one made field goal and is missing gimmes at the rim that the officials are bailing him out with foul calls. It feels like Louisville should be up 20 points, but the Fieldhouse crowd is keeping the home team in it Louisville leads, 67-60.
8:02: Ekezie Jr. looks like one of the best freshmen in the country. He's up to 16 points and eight rebounds and just hit back-to-back threes to silence the Phog. What a performance for the young big man. Louisville leads, 73-62.
6:09: A 6-0 run for the Jayhawks has made this a close one in the Fieldhouse. They just forced a shot-clock violation on Louisville and the crowd erupted. KU has a chance to cut this to a one-possession game. Louisville leads, 73-68.
5:08: Jackson Shelstad responds to a Tre White three with a long ball of his own. Every time KU starts to gain momentum, the Jayhawks' defense collapses. Both Council and White have a team-high 20 points. Louisville leads, 78-71.
3:12: Tre White gets Shelstad to bite on an end of shot clock pump-fake and will shoot three free throws after the final TV timeout. Every possession matters here for KU, and a couple more threes from Louisville could seal it for the Cardinals. Louisville leads, 82-73.
2:03: After White sinks all three foul shots, he gets back and hits a mid-range jumper after a defensive stop. Stokes follows that with his highlight of the night, a steal and a drive to the basket for two. Stokes is up to 15 points and this is a two-point game with two minutes left. Pat Kelsey just called his final timeout of regulation to sort his group out. Louisville leads, 82-80.
1:29: A brutal turnover by Stokes, his third of the night, gives the Cardinals the ball right back after the timeout. He then fouled Seth Trimble and sent him to the line, where he hit one of his two attempts. Louisville leads, 85-80.
0:43: Trimble misses the second free throw of a one-and-one and it's Kansas ball. A chance for the Jayhawks to tie it. Louisville leads, 86-83.
0:14: That's going to be all tonight in Lawrence. A missed drive by Stokes and a turnover by Dennis Parker Jr. officially decides the outcome of this one. Poor late-game execution from the Jayhawks. Stokes will finish his first meaningful collegiate action 3-for-13 shooting. Louisville leads, 88-83.
How to Watch Kansas vs. Louisville
Time:6 p.m. CT
Channel:ESPNU
Link:Watch ESPN
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/kansas as Live Game Thread & Updates for Kansas Basketball vs. Louisville in Exhibition Matchup.