Entering the 2025-26 season, Louisville basketball fans had high expectations. The Cardinals had a top offseason, landing 5-star transfer Adrian Wooley and 4-stars Ryan Conwell and Isaac McKneely. They also added 5-star point guard Mikel Brown Jr., the second-highest commitment in program history.
The Cardinals entered the season with the second-highest odds to win the ACC, behind only the Duke Blue Devils, and had the sixth-highest odds to win the National Title at +2000. The Cardinals fans couldn’t wait for the season to start and thought this could be the year Louisville would not only snap its March Madness drought without a win, but also snap its Final Four drought.