Story byMike RutherfordWed, January 14, 2026 at 2:35 AM UTC·1 min readIn a story that feels like it’s been told a thousand times over the last 12 years, Louisville got off to a slow start against Virginia, tried to make a handful of runs, but ultimately fell by a comfortable margin, 79-70. The styles, the players and the coaches might have all been different, but the prevailing sentiment after the game was all too familiar: The Cavs worked the Cards from pretty much start to finish. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAnother story that was similar was the way U of L played without the services of freshman point guard Mikel Brown Jr. The Cards struggled to find open looks, shot the ball poorly when they did get open looks (10-of-38 from three), and then did a subpar job defending the perimeter on the other end. It’s been exactly a week since I wrote the following:Gut-check time. Fight or flight.