Louisville basketball has talent again, but does Pat Kelsey’s team have enough depth?

Saturday’s latest installment of the Battle of the Bluegrass between the Kentucky and Louisville men’s basketball teams produced plenty of big-picture takeaways for the futures of both programs, and of the rivalry itself.

An action-packed, emotional game in Rupp Arena — won for the third straight time by the Wildcats, 93-85 — was a return to what the rivalry should be, after two years in which an inept U of L squad led by Kenny Payne was overwhelmed by John Calipari’s final two Kentucky teams.

Mark Pope’s Kentucky team got a signature scoring performance from fifth-year guard Lamont Butler, an affirmation for Pope’s offseason roster construction project and for UK’s strong start to the Pope coaching era. The Wildcats are now 10-1 on the season and will enter the holiday period as a top-five team in the nation.

Pat Kelsey’s Louisville team, despite being severely limited due to injuries, fought the whole way and regained its competitive footing in the rivalry contest.

Despite plenty of postgame pleasantries between the two first-year coaches, it’s also clear that both understand the importance of the annual game, and the expectations placed on each of them to win it.

But in the immediate future, Saturday’s contest posed another question for Louisville, now 6-5 on the season: Can the close loss to the Cats be a catalyst for the Cardinals?

Despite the end result, plenty of things went right for Louisville in its first true road game of the season.

Senior guard Chucky Hepburn continued to carry an enormous offensive load for Louisville, and he did so brilliantly. Hepburn led Louisville with 26 points, and he played at least 35 minutes for the sixth straight game.

“We need Chucky right now to be our point guard for 38 minutes, to take tickets, to make hot dogs, to sell tickets, sweep the floor after the game. He’s doing a lot,” Kelsey quipped Saturday night. “… But he’s doing a great job handling all that responsibility. He’s an absolute warrior, he’s a phenomenal point guard. One of the best I’ve ever coached.”

Fifth-year guard Terrence Edwards Jr. continued his offensive revival since shifting from the starting lineup to a bench role: Edwards poured in 23 points on an efficient 8-for-14 shooting performance, which included five made 3-pointers.

Edwards has now scored 20-plus points in three consecutive games against Duke, UTEP and UK since moving from the starting lineup to the bench.

When asked by the Herald-Leader about this lineup adjustment, Kelsey said it was a case of trying to find the right buttons to push with his team.

“It’s starting to pay off. He’s had a tough month, month and a half,” Kelsey said. “He came out of the starting lineup. He’s still out of the starting lineup. Phenomenal attitude. Plays in an atmosphere like this and plays darn near the game of his life. I’m really proud of him.”

That distance shooting effort by Edwards was part of a larger, team-wide improvement by Cardinals from beyond the arc. U of L made 14 of its 39 attempts (35.9%) from 3-point range Saturday, after entering the game ranked 341st in the nation in 3-point shooting percentage (27%). This improvement came while Louisville’s best 3-point shooter, senior guard Reyne Smith, had an off night from deep (2-for-9).

“Guys on our team, we work. Every day through the week, off days, shoot after practice, shoot before practice. Like everybody in that locker room right now that’s wearing red really, really works,” Edwards said when asked by the Herald-Leader about U of L’s improved distance shooting.

“Whether the shots are going in or not, we’re going right back to the gym tomorrow and we’re working … We’re filling up the gym every day, and we’re getting up our shots. It’s just a matter of time, when this thing really gets going and those shots go in, it’s going to be hard to beat us.”

The Cardinals also forced the Wildcats into 11 turnovers Saturday, and crashed the glass hard to the tune of 10 offensive rebounds. Six of those came from oft-maligned sixth-year forward Noah Waterman.

The building blocks are there for Kelsey and the Cards, that much is clear.

What remains unknown is whether or not Louisville has the horsepower to finish this season-long race.

Depth is the elephant in the room with the Cardinals. Senior transfer forward Kasean Pryor (torn ACL) and junior guard Koren Johnson (shoulder) are done for the season. Two other players — senior center Aly Khalifa (knee) and senior guard Kobe Rodgers (leg) — are redshirting this season.

U of L will soon get senior forward Aboubacar Traore back after he sustained a broken left arm, which will certainly help. Kelsey only played seven players Saturday, with five Cardinals logging 30-plus minutes.

The other issue, as far as this season goes, for Kelsey’s team is the way the schedule has broken. The Cardinals have already missed chances to score marquee wins over the likes of Tennessee (a 22-point home loss), Oklahoma (a five-point neutral court loss in The Bahamas), Ole Miss (a 23-point home loss), Duke (an 11-point home loss) and now Kentucky.

The jury is also still out on how well Louisville’s wins over then-No. 14 Indiana and West Virginia in the Battle 4 Atlantis will age.

Louisville’s remaining schedule — outside of ACC matchups against Clemson, North Carolina, Pittsburgh (twice) and SMU — won’t offer the Cardinals many chances for top wins.

The Cardinals haven’t reached the NCAA Tournament since 2019, and college basketball statistician Evan Miyawka currently projects about four bids to go to the ACC in this season’s edition of March Madness.

In all likelihood, this will amount to an unsatisfying conclusion for Louisville fans.

The Cardinals are showing growth in a number of areas, and have been dealt a tough hand this season between injuries and the game schedule. Kelsey has also restored the competitive spirit in a Louisville program that had lost it.

But the uphill battle facing the Cardinals as far as a trip to the NCAA Tournament goes, for this season, is real, and at this moment it looks too steep to overcome.

Kelsey has his team fighting, though, and that alone has been a marked improvement for Louisville, both in the micro of the Kentucky game and the macro of the program’s trajectory.

“You talk about how many minutes our guys have to play and the standard of their hustle, of their grit and tenacity,” Kelsey said. “I’m proud of them. I’m proud of them.”

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