Kasean Pryor makes bold promise for Louisville ahead of Kentucky game, takes shot at rival

Kasean Pryor finished Thursday’s 106-70 win against Jackson State with six points and three rebounds. After the game, the Louisville forward made a bold promise in front of local Cardinals media at the KFC Yum! Center ahead of Tuesday’s Kentucky game.

“We’ll see you guys on Tuesday after a win,” Pryor said as he was walking away from the press conference, per Matt McGavic. “F–k ’em.”

Pryor is in his second season with the Cardinals, which means he’s hungry to get his team their win back against the in-state rival. Last season, Kentucky defeated Louisville 93-85 inside Rupp Arena. Pryor did not play during that game.

The 2024 matchup was the first meeting between two first-year head coaches in Mark Pope and Pat Kelsey. Both coaches have ushered in new eras to their respective rival programs, which resulted in NCAA Tournament berths for both programs. Kentucky made it to the Sweet 16, but Louisville’s season ended in the first round after a spectacular turnaround of their program.

Prior to Kelsey’s arrival, Louisville had one of the worst stretches in its program’s history under former head coach Kenny Payne. The Cardinals won 12 games in two years — a total that Kelsey more than doubled in his first season as head coach.

More of the same success is expected for the Cardinals, and the same can be said for Kentucky. As a result, both found themselves ranked in the top-11 teams in the country during the preseason AP poll.

The Cardinals have a right to feel confident. They’ve won their first two games by a combined 47.5 points after beating SC State 104-45 in the season-opener on Monday. Louisville’s 36-point win against Jackson State was just as impressive.

While Pryor finished with six points, four of his teammates scored in double figures during Thursday’s win. Ryan Conwell led the way with 19 points and eight rebounds during the contest. Mikel Brown Jr. added 18 points and Khani Rooths scored the game’s only double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

For their opponents, Kentucky has only played one game to this point. They defeated Nicholls 77-51 in a game where the Wildcats struggled to find the basket early. This resulted in a low-scoring affair after Kentucky was one of the highest-scoring teams in the country one season ago.

Both teams will clash in Louisville on Tuesday with the opening tip set for 8 p.m. ET. ESPN will carry the national broadcast.