Kasean Pryor set return deadline for Kentucky game before guaranteeing Super Bowl win

Remember when James Madison star Terrence Edwards Jr., the 2024 Sun Belt Player of the Year, committed to Louisville “just to play against Kentucky” in the first season of the new rivalry led by Mark Pope and Pat Kelsey? Those were his own words, saying that’s how the whole team felt when they decided to become Cardinals.

“This big rivalry game, all of us really committed for this game. Some of us came here just to play against Kentucky, you know what I’m saying?” Edwards said ahead of last year’s matchup. “That was a big part of it, to live up in that rivalry and try to be a part of some history.”

You all know how that one ended, Kentucky winning 93-85 with Lamont Butler scoring a career-high 33 points on a perfect 10-10 shooting. Edwards scored 23 points in the losing effort for the Cards.

One of the players joining Kelsey’s ReviVILLE (gag) that same offseason? Kasean Pryor, a senior forward transfer from USF, who started the year averaging 12.0 points and 6.1 rebounds in 23.4 minutes per contest before unfortunately tearing his ACL on November 29 — just two weeks before that Kentucky matchup. Injuries suck, hate them for anyone. Would have preferred him on the court so UL fans couldn’t use his absence as an excuse for the loss, but that part is what it is.

Fast forward a year, and Pryor is back on the floor for the Cards. Love to see it, shoutout modern medicine. Hopefully we receive similarly good news on Jayden Quaintance sooner rather than later. He went for six points, three rebounds and a steal in 16 minutes in his debut, then decided to say what everyone knows he said at the podium following the 106-70 win over Jackson State.

“We’ll see you guys Tuesday — after the win,” Pryor told the Louisville media. “F*** ’em.”

LET’S GO!!!

Right after the player presser ended, as he was walking out the door, Kasean Pryor said, “We’ll see you guys on Tuesday after a win. F— ‘em.” 🔥

VILLE WHORE!!! pic.twitter.com/nBZzMaAlTE

— 35KYSports (@35KYSportsMedia) November 7, 2025

That stole the headlines, obviously, but did you know he also made it clear that Kentucky was on his mind throughout the entire rehab process making his way back from the knee injury? When setting a goal for himself in terms of a debut timeline, he had the Cats’ return trip to Louisville circled on his calendar from day one, letting it marinate in his head for 12 straight months.

In fact, it was one of the first things out of his mouth at the podium talking about the joy of basketball back in his life after so much forced time off.

“It was an unbelievable feeling as I was checking in in front of the best fans in college basketball in the Yum! Center today. It was just a process talking to PK [Pat Kelsey], talking to my family,” Pryor said. “My deadline was to be back before Kentucky so I could be prepared to play against them. Whether it was an exhibition or one of the first two games, I just wanted to be out there and get my feet wet, get back into it after being off for almost a year.”

When asked about missing that matchup at Rupp Arena a year ago, Pryor said he was actually in New York for his surgery at the time and had to watch on TV. Ever since that day, he’s been itching to get his shot at the Cats.

He plans to be the difference in a win for the red this time around.

“I was just sitting back watching, obviously very emotional still,” Pryor said. “The camaraderie that I’m hearing, the back-and-forth — (Brandon) Garrison and Khani (Rooths) and Reyne (Smith), all of the back-and-forth. It just made me more excited to get out there and obviously bring my energy, bring that edge to our team.

“Obviously they’re a good team, we’re going to be prepared for them and we’re going to handle business, so that’s the plan.”

“Beat UK” chants echoed through the Yum! Center as time expired on the win over Jackson State (of the dozens of fans still in their seats by that point) and the Louisville bench heard it.

They’re excited for what’s to come on Tuesday night with Kentucky making its way to town.

“Yeah, I heard it,” Pat Kelsey said. “I’m very well aware how much it means to this entire state. It means a ton to their fan base. It means a ton to our fan base. It means a ton for college basketball. So it’s going to be an unbelievable atmosphere here in the Yum Center on Tuesday.”

“I’m sure it’s going to be a crazy atmosphere,” Ryan Conwell added. “We just really got to take it day by day and trust the process. We’ll definitely be ready. Just trusting in each other, trusting what the coaches are telling us. It’s definitely going to be a different type of game, but we will be ready for sure.”

For Pryor, though, it’s personal, just as it has been since he committed to Louisville. It’s all he’s heard about since he first decided to join the program, and now, he gets his own shot.

“I feel like you can’t even walk around the city of Louisville without someone telling you, ‘Beat UK.’ You feel it instantly,” he said. “When I got here last year with the ReviVILLE of the team, maybe in the first week or two, there were a thousand people telling me, ‘Beat UK. We don’t care about anything else, beat UK.’

“That speaks for itself, they know how big this rivalry is.”

Guess we’ll see if his Super Bowl guarantee comes true when he returns to the podium late Tuesday evening.