Arkansas defeated Louisville 89-80 on Tuesday at Bud Walton Arena, marking a signature win that propelled the Razorbacks up six spots to No. 12 in the CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 rankings. The Razorbacks, who entered with a 5-2 record featuring no standout victories, controlled the game from start to finish as a 2-point underdog. Louisville dropped to No. 13 following its first loss of the season.
Arkansas entered the matchup against Louisville with a 5-2 record, having beaten expected opponents and lost to stronger teams without any notable upsets. That changed on Tuesday when the Razorbacks dominated from the opening tip, leading by as many as 20 points and never trailing in an 89-80 victory at home in Bud Walton Arena.
Trevon Brazile, the lone holdover from the Eric Musselman era, led Arkansas with 21 points and five rebounds. The win improves John Calipari's all-time record against Louisville to 20-8, including 14-3 since he left Memphis for Kentucky in March 2009. Post-game, Calipari reflected on the rivalry, saying, "Louisville's fine with me," while noting his friendly relationship with the late Louisville icon Denny Crum. He added, "We played them a bunch, beat them more than we lost to them. Tried to downplay the game, tell them it's just one game so people wouldn't lose their minds -- but they didn't listen to me."
The victory handed Louisville its first defeat, dropping the Cardinals from No. 7 to No. 13 in the updated rankings, where Arizona holds steady at No. 1 for the 15th straight day. Arkansas's rise from No. 18 pushed teams like Kansas, Houston, Illinois, Texas Tech, and Tennessee down one spot each. Baylor entered the poll, replacing Indiana.
Looking ahead, Arkansas faces Fresno State on Saturday before taking on No. 17 Texas Tech in Dallas a week later.