LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Not too long ago, the Louisville men’s basketball program was in little bit of a rough spot. And I’m not talking about the much-maligned Kenny Payne era.
Before coaching a single game for the Cardinals, head coach coach Pat Kelsey had been drumming up some serious hype after his hiring last March. In less than two months, the former Charleston head man and his staff had completely flipped the roster, and was bringing in the No. 1 transfer portal class in college hoops (per On3). There was hope for a bounce back season after Payne had guided them to a paltry 12-52 record in two years.
However, Kelsey’s first year at the helm had less than an ideal start. 11 games into the 2024-25 season, Louisville stood at just 6-5 overall. This included blowout losses to Tennessee and Ole Miss, and yet another loss to Kentucky. Add in the fact that Kasean Pryor and Koren Johnson were lost to season-ending injuries, and the hope for a dramatic turnaround was starting to dwindle…