With a five-point lead over Duke at halftime in the ACC Tournament championship, Louisville’s basketball team showcased just how much progress they have made under Pat Kelsey’s leadership in the past 11 months. This moment felt like déjà vu after their upset victory against Clemson the previous night and their impressive 25 regular season wins—an astounding turnaround from the combined total of just 12 wins over the last two seasons. Although the powerhouse Blue Devils edged out the Cardinals with a 73-62 victory in the second half, the excitement surrounding a once-floundering program remains undiminished.
“I truly believe the best is yet to come for this team,” Kelsey stated in the aftermath of the ACC championship defeat to Duke. “I reminded them that the disappointment they’re feeling shouldn’t overshadow the incredible season they’ve had. They’re cherished by the people of Louisville. Our town had taken some hits, and this team has contributed so much to lifting its spirits. Basketball means everything here.”
Just 16 days before Kelsey took over from College of Charleston, Louisville ended an 8-24 season under second-year head coach Kenny Payne, falling to NC State by nine in the ACC Tournament’s first round. Then came one of the biggest transfer portal transformations in college basketball history—13 players out and 13 new recruits in.
Blending this new roster took time. The Cardinals were crushed by Tennessee 77-55 in their second game of the season, and they narrowly escaped a challenge from a 6-6 Eastern Kentucky squad to finish non-conference play at 8-5. Just four days later, Kelsey and his team made waves with a 13-point triumph over North Carolina, igniting a 12-game winning streak that lasted until a loss at Georgia Tech on February 1. The streak might have ended, but Louisville didn’t taste defeat again until the ACC Tournament finals on that Saturday night.
“I’m incredibly proud of our players,” Kelsey shared emotionally. “I told them in the locker room that, over the past three months, they only lost twice. Our fans witnessed their efforts to restore pride to the name on our jerseys. We aim to foster the number one team culture in the country, nurturing it daily. When we achieve that, the remarkable results naturally follow.”
Heading into Selection Sunday, Louisville finds itself as a No. 6 seed in the latest bracket predictions. This marks the end of a five-year NCAA Tournament absences for the Cardinals and is their best seeding since earning a No. 2 slot in Rick Pitino’s final season in 2016-17.
