Louisville basketball Pat Kelsey era begins in Bahamas: 5 storylines for 1st look at Cards

They say you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

Coaches do; it’s the first time you see their teams play.

That time is now for Pat Kelsey, whose inaugural Louisville men’s basketball squad is headed to the Bahamas on Sunday for two exhibition games as part of the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League.

The Cardinals will play a team from the Caribbean island at 7 p.m. Tuesday, then the University of Calgary at noon Thursday. Both games will take place at the Baha Mar resort in Nassau.

Kelsey’s first first impression was a strong one. Upon being named Kenny Payne’s successor in March, the 49-year-old Cincinnati native galvanized U of L fans with a passionate introductory news conference, then proceeded to amass a collection of talent through the NCAA transfer portal that On3.com ranks No. 1 in the country.

With the foreign tour, Kelsey and his staff were granted 10 practices akin to what they’ll run when the 2024-25 season tips off. The coaches have spoken highly about what they’ve seen from their completely overhauled roster thus far; now, we’ll get to see how all the new faces fare in the heat of competition.

“We’re going to be good,” Kelsey told a gathering of season ticket holders during a July 16 event at the KFC Yum! Center. “You mark that down right now; we’re going to be good.”

Here are five storylines to follow when the Cards take the court:

How do the pieces fit together?

Members of the 2024-25 Louisville basketball team, players and staffers, huddle during a summer workout at the Planet Fitness Kueber Center. The Cardinals will play two exhibition games in the Bahamas leading into Year 1 of new head coach Pat Kelsey’s tenure.

Back in June, Kelsey warned against overanalyzing who starts the two exhibitions.

“There’s nobody in that locker room who was promised anything to this point,” he told reporters. “I really cannot have a starting lineup conversation until, probably, the day before the first game.

“You might say, ‘Oh, these are the guys who started in the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/louisville-basketball-pat-kelsey-era-091507214.html

Author : The Courier Journal

Publish date : 2024-07-23 09:15:07

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