Louisville basketball was dominant in Pat Kelsey debut. What we learned from Bahamas trip

Pat Kelsey likes to say the most important moment for his Louisville men’s basketball team is always “the next thing.”

After the Cardinals swept their two-game exhibition tour of the Bahamas in dominant fashion, the coach whose seemingly boundless energy rejuvenated a program at rock bottom when he arrived in late March said the next thing was “taking a deep breath.”

“I haven’t really been able to stop, get above the trees and reflect on what we all just did,” Kelsey said Aug. 1, during a postgame interview on WLCL 93.9 FM. “People think these moves are glamorous and things like that; because it is — I mean, I’m at Louisville for God’s sake — but it’s just so much. It’s been a great first four months, and (I’m) ready for the next chapter.”

Chapter 1 began with building a roster from scratch, predominantly through the NCAA transfer portal, at a breakneck pace. It closed with U of L’s wins last week over Bahamas Select (111-59) and the University of Calgary (111-71) as part of the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League. In between, Kelsey and his staff had to get everyone on the same page schematically and culturally during summer workouts while keeping an eye toward the future on the recruiting trail.

If the man whose mentor, the late Skip Prosser, described as someone who “makes coffee nervous” is ready for a break, his players must be, too.

“It’ll be good and healthy for them to get away from this crazy dude for a little bit and recharge,” Kelsey said, referring to himself, “so we can come back and (move) full steam ahead in that next chapter.”

Until the Cards reconvene in the fall to begin preparing in earnest for the 2024-25 season, here are three things we learned from an encouraging Caribbean excursion:

Pat Kelsey’s offensive principles have taken root at Louisville

Chucky Hepburn drives upcourt during practice before the Cards headed to the Bahamas.

Before going any further, a disclaimer that will blanket each of the following takeaways:

Louisville is miles ahead of Bahamas Select…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/louisville-basketball-dominant-pat-kelsey-091610061.html

Author : The Courier Journal

Publish date : 2024-08-05 09:16:10

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