What ACC coaches are saying about Pat Kelsey’s Louisville Cardinals basketball rebuild

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Whether Pat Kelsey can revive the Louisville men’s basketball program during his first season as the Cardinals’ head coach will be one of the most intriguing storylines to follow in the ACC.

“There are a lot of reasons (why) Louisville basketball needs to be good,” Kelsey said Thursday, during the conference’s 2024-25 season tipoff event at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown. “You might say, ‘Well, Pat, that’s a lot of pressure; that’s a lot on your shoulders.’ It’s what you stinkin’ signed up for.”

The past two seasons, U of L was the ACC’s doormat — compiling a 5-35 record against league opponents under former coach Kenny Payne. Everyone knew whom Commissioner Jim Phillips was talking about Wednesday, when, in outlining how the conference can earn more NCAA Tournament bids, he said, “We’ve had a drag at the bottom.

“Because of rebuilds or new coaching situations or the transfer portal, we’ve had some teams that have had really difficult seasons,” he added. “I really believe the bottom of our league won’t be maybe as bad and in as difficult of a spot they’ve been the last several years.”

Kelsey is hoping to put an end to that kind of talk with a completely overhauled roster consisting primarily of veterans he acquired through the NCAA transfer portal. It’s a tall task, but the 49-year-old Cincinnati native exudes confidence in his ability to get it done.

“There’s a lot of evidence that these guys are very, very productive players,” he said. “They’re bought into the system, bought into our culture; and I’m really blessed and lucky to coach them and excited about the season.”

Some of his colleagues around the conference share that sentiment, too. Here’s what seven other ACC coaches had to say about Kelsey joining the league and the rebuild he faces at Louisville:

Syracuse’s Adrian Autry

Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry’s team is scheduled to host Louisville on Jan. 14.

Syracuse coach Adrian Autry laughed when he was asked about Kelsey on Thursday. The question took him…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/acc-coaches-saying-pat-kelseys-091756895.html

Author : The Courier Journal

Publish date : 2024-10-11 09:17:56

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