Dating back to the Louisville basketball program’s inception in 1911, this program has only began the season without a win in the first eight games in four of those seasons. If Louisville would have played more than three games in their first ever recorded season, then this record could have potentially changed.
In the 1911-1912 season, Louisville finished 0-3 that included a 35-3 loss against the Louisville YMCA. This was William Gardiner‘s lone season as Head Coach of the Cardinals and would, reportedly, not become the Head Coach for any other collegiate program leaving his cumulative record at 0-3.
In the 1913-1914 season, Louisville started the season 0-3 but would snap the three game losing streak with a win over Franklin College with a final score of 12-9. This win was a revenge game coming eleven days after suffering a loss to Franklin College ending with a final score of 19-25.
Six years later, in the 1920-1921 season, Louisville lost their first seven games before snapping the losing streak with a win over Cumberland with a final score of 35-20. After this win, they would continue their winning streak for two more games finishing the season with a 3-8 record under the leadership of Jimmie Powers, which would become his only season on the bench for the Cardinals.
The following season would become Louisville’s first 0-8 start in program history. Two of the losses this season came to the University of Kentucky with final scores of 14-38 and 22-29. The Cardinals would finish the season with a 1-13 record.
Another losing drought of eight games or longer would not come until the 1938-1939 season under Head Coach Lawrence Apitz. The Cardinals lost their first thirteen games of the season and broke that streak with a win over Berea College. Apitz would go on to finish the season with a 1-15 record.
The following season Head Coach Apitz followed up an atrocious losing season with another atrocious losing season. Louisville lost their first 17 games in the 1939-1940 season and for the second straight year their only win came over Berea College. The Cardinals finished the season with a 1-18 record.
After Lawrence Apitz’s departure from the program, Head Coach John Heldman took over for the Cardinals and picked up right where Apitz left off. For the third season in a row, Louisville lost their first 11 games and would eventually snap their losing streak with a win over Berea College. Heldman would finish this season with the same amount of wins Apitz gained in the previous two seasons, which was two.
If only Head Coach Kenny Payne had a game lined up against Berea College this season, with Louisville’s track record that game would have been a guaranteed win. However, it is no longer the 1940s and Coach Payne’s schedule looks a lot different nowadays.
Over their past four losses, Louisville has lost by at least 25 points, which puts Coach Kenny Payne in a similar boat with Lawrence Apitz.
Louisville has four losses by at least 25 points within a single season for only the second time in program history, joining the 1939-40 team which went 1-18 with its four largest losses coming by 25, 29, 31, and 37 points.
— Kelly Dickey (@RealCardGame) December 4, 2022
From an outsider’s perspective, this Louisville team’s trajectory is very similar to the 1939-1940 team. But the circumstances, athletes, and personalities are very different than the former squad. Louisville has recently come out of the IARP’s shadows and these student-athletes clearly have more going on behind the scenes than what spectators can see.
At the end of the day, these are student-athletes in their late teens and early twenties. The social media storm of negativity surrounding their performances this season has only added to the amount of stress and pressure this team is under. While the Louisville fanbase is accustomed to greatness, progress will take time.