Louisville basketball is in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season and will square off with Michigan State in a few hours. The Cardinals entered this season with high expectations, with the sixth-highest odds to win the National Title, and in November, they were ranked as high as No. 6 in the nation.
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However, Mikel Brown Jr. has missed 13 games this season, and Louisville has struggled against ranked teams, going 0-5 against KenPom’s top 20 and 1-7 against teams ranked in the AP Poll's top 25. Recently, Sports Illustrated released a documentary on Louisville basketball’s program, and in the final episode, Kelsey delivered a fiery message about the Cardinals. With the odds stacked against Louisville in today's showdown against the Spartans, Louisville fans are fired up by this message, and it gives them hope not just for the NCAA Tournament run but also for the direction Kelsey is taking this program.
Pat Kelsey just delivered a fiery message Louisville fans will love
Louisville hasn’t had the season Kelsey and many had hoped for. However, Louisville just picked up its first NCAA Tournament win since 2017, and with fans expectations high, Kelsey delivered a passionate message that has Louisville fans pumped for today’s showdown, but also the future.
“Keep fighting, there is a million fights throughout the game. There is a million fights every day that you need to win to be really, really successful. Win the fights," Kelsey stated in an interview. "They might not have hired the smartest dude in the world, but they hired a fricken fighter. Bring it. And the day we win a National Championship for this city will be one of the greatest days of my life because I’ll feel like I earned my key. Until then, I haven't done it.”
This interview was filmed before the NCAA Tournament, but with Louisville staring down Michigan State, the message has Cardinals fans even more excited for today's game. Kelsey’s message is just another reason why he is the perfect coach for Louisville, as he is an energetic guy who delivers powerful messages like this one, which will continue to attract elite players from either the Transfer Portal or recruiting classes.
Kelsey’s passionate message continues to prove he has this program trending upwards, but he understands the fans' standards and expectations, and he wants to win a National Title just as badly as the fans do. Louisville has never won an ACC Title, hasn’t been to the Sweet Sixteen in 10 years, and hasn’t been to the Final Four or the National Title since 2013. But Kelsey is here to change that script.
This city is starving for a tournament run, and Kelsey’s message has the fans believing he won’t stop fighting until he gives it to them. Whether Louisville wins or loses today, this program continues to trend up under Kelsey. The Cards will likely hit the portal hard for the second straight year after this season, and Kelsey made it clear he isn’t satisfied with just making the NCAA Tournament, he wants to give this city a National Title.
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