Louisville basketball's Pat Kelsey goes full hype mode ahead of Tennessee showdown
Louisville basketball coach Pat Kelsey is making a name for himself on campus. Kelsey went around hyping up students in a viral video that surfaced online. The coach aimed to get people enthused about the program's game Saturday against Tennessee.
A video posted to Kelsey's X account showed the coach telling students on campus about the game and asking them if they were attending the contest. The coach walked around the buildings before entering the student union, where he passed out a few T-shirts.
"We'll see everybody at the (KFC Yum Center) 12 o'clock on Saturday, vs. Tennessee! Louisville Tennessee!" Kelsey yelled out at the student union. He appeared quite enthused and ready to go.
Louisville basketball is under new leadership with Pat Kelsey
Pat Kelsey is in his first season at Louisville basketball. The coach had a successful run at the College of Charleston, where he led the school to two straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Kelsey also made March Madness while at Winthrop. He had a 30 win season at Charleston, where he won 75 games in three seasons.
The new Louisville basketball coach is already making his mark at the school. He famously invited former Cardinals head coach Rick Pitino to return for a visit. He also won his first game at the job, defeating Morehead State soundly. Now, he's popping up all over campus shouting out words of enthusiasm for his team.
It's understandable, because Louisville basketball hasn't had anything to cheer about for awhile. The team underwent a disastrous tenure under former head coach Kenny Payne. Payne won only 12 games in two seasons with the school. He is now the associate head coach under John Calipari at Arkansas.
Kelsey will look to lead this Louisville basketball team back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019. There's a strong non conference slate this season for the Cardinals, including a trip to the Battle 4 Atlantis. Other teams in that event include Gonzaga and Indiana, so Louisville will get their chances before ACC play to build a strong resumé.
The Louisville-Tennessee game will be a good barometer for how this Cardinals team will do this season. Louisville is rebuilding and Tennessee has historically been one of the best teams in the country in recent years. The Volunteers went to the Elite Eight in 2024, with head coach Rick Barnes. Tennessee is ranked no. 12 in the country.
Louisville basketball and Tennessee battle at 12:00 Eastern Saturday.
