Some said it was broken. Some said it was haunted by a looming dark cloud. And some said it just needed time (three or four years to be exact). But in the moment, and looking back, can you really blame the people who jumped off the Titanic?
A year ago, this would seem unimaginable: a turnaround like college basketball has never seen. One of the most prestigious programs in the country fell to the basement of the sport but shortly rose again in the most fitting way.
After Pat Kelsey was hired as the Louisville head basketball coach and set the tone in his opening presser, there was little remaining doubt that he was the guy. Today, there is none. There was question about how the person with his highest level of head-coaching experience being at the College of Charleston would fit in a sports-hungry city like Louisville. Those questions are gone and the resolution is simple: Louisville is back because they have finally found the right guy.
In his opening press conference, Kelsey said the UofL program was “ready to rock”, not broken and out of repair. A large part of Kelsey’s success isn’t due to his game philosophy, strategy, or ATO plays, but his personality, mentality, and what he holds valuable to himself. He often quotes his mentor Skip Prosser, saying to “never delay gratitude,” and this year Coach Kelsey has been seen interacting with students on campus and celebrating with fans in the stands after games- things you would never see some other coaches do.
As Kelsey says, “culture eats strategy for breakfast,” nothing has spoken louder than the relationships he has built on this roster. Kelsey compiled a team largely of players who would only be Cardinals for one year. Players who knew what was at stake and what had to be done. It wasn’t just about the money or publicity for this group, but the vision set forth by the leadership: return Louisville to the standard.
Pat Kelsey has coined the phrase ‘The ReviVILLE’ as a way to reestablish and restore the brand of Louisville basketball that had waned from its value. But, in the first year of the new era (or zero, depending whom you ask), the Cards have exceeded their win total from the previous three seasons combined, and for the first time, appeared in the ACC Championship. Also, Kelsey took home honors for the ACC Coach of the Year, and star PG Chucky Hepburn doing so for ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Louisville fans will tell you what they think of their seeding for the NCAA Tournament, and we will just leave it at that. What cannot be forgotten is that for the first time since 2019, the Cards are dancing. While we can look back on the past few years of disappointment, or this season of success, Team 111 is only looking forward.
No matter what ending this year has in store, all of CardNation will hold a special place in their hearts for the ‘ReviVILLEists’ and the 2024-25 season.
