'We need you': Pat Kelsey leaves Louisville fans with fiery message before Memphis game
University of Louisville men’s basketball coach Pat Kelsey closed Friday’s press conference with an explosive and fiery message for fans.
The 11th-ranked Cardinals are set to host former Metro Conference rival Memphis (4-4) in the KFC Yum! Center at 3:30 on Saturday, and with a week in between games, Kelsey is trying to give the home crowd some juice before tip-off.
“I know it’s going to be absolutely frigid out tomorrow,” Kelsey began. “It’s going to be single digits. But it’s Saturday afternoon at 3:30 in Louisville, and it’s the Memphis Tigers and Louisville Cardinals. Like, Yum! Center…we need you!”
“Get out of your comfort zone, ‘cause we’re getting out of ours.”
Much has been made of Louisville’s non-conference schedule, one that includes seven high-profile opponents. Well, the Cards have already played Kentucky, Cincinnati, Indiana, and lost at Arkansas, and now start the back half of one of the toughest four-game stretches of the season, hosting Memphis and then traveling to No. 20 Tennessee on Tuesday.
“Hey, schedule Memphis. Hey, schedule Cincinnati. Schedule the Lakers, schedule the Celtics. Done! Where ‘ya at?”
You can find Kelsey’s entire pregame press conference here.
Kelsey has earned the right to come as close to demanding support as you can get. He led Louisville to an 18-2 ACC record and back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 — both while winning ACC Coach of the Year honors in his first season as a high-major coach.
Plus, his team is already 3-1 in high-profile games this season, but Saturday’s contest against the Tigers is Louisville’s second and final home non-conference game of the season against a high-profile opponent. Louisville has had a week between games as players focus on exams. It’s allowed the Cards to mend the bumps and bruises and build off an 87-78 win over No. 22 Indiana.
Also on Saturday, legendary Louisville basketball alum Junior Bridgeman and the 1975 Cardinals will be honored with the retirement of Bridgeman’s No. 10 jersey in the west rafters.
“We need you,” Kelsey added once more. “We need that place hopping tomorrow…if you don’t have your tickets yet, get ‘em!”
Louisville leads the all-time series against Memphis 54-36 and last played and beat the Tigers in 2017. Head coach Penny Hardaway has never coached against the Cardinals, but is coming off his best win of the season against Baylor.
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