Kenny Payne routinely scribbles on a whiteboard in the last few minutes before tipoff.
Nothing that Louisville’s second-year men’s basketball head coach created on Saturday night could stop this.
The 2023–24 Cardinals season was disastrous for a long time. However, after their 21st defeat, 82-76, to Syracuse at the KFC Yum! Centre, it was formally recorded as the second-worst in the history of the current programme.
Payne is currently ranked first and second on the list.
It’s “soul-searching” time for some team members, junior Brandon Huntley-Hatfield told reporters on Saturday. He said, “It’s not our staff.” “It’s on us.”
However, when U of L (8-21, 3-15 ACC) dropped five straight games with an average margin of 18.4 points to secure yet another last-place conference result, Payne publicly questioned his ability to motivate his team.
As he began his postgame news conference, he stated, “I look at this and I say, ‘All right, am I giving the message the wrong way?'” “Am I requesting anything from you that you cannot give up? Are I making a statement that doesn’t translate?
The Cards fell behind the Orange (20-10, 11-8 ACC) by as much as 19 points and for all but 3 minutes and 54 seconds.
The tension-filled match that the teams engaged in on February 7 at the JMA Wireless Dome seems a long way off after reading that statement. Both was and wasn’t it. There were glimmers of promise in Louisville.
Before the last 4:43 of the first half, it had reduced the lead from nine points to three, but Syracuse was able to close with a 10-2 run. At 12:58 of the second half, when it was within five points, 52-47, the Orange embarked on a 14-3 run to regain the lead.
With 39 seconds left in regulation, the game was down to two possessions, 78-74, as those stretches destroyed one last rally. They reminded me of something Payne said on Wednesday following a defeat over No. 10 Duke by 25 points.
