Though the Louisville basketball team beat USF in the first round of the March Madness national tournament, the program would fall in the second round to Michigan State on Saturday, 77-69. As Louisville basketball head coach Pat Kelsey looked to build after the USF win, the team will now be sent home, though he would speak about the program's future expectations.
The Cardinals' season has come to an end, finishing with a 24-11 record, which put them in the top 25 nationally. Kelsey would emphasize after the loss to the Spartans what the “standard” for the program is, which doesn't include losing in the second round of the NCAA tourney.
“But I'm very, very proud of our guys,” Kelsey said, via Sports Illustrated. “We're well aware at the University of Louisville what the standard is in our city for our program. Losing at this round in this game is not the standard, and we understand that. But these guys have a whole bunch to be proud of. We haven't advanced in the tournament in this tradition rich, one of the best brands in college basketball, in eight or nine years, and this team did this over this weekend, and that's something that they should be very, very proud of.”
Louisville basketball's Pat Kelsey on the loss
The matchup was an unfavorable one for the Louisville basketball team, going up against a Michigan State program that is always a “tough” and “disciplined” squad led by veteran head coach Tom Izzo. Kelsey would repeat those sentiments and take an emotionally reflective approach to the season ending.
“Really proud of our guys. These press conferences and these postgame speeches to your team are the ones that you dread the most, especially talking to your team for the last time. When I say for the last time, I told them, that's the last time that that group will be together in one place, probably forever,” Kelsey said.
At any rate, the Cardinals look to take this loss as fuel and make some noise next season with another hopeful, successful season.
