Kenny Payne says first Louisville win was 'unbelievable'

For Louisville head coach Kenny Payne, it’s been an emotional start to his season. This is his first season as a head coach and it’s with his alma mater no less. At the same time, the Cardinals started this season at 0-9 with losses to teams like Bellarmine and Wright State.

Finally, Kenny Payne earned his first win as a head coach. It was a game and moment that he described as unbelievable.

“For me, it was unbelievable,” Kenny Payne said.

“It’s all about them. Nothing to do with me. It’s all about seeing their faces, and I asked them to smell it, taste it. What does it feel like to finally win?”

Kenny Payne emphasized that it took a lot of hard work to get to this point. Now, it’s a matter of maintaining what they’ve built to this point.

“When people doubt you, who don’t know you, and they doubt you, but you’ve got to have self-control, self-confidence to that if you pour it in that you will get it out eventually, and hopefully I’ll say this again. I hope that we don’t revert. Because it took a lot to get to this point and win this game. It took a lot. More than I can even tell you guys.”

Louisville beat Western Kentucky 94-83. The Cardinals will try and start a winning streak against Florida A&M and Lipscomb over the next few days. After that, Louisville will get deeper into ACC play. Then, there is a game against rival Kentucky mixed in. For how difficult the season has been to this point, it’s obvious that the Cardinals need all the momentum they can get.

Leonard Hamilton believes that Kenny Payne can turn things around

It’s been a difficult year for Florida State basketball, just like it has four Louisville. When the two met on the court, the Seminoles dominated the game, though. Still, Florida State basketball coach Leonard Hamilton said that he thinks Kenny Payne can turn things around.

“I have no doubt in my mind that they’re going to [turn things around],” said Hamilton.

“They’ve been challenged just like we are. There’s nobody better in the United States, maybe with the exception of a few. They got a great program [and] they got the right man for the job.”