Kenny Payne sends message to Louisville fans following embarrassing loss to Bellarmine

The Kenny Payne era of Louisville basketball did not get off on the right foot in the Cardinal’s opening night loss to Bellarmine. The Knights, who are still new to Division I, came into the Yum Center and won the in-city matchup 67-66. It was the worst outcome possible for the Cardinals but, in the end, Payne hopes this doesn’t shake the fan’s faith.

Payne spoke directly to the fanbase during his press conference after the loss. In order for them to get the program back to where they promised, he knows they’ll need their support even as they work out the kinks.

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“I just hope that people stick with us,” said Payne. “Eventually, we’re gonna get it figured out. I don’t know what that means but I know we’re gonna get better. We have gotten better but we have a long way to go.”

To Louisville’s credit, they did fight back from a double-digit deficit that they faced for a lot of the game. They got it back within a handful of possessions but a pair of missed shots from Kamari Lands and Roosevelt Wheeler ended the Cardinal’s chances at a comeback win. At the end of the day, Scotty Davenport’s team outshot and was more efficient than Payne’s.

Payne says the players need the support more than anyone in their program because of the low confidence he senses amongst the team right now. The staff’s biggest goal at the moment is instilling that faith in their roster however it’s necessary. As they work towards that, fan support would go a long way in helping them all during the process of it.

“We have players that are struggling with confidence, struggling with who they are, what they are. We’re trying to help them through it,” Payne said. “That’s what coaching is. It’s not Xs and Os and drawing plays. It’s inspiring young people to be great, inspiring young people to believe more than they’ve ever believed in their life. To getting a guy to think different. That’s our challenge. That’s what we’re trying to do every single day. Some of it is with love. Some of it, to be honest with you, is putting our foot in their butt. It’s just what it is.”

Recruiting concerns, both in high school and from the portal, had some worried about Payne entering his first campaign. This opening night loss did nothing but reinforce those concerns. Still, one loss does not a season make. It’s not an ideal start to Payne’s tenure but, if they want things to get better at Louisville after their last five years, Cardinal fans have to put their faith in him. This might not be the year but this is the foundation on which he’ll build his time at Louisville on. The least they can do through this season is stick with him and his team, whether they figure it out in ’22-’23 or not.