Kenny Payne shares appreciation for 2013 Louisville team

Saturday was a big day for the Louisville basketball program inside the Yum Center. One part of it was just the Cardinal’s fourth overall win of the year, and second in ACC play, over Clemson. The other part was the banner that commemorated the 2013 Louisville Cardinals.

While that team had their title vacated by the NCAA, Kenny Payne expressed the importance of that particular squad to their city following the game. He didn’t give an opinion on the association’s ruling on the matter but, in the end, didn’t want their overall impact to go unnoticed.

“That’s a tough question to ask me. I’m not the guy to know that answer. But I can tell you this. That group is loved here and they should be loved here,” said Payne. “What they’ve done is inspire a lot of people and made a lot of people happy. There are only three teams that can say they walked away with it and they’re one of them.”

“I don’t really know what to say about the NCAA and what they will and won’t do. But I know what this community feels about those young men that played on that team. And I know that they’re loved,” Payne said.

That specific Louisville team went 35-5 before the NCAA adjusted their record. The backcourt of Russ Smith and Peyton Siva along with plenty of depth that featured names like Chane Behanan, Luke Hancock, Gorgui Dieng, Wayne Blackshear, Montrezl Harrell, Kevin Ware, and Stephan Van Treese helped the program win the Big East and the NCAA Tournament.

However, a well-known scandal surrounding that era of Louisville vacated all of their accomplishments. That’s why, this weekend, the banner that replaced their national championship one only read ‘Final Coaches Poll #1’.

Still, there’s no denying what that team was able to accomplish both on and off the floor. They might not be officially in the history books but Payne is doing his best to ensure that the Louisville community remembers them as they should.