Kenny Payne shares how he identifies momentum with Louisville

While Louisville has already tied last season’s win total, it’s still not going well for the Cardinals after their latest loss to DePaul, who was 1-7 coming into the weekend, on Saturday.

Now, at 4-5 themselves, Kenny Payne wants to find a way to get the ball rolling and generate some energy within his program. That’ll start with a more competitive edge from his players. From there, he also noted a need to play together and commit to one another as well as a better understanding of what they do well on the court as a team.

“I think the first thing is competing for longer periods of time. Competing together, not just in spurts. Don’t get down 22 and then go on a 10-0 run. Play hard every second that you’re on the floor, play together,” said Payne during his postgame press conference in Chicago. “Make people walk out of the game and say, ‘Wow! Louisville is connected. They’re not disconnected. They play for each other, they love each other, they fight for each other’.”

“For me? Momentum is I know we’re capable of beating anybody we play. But I also know that we’re capable of losing to anybody we play. They have to know that as well,” Payne continued. “They have to know what makes us good and play that way. We’re one of the best teams in the country when we drive the ball, move it, getting in the lane, draw fouls. Making people foul us, making layups, shooting the ball in rhythm. But we also go through stretches where we settle. When we settle and play for ourselves instead of a team? We don’t look the same. When we defend and one guys not doing what he’s supposed to do? It breaks down on everybody.”

Again, this is already a far better start than the one Louisville had a season ago. They didn’t pick up their fourth win of the season until mid-February last time around. They’ve also been more competitive in their own right with all of their losses coming by 10 points or less. That, in and of itself, is some form of progress.

Still, the 75-68 loss to the Blue Demons was one again disheartening for the Cardinals. They went down as much as 19 after DePaul outscored them by a margin of 18-2 in the final five and a half minutes of the first half. They themselves closed the game on a 13-4 run but it was too little, too late at that point for Payne’s squad.

With all that said, Payne has not given up on Louisville yet. He knows they’re way closer than they were and now just need to have some confidence in themselves and their brand in order to turn some of these losses into much-needed wins.

“That’s hard,” said Payne. “It’s the last piece of the puzzle.”

“I want this team to be able to step on the floor every second that they’re on the floor and play together. Play hard, fight hard,” Payne said. “You’re representing Louisville – represent it with a pride.”