Pat Kelsey: 'I like the overall makeup of our team'

Former College of Charleston head coach Pat Kelsey now takes over the reins of the Louisville basketball program following a disappointing two-year stretch under Kenny Payne. Who was fired following last season after having a 12-52 record at the helm.

Kelsey will look to turn things around for the Cardinals next basketball season, which starts with the work he’s put in this offseason constructing his roster and coaching staff.

With 13 players departing from the team through the transfer portal and a slew of new additions, Louisville will look very different next season with numerous fresh faces. Which led to Kelsey being asked who he believes will step up and play a significant role on this year’s team in an interview with Jon Rothstein.

“It’s hard right now to just pinpoint one or two to be honest with you,” Kelsey said. “I like the overall makeup of our team as I mentioned. I don’t think now’s the time really to name specific guys. But I love the DNA of our team, I love the makeup, I love what they’re about.”

Outside of high school four-star forward Khani Rooths, the remainder of Kelsey’s 2024 commitments come out of the transfer portal. With 12 players from different programs committing to the Cardinals, many of which boast experience in the most recent NCAA Tournament.

Three transfer additions join Louisville from Kelsey’s former coaching job at Charleston, with a pair also coming from BYU. Also headlined by experienced players like Aboubacar Traore, Terrence Edwards Jr., and Chucky Hepburn who have eclipsed 1,000 points in their careers.

“They say in college basketball now, Jon, you have to get old and you got to stay old. Especially as that additional COVID year is still out there,” Kelsey said.

“You know if you have a roster full high school guys, now it’s really really important to have a balanced roster as you move forward. And you have homegrown and you have grassroots recruiting, and you’re recruiting freshmen, and you’re cultivating them, and growing them, and building them. That will always be a major part of our program,” Kelsey explained. “But I think having an older, mature roster is always going to be key to being a great program as you move forward and we have that.”

As Kelsey continues to build up his program, recruiting and developing high school talent will rise in importance. But as the Cardinals look to improve quickly, there’s no doubt that there’s plenty of experience and potential in this year’s squad to be excited about.