A year ago, Louisville posted its worst winning percentage in men's basketball since a 2-14 campaign in 1941. It seemed that the 4-28 Cardinals had nowhere to go but up in 2024.
That illusion was shattered on Monday when Louisville played Division II Kentucky Wesleyan in an exhibition—and lost 71-68.
The loss itself has alarm bells going off throughout Jefferson County—a similar defeat, to D-II Lenoir-Rhyne, anticipated the Cardinals' free fall last year—but coach Kenny Payne's postgame comments raised even more questions. Payne appeared to connect Louisville's loss to the Panthers to a dearth of talent on his roster.
