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Louisville HC Kenny Payne Previews Pitt (2/2/23)

Watch: Louisville HC Kenny Payne Previews Rematch at Pitt

The Cardinals head back on the road in an attempt to avenge their home beatdown at the hands of the Panthers earlier this season.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After taking down Georgia Tech for their first win in conference play, the Louisville men's basketball program nearly made it two in a row.

The Cardinals were able to dig themselves out of a 17-point hole against Florida State, and had a legitimate chance to steal a win from the visiting Seminoles. However, their furious comeback attempt came up just short, falling 81-78 to tie the program record for most losses in a single season.

Head coach Kenny Payne is proud of his team's effort down the stretch to try and win the game, but wants them to play with more consistency so that they don't have to mount insane comebacks in order to win.

"I want to get better every day," head coach Kenny Payne said Monday during the weekly ACC Coaches Call. "I want us to have a mindset that we're going to go out and compete and try to win the day, and then we'll stack days up. ... If I'm another team, and I'm facing us in the ACC Tournament, and Louisville's right, I'm nervous. Because we play hard and stretches. What if we played hard for 35-40 minutes? What would it look like?"

Next on the docket, Louisville has another in-season rematch, traveling up north to face Pitt. Roughly three weeks ago, the Cardinals were dealt a blowout home by the Panthers, falling 75-54 for their eighth 20-point loss of the season.

"I love the way that that Pitt plays," Payne said. "I love the swag that they play with, the confidence they play with, the chatter, the toughness that they play with. They talk to each other, they fight together. If one guy's down, you can hear two or three other guys trying to lift them up. They're well coached. Jeff (Capel) is a hell of a coach.

Prior to their matchup with the Panthers, Payne took time to meet with local and national media. He previewed the upcoming rematch at Pitt, discussed his vision for Jae'Lyn Withers', El Ellis' impact at Louisville, and more.

Below is the video from his press conference:

Head Coach Kenny Payne

(Photo of Kenny Payne, Louisville Players: Matt Stone - Louisville Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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