It was a great weekend for Louisville basketball fans. No, the team was not in the tournament, but Kentucky losing to the Saint Peter’s Peacocks was just as good.
John Calipari’s Annual Salary: $8 Million
— T3 Bracketology (@TBracketology) March 18, 2022
Saint Peter’s ENTIRE athletics department budget: $7.5 Million
?This upset was unreal
Not only was it a 15 seed beating a 2 seed. The Peacocks took down one of the blue bloods of college basketball, which makes it all that much better. Everybody was talking about how this Kentucky team was unbeatable when healthy, but they ran into the MAAC champions. A special performance by the Peacocks and an embarrassment for the Wildcats. This was Thursday and Kenny Payne was officially announced as the Louisville Basketball head coach Friday morning.
Homecoming for Kenny Payne
An assistant for Calipari for 10 years and an assistant for the New York Knicks for 2 seasons, Payne now finds his way home as the head coach for the Louisville Cardinals.
Kenny Payne press conference video and transcript https://t.co/RS6EeD9W5O
— Mike Rutherford (@CardChronicle) March 18, 2022
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear was at the introduction, the most Kentucky thing ever. Kenny Payne described what the team would look like under him. He essentially said the team is going to get out in transition and play fast. He said, “I know y’all don’t want to sit here and see a game in the 50s.” That is a breath of fresh air, as the Chris Mack teams lived in the 50s and 60s. The Knicks were very reluctant to let him go, but ultimately saw how much this job meant to Kenny and allowed him to pursue his dream. Kenny Payne has gotten nothing but support from Calipari, former and current players including Julius Randle.
Julius Randle cried. Leon Rose cried. William Wesley cried. And, of course, Kenny Payne cried.
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) March 19, 2022
“I call him ‘Pops’ because he’s like another father to me,” Immanuel Quickley said.
For Kenny Payne, leaving the Knicks for Louisville is part of a love story: https://t.co/E4boWLYPw5 pic.twitter.com/1m1hfL1UtD
Seeing how much his former players and coaches love him is a comforting feeling early in this era of Cardinal Basketball.
Immediate Impact of Kenny Payne
What can Cardinal fans expect immediately? An increase in big recruits. Kenny Payne is known for his ability to recruit. This was seen at Kentucky. Rumors are already swirling about DJ Wagner Jr. the number 1 overall recruit in 2023. DJ’s grandfather is Milt Wagner, who played with Payne at Louisville and are still good friends. There is a chance that Wagner will be on the coaching staff in Louisville. Currently Kentucky seems to be his #1, but with this recent hire a lot of people believe the race will be between Kentucky and Louisville.
DJ Wagner dropped a 30 ball in the TOC Semi’s last night ?? pic.twitter.com/ZEaGRb7cFk
— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) March 18, 2022
This would be a MASSIVE get for Payne and Louisville. A chance to make an immediate impact and a chance to steal one from UK. This will be an interesting recruitment to follow.
This is a historic hire and what seems to be an excellent hire. Only time will tell if everything can translate to success on the basketball court, but I am excited. I can’t wait to see what Payne and his staff can do for many years to come.
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