LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Denny Crum could not make it to the celebration when Kenny Payne won his first Atlantic Coast Conference game at the University of Louisville Wednesday night.
So Payne took the celebration to his former coach Friday morning.
Payne said that his phone was flooded with more than 200 text messages and calls after U of L defeated Georgia Tech, 68-58.
Larry Brown, one of Payne’s Hall of Fame mentors, checked in. So did Mike Tomlin, the coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Former UK assistant coach and current Spurs scout George Felton called with encouragement.
Payne had a conversation with Bam Adebayo, a player he coached at Kentucky who made the NBA all-star team. Friends, former teammates and players all wanted to share in the moment.
But on Friday morning Payne made certain to visit Crum, who is battling health issues at his home in Jeffersontown as his 86th birthday approaches next month.
“Denny loves Kenny,” said Crum’s wife, Susan. “He was so happy when Kenny got the job. I’m sure he loved having Kenny here talking to him today.”
Payne wanted to check on the spirits of his college coach — and reassure him that he, his staff and players aspire to return the program to the standard that Crum established when he made Louisville a national program after arriving in 1971.
“I talked to Susan and him about what we trying to do and how we continue to try to bring this along and we haven't let go of the rope,” Payne said. “We’re still fighting.
“I want (coach) and her to be alive to watch us make a big jump, to see this program that he poured so many years into and that represents him.
“And it's hard because these kids have no idea of the work that went into this program before they got here. And we're trying to educate them on that as well.”
“We were so happy that Kenny and the team got that win,” Susan Crum said. “It had to be hard on them. Now (Payne) can finally take a breath.”
Not for long.
The Cards (3-19 overall and 1-10 in the ACC) return to the KFC Yum! Center Saturday at 2 p.m. to host Florida State, a team that defeated U of L, 75-53, on Dec. 10 in Tallahassee.
According to the analytics sites, this game represents the Cardinals’ best chance of getting their second ACC victory and fourth overall win over the final four weeks of the regular season.
Ken Pomeroy’s computer formula puts Louisville’s win probability at 37% while the number is 38% at BartTorvik.com.
For comparison, the Cards’ win probability sits at less than 10% in five of their final eight games.
One player who can raise that percentage is forward Jae’Lyn Withers. He delivered his strongest overall game this season against Tech.
Credit Withers with a season high 19 points. He made four shots from distance. He got to the line 9 times and made 7. He had 13 rebounds, also his season best.
Withers did many good things for 35 minutes, for his best overall performance as a Cardinal.
“I'm gonna continue to hold him to a different standard,” Payne said. “I’ll probably be a little bit more upset when I don't get that same energy, that same rebounding intensity. I’ll probably take him out.
“Because I keep saying this to him, and I'm gonna let you guys in on it, I need him to see himself the way I see him.
“And I see him as an elite defender. I see him as an elite rebounder. I see him as the guy that should be filling up a stat sheet every night. And if he doesn't see himself that way, that's gonna be a problem for me. And it has been a problem for me.”
Think about this. When Louisville defeated Western Kentucky, guard El Ellis scored 30 points. Against Tech, Ellis scored 11, one of his five lowest scoring performances this season.
That was fine with Ellis, who understands the difference Withers can make for this team. They won the game with four guys in double figures.
“You’ve got to stay on Jae’Lyn,” Ellis said. “I’ve been trying to do that all season, just to give him that confidence. KP has been trying to do the same thing.
“He’s one of the best players in the ACC when he wants to be … if we can keep that mindset that he had of not thinking so much and just going out there and playing, he can be who he was (Wednesday) each and every game.”
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