LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Louisville men's basketball team has improved more spots in the NET ratings than any team in Division I and is racing to the NCAA Tournament with a 20-6 record after winning only 12 games the previous two seasons.
It's no surprise then that first-year Cardinals' coach Pat Kelsey, who has led that turnaround after rebuilding Louisville's entire roster from scratch, would be among the 15 coaches to watch for the Naismith National Coach of the Year Award released on Friday.
Kelsey has been in the hunt for national awards before. He was voted a district coach of the year by the US Basketball Writers Association and the National Basketball Coaches Association after his Charleston team finished 31-4 in 2023.
At Louisville, he has led the No. 25 Cardinals back into the Top 25 for the first time in four seasons and, after the team was picked to finish ninth in the ACC preseason poll, has the Cards in second with four league games to play.
A promotional graphic touting Pat Kelsey's first-year accomplishments produced by University of Louisville athletics.
Moreover, his roster has been significantly impacted by two season-ending injuries — to rotation regulars Kasean Pryor and Koren Johnson — as well as significant in-season injuries to front-line contributors Aboubacar Traore and Noah Waterman.
With its next win, Louisville will match the largest single-season improvement (in wins) in school history, accomplished twice, once by the 1985-86 NCAA championship team and again by the 2004-05 Final Four team.
The Naismith Award, presented by Werner Ladder and the Atlanta Tipoff Club, has been given annually since the end of the 1987 season. No Louisville coach has ever won it.
But there are some Louisville connections on this year's watch list.
Longtime Cardinals' coach Rick Pitino, who has coached St. John's to a 23-4 record to this point, is on the list. And his son, Richard, a former Louisville assistant and the head coach of the 22-5 New Mexico Lobos, also is among the candidates.
Others on the Naismith watch list:
- Greg Gard, Wisconsin
- Dennis Gates, Missouri
- Todd Golden, Florida
- Penny Hardaway, Memphis
- Tom Izzo, Michigan State
- Dusty May, Michigan
- Grant McCasland, Texas Tech
- Ben McCollum, Drake
- Matt Painter, Purdue
- Bruce Pearl, Auburn
- Kelvin Sampson, Houston
- Jon Scheyer, Duke
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