Louisville basketball HC Pat Kelsey's blunt assessment of crucial technical foul in NCAA Tournament loss
03/20/2025 06:29 PM
When Louisville basketball and Creighton squared off in the first round, it was bound to be a close game. However, Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey made a move that cost his team the game.
He picked up a technical foul that swung the momentum of the game in the Blue Jays favor. As a result, the latter ended up winning the game and advancing to the second round.
Following the game, Kelsey was blunt when asked about that technical foul.
"I got frustrated and said something I shouldn't have,” Kelsey said via Josh Graham on X (formerly Twitter). “Far less than an ideal time to get a technical.”
As Kelsey said, it wasn’t an ideal time to get a technical foul. While the officials were letting calls slide most of the game, there was clearly a boiling point.
It didn’t matter though, as Creighton had a career-game from Jamiya Neal, who posted 27 points. That alone didn’t help Louisville basketball in the slightest.
Still, losing your temper in the tournament isn’t a good look. Although the Cardinals were one of the premier teams in the ACC, that is the beauty of March Madness.
Louisville basketball’s Pat Kelsey regrets the technical foul
It’s easy for emotions to boil over, especially in the NCAA tournament. Anything can happen at any time. Funny enough, many predicted that Louisville basketball would be a six-seed instead of an eight.
However, their opponent wasn’t like a typical nine-seed. Creighton was dialed in from the very beginning. Although the game was back and forth, one little move like a technical foul can change everything.
Despite that, it’s important to look at Kelsey’s first season in Louisville. It’s rare for a first-year head coach in a Power conference to dominate the way he did.
Funny enough, Kelsey beat out Jon Scheyer for the ACC Coach of the Year award. Following an 18-win turnaround, he led the Cardinals to a tournament appearance.
This was a first for Kelsey with the program. Not to mention, his technical foul could be a learning experience moving forward. It’s not the most ideal but something he can keep track of.
Even if the game isn’t going in his favor, holding back his emotions would be key. At the same time, a technical foul can give a spark to his team.
Discerning the difference between the two will be the main metric going forward. Kelsey and his crew will be watching from home. The head coach will likely be wondering “What if he didn’t get a technical foul?”
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