Louisville supporters were revved up after Pat Kelsey’s furious message to Mark Pope and Kentucky

Pat Kelsey has just set the tone for November 11.

The Cardinals’ upcoming preseason game against the Kansas Jayhawks is less than a month away. The November 11 game versus the Kentucky Wildcats at the KFC Yum! Centre is the most anticipated game in Louisville’s non-conference schedule.

The rivalry is currently at an all-time high, with both programs expected to be among the top ten teams and national title candidates. The fans despise each other, but the coaches appear to respect each other, despite their recent “UFC fight” over a recruitment dilemma.

However, in the midst of the Pat Kelsey and Mark Pope crisis, the Cardinals’ head coach addressed a heated message to Louisville fans, getting them excited for the November matchup.

Pat Kelsey delivers a heated message to Louisville fans.

For those who haven’t heard, Kelsey and Mark Pope got into a fight over recruiting and Taylen Kinney. Kelsey eventually addressed the incident and mocked how the media had blown it out of proportion, saying, “The dream was, this was a UFC fight, Dana White, the president of the UFC, is here.”

Kelsey then went on to laud Pope both on and off the court, before concluding with a fiery speech that has Louisville supporters ready to run through a brick wall.

“I am a competitor.” He is the head coach of one of the top programs in the country. “So am I.” Kelsey stated. “We compete on the court, in recruitment, and we go for it. But you know what? There is honour among thieves. We genuinely respect one another. Mark Pope, in my opinion, is one of the best coaches around. World-class father and spouse, and I still want to tear his face off when we play in November.”

Kelsey may have begun by joking and complimenting Pope, but his final statement—that he is ready to “tear his face off”—has the Cardinals’ fan base prepared for war. Kelsey has absolutely turned this program around and established a culture unlike any other.

The fans are fully invested in this program again, and despite Louisville’s 2-8 record in the last ten meetings with Kentucky, they are here to tell Wildcats fans that this coach is turning things around, and they will not only dominate November 11 and recruiting, but they will also be the kings of the state moving forward.

Stay tuned for all of the latest Louisville basketball offseason and recruiting news.