Kentucky vs Louisville: How did Kenny Payne And John Calipari Turn Rivals?

The Louisville Cardinals will battle it out against the Kentucky Wildcats in a super-charged contest on Thursday at the KFC Yum Center. The match is special in more than one way. It marks the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry and losing it can have serious implications for the Louisville head coach Kenny Payne.

Starting in 1913, this game is just the tip of the Kentucky Louisville strife.

Battle of the Giants

The Kentucky Wildcats rivalry with the Louisville Cardinals in the college basketball circuit started in 1913 when the two played their first game against each other. In 1920s, the two had to pause playing matches with each other. And only participated in 12 games between 1913 and 1983. The two then locked horns during the NCAA tournament of 1983. Since then, both teams have religiously faced each other.

The tussle between the two has gained prominence because they have occupied the top spot in various places. While the Kentucky is the most winningest team in Division 1 of men’s basketball, the Louisville is placed at the 30th spot. They have been a force to reckon with in the past 50 years in college basketball. The Kentucky have 8 national championships whereas the Louisville have 3. Out of the three, the 2013 Championship title had to be vacated by the Louisville following a scandal.

Furthermore, the two teams have honed a lot of craft and their athletes have been drafted in the NBA. The Kentucky has given 46 players to the NBA whereas 24 athletes from the Louisville have emerged in the NBA. However, the feud took a more grave turn when Rick Pitino was the head coach.

The Rick Pitino Era

The rivalry between the two giants acquired some more oil when Rick Pitino was hired as the coach of the Louisville in 2001. For the record, Pitino had previously served as the head coach of the Kentucky from 1989 to 1997. This made their clashes all the more intense with Pitino occupying the same position till 2017. The Kentucky had the upper hand during those times since they won 12 clashes while the Louisville could grab only 6 wins during his time.

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The Kentucky has an outstanding record of 38-17 over the Louisville. When taking cognizance of the NCAA tournament, the Kentucky still outclasses the Louisville by a 4-2 margin. One of their most prominent wins came when they outshined the Louisville by a 69-61 tally during the 2012 Final Four. The upcoming clash will further decide if the Louisville can recover from their previous setbacks or the Kentucky will heap another win over their opponents. Unfortunately, this historical college basketball dispute has left Payne on the edge.

What’s in it for Kenny Payne?

Not many know that like the Kentucky and the Louisville rivalry, their current head coaches John Calipari and Kenny Payne too wield a history. It all started when Calipari tried to acquire Payne when the former was working at the Memphis. Although, it was a failed attempt, the duo forged a bond. When Calipari became the head coach at Kentucky, Payne started his work with the same team as an assistant.

Over the years, Payne became the highest-earning assistant coach in the whole country and was named the associate head coach for the Kentucky. Critics opine that Payne has taken a lot of his antics from Calipari and both of them have always adopted a player-first method. However, the friendship between the two is at risk since Calipari will be looking to enhance his lead over the Louisville with a win.

On the other hand, there has been a lot of talk about Payne’s career at the Losuiville ending if they lose against the Kentucky. Going by the past, it seems quite likely since there have been cases in the NCAA when the staff has been fired if they failed to impress a significant performance during a rivalry game.

Meanwhile, behind the smoke, there is a fire. Payne’s firing rumors have been corroborated by the fact that he has failed to put up a show ever since he was hired by the Louisville. The 57-year-old had an abysmal record of 4-28 during the NCAA 2022-23 season. Their poor performances have continued even in this year with a paltry 5-6 tally. The Cardinals thus occupy the ninth position in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

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Hence, it will be interesting to see if the Louisville are able to break the jinx or if Payne will fall flat on expectations one more time.