Louisville Ranked No. 91 in 2022-23 Preseason KenPom Ratings
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With the 2022-23 season just over three weeks away, various preseason polls, lists and rankings are starting to trickle out all across the collegiate basketball landscape.
One of which is the KenPom predictive ratings system, regarded as among the more trusted statistical models in the sport. On Sunday, the 2022-23 preseason KenPom ratings were released.
Like many other national polls and ACC power rankings, KemPom is not very high on Louisville entering the first year of the Kenny Payne era, as the Cardinals debut as the No. 91 team in college basketball with an adjusted efficiency margin of +8.16.
Payne has noted several times over the offseason that he wants to be a defensive-minded team, and that is reflected in KenPom’s preseason ratings. Louisville's defensive efficiency of 93.9 comes in as the 78th-best in Division I, whereas their offensive efficiency of 102.0 sits at 118th.
The Cardinals currently projected to go 13-16 (not accounting for their Maui Invitational games with an undetermined opponent) over the course of the regular season, and 7-13 in conference play.
Louisville starts the season as the second-worst team in the ACC according to KenPom, ahead of only Georgia Tech at 117th. Kentucky, Texas, Gonzaga, Tennessee and Virginia round out the top five nationally.
Last season, Louisville suffered their first losing campaign in over two decades, going 13-19 and mutually separating with head coach Chris Mack midway through the season. The Cardinals hired Payne, a former national champion with Louisville as a player and longtime assistant coach at Kentucky, as their next head coach.
The Cardinals have just six returners from last season in Sydney Curry, El Ellis, Mike James, Jae'Lyn Withers, J.J. Traynor and Roosevelt Wheeler. Louisville and Payne added 2022 prospects Kamari Lands, Devin Ree and Fabio Basili; as well as transfers Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and Hercy Miller to the fold to replace the departing talent.
Louisville will tip-off the regular season on Wednesday, Nov. 9 against Bellarmine at the KFC Yum! Center.
(Photo of El Ellis: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)
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