Watch: Louisville HC Pat Kelsey Previews North Carolina

The Cardinals host the Tar Heels on New Year's Day.

Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey instructed his team against Duke during their game at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. on Dec. 8, 2024. / Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville men's basketball program certainly had to earn it in their last time out.

Facing Eastern Kentucky in their final non-conference game of the 2024-25 season, the Cardinals found themselves trailing in the final seconds. However, thanks to a go-ahead layup from Noah Waterman with 1.2 seconds left, Louisville was able to escape with a 78-76 victory.

"I look back on it, we had a bunch of opportunities in the game to really expand the lead, head coach Pat Kelsey said. "You credit them. They made big shots when the game could have gone one way. ... There's crucial moments where you just get stops, but there's several of them where you watch it and you just tip your cap. Those were some really tough plays where we executed pretty darn well on the defensive end."

From here on out, it's all conference foes, and they have a stiff test to kick off the New Year in North Carolina. While the Tar Heels have dropped out of the AP Top 25, Kelsey knows that UNC will not be any easy team to take down - even at home.

"They're one of the most talented teams in the country," Kelsey said. "They're led by one of the most decorated college players in the last several decades. Hubert Davis is a phenomenal coach. Obviously, the history of North Carolina basketball speaks for itself, and this is a very, very talented, dangerous edition of their program. We got to be at our best to beat them."

Prior to their matchup with the Tar Heels, Kelsey, took time to meet with the media. He discussed the previous game vs. Eastern Kentucky, previewed the upcoming showdown vs. North Carolina, and more.

Below is the videos from his press conferences:

Head Coach Pat Kelsey

(Photo of Pat Kelsey: Sam Upshaw Jr. - Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

You can follow Louisville Cardinals On SI for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram:

Facebook - @LouisvilleOnSI
Twitter/X - @LouisvilleOnSI
Instagram - @louisvilleonsi

You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter/X and @mattmcgavic.bsky.social on Bluesky