Watch: Louisville HC Kenny Payne Previews Duke

The Cardinals return home to face the Blue Devils, who are one of the top teams in the ACC.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Following a brief stretch in which the Louisville men's basketball had been playing at a higher level than how they started the season, they then promptly followed that up with one of their worst conference losses in the Kenny Payne era.

The Cardinals struggled all afternoon to defend the three-point ball against Wake Forest, allowing the Demon Deacons to shoot a blazing 18-of-35 from long range. Louisville fell 90-65 as a result, and they are now on a three-game losing streak.

"(There was a) lack of communication," head coach Kenny Payne said. "In order to be a great defensive team, you got to communicate switches, you got to anticipate how to rotate to shooters. You can't just stare at the ball. You got to see your man and the ball."

Louisville might be coming home for their next matchup, but life in the ACC does not get any easier. Their next opponent is none other than Duke, who at No. 7 in the AP Top 25 is the second-highest ranked team in the conference behind North Carolina.

Prior to their matchup with the Blue Devils, Payne took time to meet with the media on the weekly ACC Coaches Conference Call. He discussed the previous game at Wake Forest, previewed the upcoming showdown vs. Duke, and more.

Below is the video from his press conference:

Head Coach Kenny Payne

(Photo of Kenny Payne: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

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