Kenny Payne Using Louisville's 2013 Team as Precedent for Current Squad

In his hopes to re-establish a championship culture at Louisville, the head coach of the Cardinals is using their 2013 title team as a benchmark for what is expected.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville men's basketball program might be in the middle of a campaign that has already set numerous records for futility, but this weekend will nothing short of a celebration for the Cardinals.

No, it's not for what they have achieved - or lack thereof - this season. Instead, it's for one of the best teams to ever pass through this program.

During Louisville's Saturday home matchup against Clemson, the Cardinals will be honoring the 2013 team and their 10th anniversary of winning the school's third national championship. While UofL will have to toe the line in regards to how they honor them due to the fact that title is vacated, such as raising a banner that "2013 Final Coaches Poll #1," almost every member of the 2013 team is expected to be in attendance.

With so many icons of a former era of Louisville basketball returning the KFC Yum! Center, it's expected to be one of the more lively home crowds this season. Of course, time will tell how lively they get once it's time for the current squad to take the court.

This year's team has played better in recent weeks, even giving legitimate scares to No. 19 Miami and No. 7 Virginia. But sporting an overall record of 3-23, this season has already gone in the books as the worst of the modern era. It doesn't help that they'll be facing a Tigers team that, despite a recent slide, has already dealt Louisville an 83-70 loss in Clemson this season.

A message that first year head coach Kenny Payne harped on over the offseason and early in the current season was that he wanted his team to "win or learn." That message has shifted a bit considering Louisville has slowly put themselves in better positions to win.

However, another message was that, as part of the culture he wants to establish, he wants his players to understand what it truly means when to be at Louisville. To grasp the rich tradition and history of one of college basketball's most storied programs.

A lot of Louisville's richest traditions and strongest history came from the 1980's, which might still resonate with longtime fans, but an era that most current college basketball can't relate to. With the celebration of the 2013 squad taking place this weekend, and subsequently members of that team descending upon Louisville, Payne wants to use them as a modern precedent for what is expected when you don that Red and Black jersey.

"A team that this city loves is coming here to be celebrated," Payne said. "I want them to talk to our guys. I want them to tell them what they experience, their love and connectedness to one another, what it was (like) so that they can hear the passion of what a Louisville basketball team is. What a true Louisville basketball team is. They had that, that group that's coming in. I want them to talk about it."

Payne knows first-hand just how good of a team the 2013 squad was. While an assistant coach at Kentucky, the Wildcats traveled to the KFC Yum! Center on Dec. for the annual Battle of the Bluegrass, and were delivered an 80-77 loss by the No. 4 Cardinals.

It wasn't just Louisville's talent that impressed him on that day. It was more so their resilience and overall togetherness: something that Payne wants his own teams to emulate.

"Just how tough they were, how hard they fought, how they played together, the pressure they put on you defensively," Payne said when asked what it was like to coach against the 2013 team. "They were a really tough team. They were a tough opponent to play against, and they fought to win. They were a well-coached team. Great team, together team.

While the guys from that title team are back in town for the celebration, Payne wants his guys to take in much useful knowledge as they can from those guys, ranging from purely basketball talk to what it was like to play in a championship-caliber culture. His players will have the opportunity to soak up plenty relevant information and advice, as the only members of the 2013 title team who aren't expected to make an appearance are Russ Smith, Chane Behanan and Mangok Mathiang, according to a release from UofL.

Two players from that team have already had the opportunity to leave a mark on the current Cardinals: Peyton Siva and Russ Smith. The starting backcourt duo from 2013 has spent extended time around the program while Payne helps establish his culture. Siva - who now lives in Louisville - still regularly comes around to this day, while Smith did the same until he inked a contract to play in Italy for Pallacanestro Nardo late last year.

"Up until the day (Russ) left to go overseas to play, he's around us. I love that," Payne said. "I love him talking to players about his experience, his vision of the way the game should be played, what he learned from being here, what he got out of his foundation at Louisville.

"Then the same with Peyton (Siva). Two guys that basically fought as hard as they could every possession, and played with a fire and a determination to win. The energy that they had, connectedness that they had: two leaders. Not just in their words, in their actions as well. We are blessed to have those guys around us."

There isn't much hope left this season that Louisville will be able to make much - or any- noise in March, barring a near-unprecedented late season turnaround. But if Payne is able to successfully re-establish the championship culture at his alma mater, the Cardinals will probably look a lot like that 2013 team.

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

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