Louisville basketball needs an identity. Pat Kelsey's coaching style reflects his energy

The Kelsey house was a haven for basketball-crazed kids like Andy Marx growing up in Cincinnati.

A sturdy hoop, a glass backboard and no shortage of talent on the court. What more could you ask for?

"We just weren't allowed to play when they were eating dinner," said Marx, who now coaches boys basketball at William Henry Harrison High School. "That was the only rule."

Marx's lifelong friendship with new Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey was formed on the blacktop. From there, they helped bring Ohio's Division I state championship to Elder High School in 1993.

Their coach, Joe Schoenfeld, remembers vividly the moment he knew Kelsey was going to be one of that team's leaders. It occurred not long after the fiery point guard — "the Bob Cousy of Cincinnati," Marx said — joined the Panthers, who came out flat for a summer league game at Xavier.

"Hey, I thought Elder kids were supposed to be tough and get after it," Schoenfeld recalls Kelsey telling his new teammates during a timeout. "We're not really doing that; so let's get after it."

Above all else, that's what Cardinals fans can expect from his teams as the 48-year-old tries to return the program to national prominence.

"I don't know if he can really relax," Schoenfeld said. "He's always looking for ways to improve and get the most out of himself and the people he's working with.

"I think people who want to be successful and want to have the best brought out of them just kind of gravitate toward him; because he's just got that energy about him."

If winning the NCAA transfer portal and winning over the fan base are Nos. 1 and 2 on Kelsey's to-do list after being formally named U of L's coach Thursday, then Step 3 is asserting his identity on one of college basketball's winningest programs.

That was sorely lacking during the Kenny Payne era, during which the Cards lost more games by 20 or more points (14) than they won (12).

Kelsey has succeeded at his two previous head-coaching stops, Winthrop (2012-21) and Charleston (2021-24), where he amassed a record of 261-122, a .681 winning percentage and four NCAA Tournament appearances.

How will his style of play transfer over to his first high-major gig? Here's a look at the coach's calling cards on offense and defense:

'They move so fast'

One of Marx's biggest takeaways from observing Kelsey's practices is, "There's no need to even do a ton of conditioning.

"They move so fast," he said. "The pace, from drill to drill, is incredible."

Tempo eluded Kelsey during his first three seasons at Winthrop. From 2012-15, the Eagles finished 326th, 199th and 103rd, respectively, in possessions per 40 minutes on KenPom.com.

Since then, his teams have fared no worse than 51st (70.2) in 2023-24. And during his first season at Charleston, the Cougars ranked second in the country (73.5).

Their average offensive possession length this season was 16.2 seconds (43rd); and a standard defensive possession lasted 17.8 seconds (261st). And their turnover rate, 14.3, ranked 26th across Division I.

For reference, Louisville ranked 59th with 69.9 possessions per 40 minutes in Year 2 under Payne. Florida State led the ACC, and finished 33rd nationally, with 71.1.

"The key things they stress each day at practice are, 'How hard are you running the floor and getting down there to put pressure on the defense?' and, 'How many guys are getting to the glass?'" Marx said. "They chart that every single day."

To Marx's point, Charleston ranked 10th (35.6%), 18th (34.6%) and 43rd (33.6%) across DI in offensive rebounding rate during Kelsey's tenure. At the other end, they allowed opponents to corral 25% (58th), 25.4% (57th) and 26.4% (66th) of their missed shots.

U of L finished 2023-24 with a 28.2% offensive rebounding rate and a 27.5% defensive rebounding rate, which ranked 197th and 110th, respectively, on KenPom. North Carolina, at 32.6%, was the best at it in the ACC and ranked 74th nationally.

It's also worth noting Kelsey's final two Cougars teams were trigger-happy from beyond the arc. They ranked eighth in 3-point attempt rate (47.3%) in 2022-23 and 17th (46.9%) in 2023-24 but shot 33% (222th) and 34.7% (141st), respectively.

'Not your typical pack-line defense'

In Marx's opinion, saying Kelsey runs a pack-line defense, the kind made famous by Virginia coach Tony Bennett, would be a misconception.

"It is not your typical pack-line defense," Marx said. "They're adapting; and they're running NBA types of coverages.

"It's not the traditional, 'We're all in a gap; and we're only guarding things this way.' He has different coverage calls."

However you want to refer to it, Kelsey's scheme should be a step up from what we've seen lately at Louisville, which ranked 312th (111.3) and 215th (108.1) in points allowed per 100 possessions during Payne's tenure.

Over the past three seasons, Charleston surrendered 102.4 (163rd), 98.7 (67th) and 106.4 (179th), respectively. Opponents' effective field-goal percentages were 51.2% in 2021-22 (234th) and in 2023-24 (216th) and 47.9% (58th) in 2022-23.

North Carolina had the ACC's stingiest defense, ranking sixth in DI with 93.1 points allowed per 100 possessions during the 2023-24 campaign. Virginia, at 93.3, finished seventh.

One similarity between the Cougars and the Cards this season was that they weren't very opportunistic. Both had turnover rates of 16.2%, which ranked in the 230s on KenPom.

But Marx insists Kelsey tries to instill in his players the same mentality that was hammered into them playing for Schoenfeld at Elder.

"You had to play tough; you had to play physical," he said. "You're going to come out of the game with floor burns; and you're going to fight for every loose ball."

Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Pat Kelsey: Louisville basketball coach's style reflects his energy