Kelsey was hired in late March with an even taller task of lifting Louisville from two historically bad seasons under former Cardinals player Kenny Payne, who previously spent 10 years as Calipari’s assistant. (Payne has reunited with Calipari at Arkansas.)

Mark Pope’s Kentucky Wildcats won the first meeting over Pat Kelsey’s Louisville Cardinals, but both college basketball coaches are inspiring hope.

On the eve of the first time Mark Pope would coach his college alma mater against its intrastate archrival, the new Kentucky head man decided to do a little historical research. Along with his wife, Lee Anne,