NBA “Today’s departure from Louisville is the worst ever.”

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Kenny Payne usually spends the final minutes before tipoff scribbling on a whiteboard.

Nothing the second-year Louisville men’s basketball head coach drew up Saturday night could prevent this.

The Cardinals’ 2023-24 season went off the rails a while ago. But with their 21st loss, 82-76 to Syracuse at the KFC Yum! Center, it officially became the second worst in modern program history.

Payne now holds spots No. 1 and 2 on that list.

One of his players, junior Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, told reporters Saturday it’s “soul-searching” time for some team members. “It’s not our staff,” he said. “It’s on us.”

But with U of L (8-21, 3-15 ACC) having lost five consecutive games by an average margin of 18.4 points to clinch another last-place finish in conference play, Payne openly questioned his ability to reach his squad.

“I look at this and I say, ‘All right, am I giving the message the wrong way?'” he said during the opening statement of his postgame news conference. “‘Am I asking you to sacrifice something that you’re not able to? Am I saying something that’s not translating?'”

But with U of L (8-21, 3-15 ACC) having lost five consecutive games by an average margin of 18.4 points to clinch another last-place finish in conference play, Payne openly questioned his ability to reach his squad.

“I look at this and I say, ‘All right, am I giving the message the wrong way?'” he said during the opening statement of his postgame news conference. “‘Am I asking you to sacrifice something that you’re not able to? Am I saying something that’s not translating?'”

The Cards trailed the Orange (20-10, 11-8 ACC) for all but 3 minutes, 54 seconds and by as many as 19 points.

That sentence makes this game seem like a far cry from the nail-biter the teams played Feb. 7 at the JMA Wireless Dome. It was and wasn’t. Louisville had only glimmers of hope.