Diehards, those who love their team beyond reason, believe to the core in amulets of the soul.

My pal Bruce — May he rest in peace — was a believer. No talisman left uninvoked when necessary for a Cardinal victory.

I remember watching a game along with a few other fans at his apartment during the John Dromo regime. Cards led at the half against Bradley, if I recall correctly. Wichita State perhaps. It may have been early on during Denny’s tenure, but that’s not the point.

Louisville fell behind early in the 2d.

During the first break in the action, he ordered us to return to where we were sitting before intermission. Also that our friend who had turned off a floor lamp because it was shining in her eyes had to turn it back on.

U of L came back and won.

I thought of him when driving Tuesday to hoops Media Day, one of the more joyous annually for me.

I realized the date was October 15. Which before the season got extended fore and aft was the first day of practice, six weeks in advance of Opening Night, the first Saturday of December.

To get to the practice facility for the show and tell I pulled onto Arthur Street as is my wont, and thought of my father. Arthur Kaplan, who along with my mom introduced me to Cardinal hoops when I was but a pup. From the get go, it became the love of my life.

So my heart morphed more full, something I didn’t think possible, given the positive signs of the opening six months of the Pat Kelsey Era.

 * * * * *

So I was chomping at the bit as a less caffeinated than we’ve seen, thoughtful Pat Kelsey opened for questions.

I asked how much input he had into “fashioning the death march of the non-conference schedule?”

He was ready for this particular query, actually had a piece of paper with notes jotted down so he could get it all in.

“I knew you were going to ask this.”

Essentially he explained how the school had no input into the Ole Miss, Indiana or Kentucky games. Or Gonzaga if that comes about.

He related a story of being somewhere with AD Josh Heird when holes in the schedule still needed to be filled.

JH: “What about  November 9? We need a game.”

PK: “I said we need a ‘Guarantee.’ He thought I said ‘Tennessee.”

This guy, I’m tellin’ ya.

 * * * * *

A few things struck me that set this particular Media Day Q&A apart from those of PK’s predecessors.

There were but a few questions about players — only a couple of which were mentioned by name– or offense or defense schemes.

He was asked a lot about melding together the disparate parts of his extreme makeover of a squad. He repeatedly mentioned the importance of process, such that he apologized for talking of it so much. While still emphasizing its importance in his modus operandi.

He was calm and ruminative throughout. Very little coachspeak. The only time he turned into that guy walking across campus high fiving students to get them to Louisville Live, was when asked he was going to do to further promote attendance as the season draws nigh?

“That hay’s already in the barn,” he responded, While declaring his job from now on is to focus on and coach the team. Though he did get louder and more rah rah for about thirty seconds, underscoring how much fans in the stands will mean for success.

One fellow there asked him about preseason polls. Coming as close to dismissive as I’ve heard him, PK responded, “I could care less.

“Let’s go practice and get better today.”

 * * * * *

When talking about how he’s infused this squad with a sense of U of L’s storied history — from the first thing first day of practice in the summer — and importance in the community, he actually mentioned Peck Hickman, along with the successes of Denny Crum and Rick Pitino.

Which this old fart thought was plenty damn cool.

In that vein, I have been curious of his first cognizance of Louisville basketball, and was able to pull him aside for a moment and inquire.

“I vaguely recall the 1980 team. I was only four and a half.

“But that ’86 champion. Never Nervous. They were great.”

Hope springs.

Believers believe Pat Kelsey’s the guy who will lead the Cardinals back there, to where they once belonged.

— c d kaplan