Louisville Cardinals
2019-2020 Overall Rank: #8
Conference Rank: #4 ACC
Louisville had a decent debut season under head coach Chris Mack. They won 20 games and reached the NCAA Tournament, but of course the expectations are much higher than that in Louisville. And losing in the first round of the tournament was certainly disappointing as well. However, six of the top seven scorers are back and those disappointing seasons will be behind the Cardinals for at least a few years.
2018-19 Record: 20-14, 10-8
2018-19 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Chris Mack
Coach Record: 20-14 at Louisville, 235-111 overall
Key Departed Players:
Christen Cunningham, Guard, 10.1 ppg
Khwan Fore, Guard, 3.3 ppg
VJ King, Guard/Forward, 3.9 ppg
Akoy Agau, Forward, 1.6 ppg
Key Returning Players:
Jordan Nwora, Junior, Forward, 17.0 ppg
Dwayne Sutton, Senior, Forward, 10.0 ppg
Malik Williams, Junior, Forward/Center, 7.7 ppg
Steven Enoch, Senior, Center, 9.4 ppg
Ryan Mahon, Senior, Guard, 7.2 ppg
Darius Perry, Junior, Guard, 5.4 ppg
Key New Players:
Aidan Igiehon, Freshman, Forward
David Johnson, Freshman, Guard
Lamarr “Fresh” Kimble, Senior, Guard, Grad Transfer from St. Joseph’s
Josh Nickelberry, Freshman, Guard
Keith Oddo, Senior, Guard, Grad Transfer from Richmond
Hogan Orbaugh, Freshman, Center
Quinn Slazinski. Freshman, Forward
Samuell Williamson, Freshman, Guard/Forward
Jae’Lyn Withers, Freshman, Forward
Projection:
The frontcourt is absolutely loaded. Jordan Nwora is back after leading the team with 17.0 points and 7.6 rebounds. The 6-7 junior can score from anywhere on the floor and knocked down a team high 77 three-pointers. Also back is Dwayne Sutton who tallied 10.0 points and 6.9 rebounds. The 6-5 small forward is a decent shooter, but does his best work around the basket. Steven Enoch and Malik Williams are the slightly more traditional big men. Enoch has been the more productive scorer, but Williams is a very good rebounder and the team’s best shot blocker. Ryan McMahon and Darius Perry are the returnees on the perimeter. Both are quality shooters who can handle the ball a little bit too. However, the most important newcomer among a huge group of newcomers will do most of the ball handling. Lamarr Kimble comes from St. Joseph’s where he averaged 15.6 points and 2.8 assists last season. There are a total of seven freshmen on the roster and most of them could make a big impact. Samuell Williamson, Josh Nickelberry and David Johnson will add more options on the perimeter. Williamson is the star of this class and the 6-7 wing can do a bit of everything for this team. Aidan Igiehon, Quinn Slazinski and Jae’Lyn Withers will add more quality options in the frontcourt. Minutes may be tough to come by, but the freshmen can add another dynamic to the team and crack the regular rotation. Once Coach Mack finds the right pieces at the right time, this is a Louisville team that can compete for a title in the extremely tough ACC.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 74.6 (119th in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 68.4 (88, 8)
Field-Goal Percentage: 43.4 (228, 10)
Field-Goal Defense: 40.8 (30, 7)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.6 (80, 3)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.2 (193, 5)
Free-Throw Percentage: 77.7 (8, 1)
Rebound Margin: 3.6 (65, 6)
Assists Per Game: 13.5 (173, 7)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.2 (104, 5)
Madness 2020 NBA Draft Rankings:
#34 Jordan Nwora
#40 Samuell Williamson
#43 Steven Enoch
Madness 2019 Men’s Basketball Recruit Rankings:
#18 Samuell Williamson
#47 Aidan Igiehon
#83 David Johnson
#86 Josh Nickelberry
#110 Jaelyn Withers
