Louisville Cardinals
2019-20 record: 24-7, 15-5 in the ACC
Head coach: Chris Mack
Tenure at Louisville: 3rd season
Career coaching record: 256-115
Home court: KFC Yum! Center
Starters: G David Johnson, G Carlik Jones, F Samuell Williamson, F Jae’Lyn Withers, C Malik Williams
Bench: G Josh Nickelberry, G Charles Minlend, F D’Andre Davis, F Quinn Slazinski, F JJ Traynor, C Gabe Wiznitzer
Overview: Before the 2019-20 post season was cancelled, the Cardinals were in strong contention for a national title. Louisville managed an impressive 15-5 record in the ACC, earning a No. 14 ranking in the final AP poll of the season.
After losing the team’s 4 top scorers, the 2020-21 Cardinals certainly have their work cut out for them. Most significantly, team-leader Jordan Nwora departed for the NBA draft, taking 18.0 points per game along with him.
Louisville fans should anticipate a drop-off in production on the offensive end to begin the season. The new lineup will take some time to jell, but with talented players like Johnson and Williamson, the Cardinals have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming season.
Team ceiling: With the loss of NBA-level talent, the Cardinals don’t have the experience to play deep into March. We’ve yet to see evidence of an emergent offensive threat from this new nucleus of players.
Team floor: This is a young team that isn’t returning a double-digit scorer from last season. It’s entirely possible that Louisville struggles to replace Nwora and other contributors Steven Enoch and Dwayne Sutton.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.