Louisville basketball fans have been looking at this season through a distorted lens. Addressing the perspective of Cardinals fans and what realistic expectations should be going forward.
In the month of February, the Louisville basketball core four became the group of Carlik Jones, David Johnson, Samuell Williamson, and Jae’Lyn Withers.
Starter Dre Davis is a major defensive presence and a fearless offensive player. Quinn Slazinski is the consummate bench energy guy. And JJ Traynor just may be the most underrated player on the team.
This is it. This is Louisville basketball, and right now, nothing else matters. Not Chris Mack’s trash talking, not what is happening with Igiehon or Nickelberry, or even Charles Minlend. It’s not Malik Williams’ injury.
It’s none of that because what Louisville has to work with right now, as it has been all season, is good enough to exceed expectations in March.
Putting 2020-21 into perspective
The core pieces that Louisville has at its disposal are the same pieces that swept Duke. They are the same players that beat Virginia Tech. It’s the same guys that survived Seton Hall, trounced WKU and Georgia Tech. All of whom are currently projected as NCAA Tournament teams.
Louisville currently has 13 wins, 7 of which are against teams that are likely to be in the big dance when things are said and done.
The narrative this season has been “oh, well this is Louisville. We don’t get excited about wins over unranked teams. We should expect a top 25 team and a top 3 seed every year.”
I get that, to an extent. Yes, as a borderline blue blood program, the expectations have to remain high. But, look around you, my friends. Look at the fellow “Blue Bloods” of the world in 2021.
Kentucky is a joke. Indiana is a Big Ten punching bag yet again. Kansas has been skirting the fringes of the top 25 all season. Duke is a bubble team. North Carolina is not too much better than Duke. Michigan State is battling for its tournament life. UCLA has been garbage for a decade.
This season, Louisville basketball isn’t the exception; its the rule. This year, Gonzaga, Baylor, and Michigan are running the college basketball world. Teams like Drake, Loyola, Arkansas, Colorado, Alabama, Creighton, Illinois, and Iowa are in the top 25 while the guys that have been in the final four in the last decade either suck or are average at best.
In Louisville’s case- we talked about this last week- but the Cardinals have played 14 games in 90 days. They’ve had two multi-week COVID pauses, and almost a third of the Louisville schedule has been either moved or just outright cancelled.
Louisville’s best returning player, best defender, and team captain- Malik Williams- missed nearly a full year due to injury. He came back last week, and he is already back on the IR for the rest of the season. Key graduate transfer Charles Minlend has been battling the injury bug and didn’t even play last game. Two of Louisville’s key bench pieces- Aidan Igiehon and Josh Nickelberry- have battled injuries and illnesses for the better part of the season. Louisville doesn’t have a true center and barely has what you would qualify as a power forward.
On top of all of this, the Cardinals ate another two scholarships again this season due to NCAA sanctions. Another decision from the IARP looms on the horizon.
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Last season, in only his second year, with a roster consisting mostly of players he didn’t recruit, Chris Mack led Louisville to its first No. 1 ranking since 2013 only to have a solid season and a chance at a deep NCAA tournament run pulled right out from underneath him.
In the off season, Louisville lost 7 players. The Cardinals brought back an injured Malik Williams and a player, Samuell Williamson, who had started all of one game in his entire career.
Yet, fans have the audacity to complain?
Getting through the tough times as Louisville fans
As a fan and as a supporter, it’s okay to have high aspirations.
However, part of being a fan is enjoying cheering on your team, watching the growth of coaches, players, and your program as a whole.
Part of that, however, is getting through the tough times. I waited 22 years to see Louisville win a national title. Many waited far longer.
For those complaining about Chris Mack’s “boring” style of play, I feel like many romanticize the Rick Pitino era. We can’t look back at the previous era and compare everything to Peyton Siva and Russ Smith. We can’t expect every season to be a magical run.
During the 2012 final four season, Louisville lost on senior day to a crapbum South Florida 58-51. They scored 49 that same week at Syracuse.
In Rick Pitino’s first three years, the Cards never got out of the first weekend. In fact, Louisville went to the NIT in 2 of Rick Pitino’s first five seasons. They lost in the second round, then lost in the first round in two others. Imagine if Twitter was around then!
The Cardinals lost in the first round in back-to-back seasons in 2010 and 2011. Things haven’t been all sunshine and rainbows. and that was with one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history.
All of this is to say this: If you’re a Louisville basketball fan, be a Louisville basketball fan. Be crazy. Be passionate.
Sure, we are all entitled to our own opinions, and we can give criticism when its due. But, for the love of god, have some perspective sometimes, CardNation.
