Guard Charles Minlend is set to return to the Louisville basketball lineup soon. What the graduate brings to the table for the Cards.
A welcome site for Louisville basketball fans on Saturday was a player that did not get into the game.
Graduate transfer Charles Minlend, who has been working his way back from a knee injury, dressed for the game and warmed up with his teammates. Though this sparked a conversation about Minlend potentially seeing playing time against rival Kentucky, he once again was listed as unavailable shortly before the game.
After practice on Wednesday night, head coach Chris Mack was asked about a timetable on Minlend’s return to play.
“I’m hoping next week,” Mack told reporters.
In the offseason, Mack had a lot of high praise for Minlend, comparing him to a beloved former Cardinal.
“He’s smaller than Dwayne Sutton, but I think he gives us that type of mentality, that type of game. He sort of knows where the ball’s going. One skill doesn’t necessarily separate him, it’s all the things he brings to the table. He’s a pretty good passer, a good finisher. He’s a good rebounder. I wouldn’t say he’s elite or great at one thing, a little bit like Dwayne, but he’s a competitor and he adds good size in the backcourt, he can play the two or the three at 6’4, 215-pounds.”
For anyone to be compared to Dwayne Sutton is high praise, especially coming from Mack. Minlend fits that mold as the “every day guy” that Mack so highly regards.
But what exactly will Minlend bring to this team coming off nearly two months without having played competitively?
Experienced Depth
To start, Minlend brings experienced depth to the Louisville basketball roster.
It has been clear that Louisville’s strength this season is in the backcourt. The Cardinals are led by two great scorers, distributors, and all-around players in guards David Johnson and Carlik Jones.
Behind Johnson and Jones, however, the cupboard is pretty bare. The addition of sophomore Josh Nickelberry coming off an injury was huge for the Cardinals. Freshman Dre Davis can slide in at the two spot in a pinch.
However, with Davis and Nickelberry, there have been growing pains. Davis was thrown into the fire, starting from the first game of his career. He provides value as an aggressor on the boards and above-average defender. Still, he has been stagnant on offense as the season has progressed. Nickelberry doesn’t lack confidence, but is still trying to find his identity in the rotation.
Related: Three takeaways from Louisville basketball victory over Kentucky
Minlend, on the other hand, has a firm grasp on his strengths and weaknesses. As an outsider looking in, it appears Minlend is an extremely likeable guy who has been a welcome edition off the floor.
Since the departure of Fresh Kimble, Ryan McMahon, and Steven Enoch among other veterans, Louisville’s only older voice in the lineup has been Jones. The Radford transfer has started 93 career games which is only more than Minlend’s 80 starts among those on the roster.
Now, Minlend’s leadership will also be felt on the floor. Another veteran presence at the guard/ wing spot should prove beneficial for Louisville.
Instant offense and competitive defense for Louisville basketball
Minlend is the product of a “nerd ball” system that is the creation of former San Francisco head coach Kyle Smith and his understudy Todd Golden.
The nerd ball system emphasizes defense, first and foremost. Smith’s teams spend the first hour of practice working on defense and emphasize “hustle-to-defense ratio”. Players who dive for balls, cause deflections, and closeout on shots see more playing time. Minlend was the benefactor of that policy, earning the second-most playing time his sophomore year, and leading the team in playing time his junior year.
Moreover, Minlend is a versatile contributor on the offensive end. Though the Dons used Minlend as a post-up threat similar to how Louisville uses David Johnson, he is a terrific driver, slasher, and finisher. He plays bigger than his size on both ends, but his 215-pound frame doesn’t appear to hinder him when he takes it to the hole. He gets plenty of lift on his jump shots, and is an excellent leaper, finishing with authority at the rim.
At Louisville, I would expect his efficiency numbers to take a significant jump. Minlend shot 48 percent from the field and 30 percent from three in 2019-20. However, those sometimes inefficient numbers are a product of that nerd ball system. San Francisco operates at a quick pace. The Dons typically are in the top quarter of the country in pace. They love to get up and down, take shots early in the shot-clock before the opposing defense gets set, and catch the opponents off-guard. The results, however, are high-risk, high-reward.
Minlend took more than 12 shots per game, and almost five a game from beyond the arc last season in less than 30 minutes per game.
The point is, at Louisville, Minlend will bring a gritty defensive personality, but his shot selection should be vastly improved by year’s end.
A Personality Fans Will Love
Lastly, Minlend feels like a player that will a fan favorite for the Cardinals.
The son of a former professional basketball player, Minlend traveled the globe with his father until the age of ten. He then bounced from school to school, including playing at three different North Carolina high schools and a prep school before he headed to San Francisco.
The result is a very eclectic personality. Minlend’s hobbies are much different than that of his peers. He memorizes lyrics to songs, loves to dance, do art work, and excels in school. He was recruited by multiple Ivy League schools.
“He’s weird in a good way,” former San Francisco point guard Frankie Ferrari told the San Francisco Examiner. “He’s into certain things — art, music, he’s very spiritual — and he’s just a different personality. I think it helps him on the court because I think he’s able to stay level-headed.”
On social media, Minlend’s personality is often captivating. He comes across as easy-going, well-spoken, and fun-loving.
Ferrari spoke to the Examiner about Minlend’s personality, harking back to a time when he came across his teammate alone on the sidewalk. “Spinning around like Michael Jackson, by himself,” Ferrari said. “He’s doing a full music video by himself, walking down the street. I’m like, ‘Charles, what are you doing?’ He says, ‘I’m having fun.’”
In Louisville, that fun could be exactly what the Cardinals need on the court.
On a roster full of underclassmen, players appear to tighten up down the stretch, often yielding to the veterans Johnson and Jones. Perhaps Minlend can be another calming presence on the court when Louisville needs it most.
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