How Louisville basketball could use its final scholarship

Louisville basketball still has an open scholarship to fill. How Chris Mack and the Cards could and should close out the class.

Let me start this Louisville basketball preview by saying I don’t know shit about shit.

I know what you likely know. I know that Chris Mack and staff added three transfers in the offseason thus far- Matt Cross, Jarrod West, and Noah Locke. Additionally, Louisville returns 5th-year senior Malik Williams while losing sophomores David Johnson and Josh Nickelberry and senior Charles Minlend. All of this I know. Finally, I know that as of now the Cardinals still have a final scholarship spot to fill.

But who will Louisville look to in order to fill this void? Your guess is as good as mine.

As far as I can tell, the last player in the transfer portal that was in contact with the Louisville staff- John Harrar- announced this week that he will return to Penn State.

The portal has (quite literally) a thousand available guys to choose from. However, the Louisville staff was intentional with the transfers they targeted and hauled in each player they showed serious interest in. I would imagine that this intentional approach will continue going forward.

Earlier this week, we talked about how Mack was taking a “Moneyball” approach to improve the roster in 2021-22. Now, let’s take a look at what type of player is needed to make those acquisitions fit well together.

If Carlik Jones is gone

Hands down the biggest factor in who the staff goes after going forward is whether or not senior captain Carlik Jones returns for an additional year.

Jones was a first-team all-conference point guard last season. He was among the most valuable players on any power five team that I watched in 2020-21. Replacing 17 points, 5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 37 minutes per game is nearly impossible. Jones brought every intangible that you’d want in a point guard at the highest level.

Mack secured commitments from solid veterans in West and Locke. They will share the backcourt with JUCO product El Ellis. However, in my estimation, those three players can’t quite make up for what the Cards would be losing in Jones and Johnson.

West is a versatile guard who can play on and off the ball. He is a 40 percent three point shooter who dishes out 6 assists per game a season ago. Locke is a dynamic three point threat. He scored almost exclusively on assisted plays during his three seasons at Florida. Ellis is a combo guard who has blow by speed and above average shooting skills.

Given the log jam on the wing, rising sophomore Dre Davis should factor into the guard rotation as well. Davis started 17 of 20 games at the three last season and figures to play more of his natural role going forward.

A glaring weakness at guard

Looking at the 3-4 options that Louisville basketball would have at guard, the glaring weakness is a lack of players who have demonstrated the ability to create for teammates at the highest level.

The combo of West and Ellis averaged 10.4 assists per game last season. However, West’s size and speed are a question and both players racked up their stats against lower-level competition. Of the top 15 JUCO players in the 2020 class, only one- Nebraska’s Teddy Allen- averaged more than five points per game. Ellis is considered to be a legitimate four-star prospect entering his first year at the high major level. However, expecting him to come in and adequately replace Jones would be ill advised. West has NCAA Tournament experience and was a mainstay on the Marshall roster for four years. Still, I would expect West to be closer to a Fresh Kimble type of player than Jones or Christen Cunningham.

If Jones is gone, Louisville has to go out and find one more dynamic playmaker. The 2021-22 roster is full of guys that can fill it up. However, if they can’t space the floor and get open looks, it will be for naught.

The best option available may be Coastal Carolina guard Devante’ Jones. That is the type of player I would target to replace Carlik Jones.

If Carlik Jones returns

If Jones returns, the Cardinals are more than set at guard.

Jones would share duties in the backcourt with JUCO All-American in Ellis, yielding to a dynamic bench combo in West and Locke.

Still, I feel that the Cards would be best served to find one more player in the back court.

After a season where Louisville basketball had little-to-no options outside of Jones and Johnson, Mack and the Cards don’t want to find themselves in the same scenario again. A group of Jones, Ellis, West, and Locke is fantastic. Still, there is nothing wrong with adding a piece to provide depth and potential for growth down the road.

What about big men?

In my eyes, this should only be a consideration if Louisville gets Jones back.

Shoring up the guard position is the biggest issue right now. If, and only if, the Cards fill that backcourt spot with a sixth-year Jones do I see considering a frontcourt player a viable option.

Yes, the combo of Williams and Roosevelt Wheeler with Gabe Wiznitzer as the “back-up” plan may feel risky with the former two coming off of injury. However, I feel the coaching staff sees a ton of potential in that trio if everyone is healthy.

Plus, if there are health concerns at some point during the season, there will be more than enough minutes to go around between JJ Traynor, Jae’Lyn Withers, and Quinn Slazinski – All of whom have experience playing in the middle in smaller lineups.

Should Mack look outside the program to boost his frontcourt, it will likely be after the NBA’s draft deadline date. At that time the portal will likely look completely different, and could be a third or fourth wave of players entering due to the draft.

If Mack pulls the trigger quicker the players who could make sense for Louisville include Cheikh Mbacke Diong, a 6’11 big man out of UNLV. Kur Kuath out of Oklahoma. Or potentially Chris Vogt from Cincinnati.

The need would strictly be a player capable of playing 10-15 minutes and can fortify the paint with shot-blocking and rebound at a high level.