It may be an unpopular opinion, but Interim Louisville basketball coach Mike Pegues made the right decision allowing Malik Williams to return.
It wouldn’t be Louisville basketball if things didn’t go the complete opposite direction of what was expected, right?
With a team of eight new players- including multiple power conference transfers- expectations for Chris Mack and the Louisville basketball program were high… Until they weren’t.
After weeks of looking like just an average team, one that may not make the tournament, things came to a screeching halt in true Cardinal fashion.
“I don’t have a comment for that,” was the response that made headlines around the city of Louisville and even nationally to an extent.
A 9-second pause and then carefully thought-out words from senior & three-time captain Malik Williams went viral in a matter of hours, ultimately painting a picture of much greater tension between Mack and the players.
“You said ‘sometimes we just don’t bring it,” began Tim Sullivan of Louisville’s Courier-Journal. “Do you think the players are still responding to this coaching staff or are they tuning them out?”
Days later, Mack willingly walked out the doors of the Planet Fitness Kueber Center for the final time as Louisville basketball head coach- An unprecedented move for high-profile Power Five coaches nationally and an unthinkable exchange to most just weeks earlier.
Left in Mack’s wake was a team that appeared destined to miss another postseason, rife with off-the-court drama.
Most thought Williams would benefit from the tough love offered by players coach Pegues once he took over in the interim role.
Unfortunately for everyone in the program, Pegues had to quickly assume the bad cop role.
But what exactly led to this downturn for the team leader and well-respected center?
The Williams we saw leading up to and following Mack’s exit isn’t the one we’ve gotten to know.
In his fifth season, Williams’ personality and dedication to winning has made him a fan favorite and a guy many admired. Whether it was making a massive dunk to seal the game against Duke in 2019 or planning, then leading a social and racial justice march during the pandemic, Williams was always lauded for representing the Cardinal brand with pride & moral integrity.
How Williams fell so hard, so fast
One might say that the pandemic has led to a fairly unprecedented couple of years. But for Williams, his entire college career has been one marred with adversity.
Rick Pitino, a Hall of Fame head coach who recruited him, was fired before he ever had the opportunity to take the court.
His interim head coach- David Padgett- struggled to find the right role and flip-flopped on playing time frequently.
His newest head coach, Mack, liked Williams’ game, but a starting role in his 4-out-1-in offense favored Steven Enoch.
Then came the injuries. First was the fracture to the fifth metatarsal. Then came the high ankle sprain which was of course was followed by the pandemic-forced cancellation of the 2019-20 NCAA Tournament.
Before 2020 even began, Williams had to deal with the second fracture of his metatarsal, causing him to miss all but three games in his true senior year.
That’s all before even getting to this season.
Skipping out on the NBA Draft and returning for one more go as a Card was supposed to be the fairytale ending for Williams. Instead, it’s been a nightmare that nearly led to the super senior’s indefinite dismissal from the team.
As the leader & captain of a struggling team, a lot of the losses have fallen on Williams. Fans have been critical of his play, rightfully so, thanks to his attraction to bad shots and what has been perceived as poor body language.
His voice & words, or in some cases lack thereof, have carried major weight and can be pointed to as a turning point for the local and national perception of Mack prior to his departure.
Was it the right call to suspend Williams?
Let’s be clear: Williams put Pegues in the position to have to suspend him. It is hard to see a way around that.
Prior to the suspension, Williams had just nine games remaining in his collegiate career. Five years of work. Five years of overcoming injury and fighting uphill battles completely out of his control, all potentially thrown away by a few weeks of mistakes and bad decisions.
Knowing his college career hasn’t lived up to his former five-star billing, there’s no doubt Williams felt the pressure to achieve. With NBA execs, G-League scouts, and overseas clubs watching and hoping to learn more about his game, his team underachieved and then crumbled. The leadership, or the glaring lack of leadership, all fell on him.
With everything spiraling out of control, it’s easy to see why he may lash out or start to look out for himself above all else.
I can’t speak for Malik but my guess is the hope he had for a big year likely turned into dread and anxiety, thus adding an extra sense of pressure to succeed. I can’t account for what happened behind closed doors with Williams and the coaching staff. What I can say is that unless it was an act of violence or something unforgivable, it shouldn’t be enough to ruin five years of work. Giving Williams the opportunity to come back was the right move because it put the ball in his court. The message was clear; get right or don’t come back. Do what you have to do or let your name go down in flames.
23-year-olds make mistakes. They react to things incorrectly and sometimes overlook the potential consequences in order to unleash the emotions they feel at that moment.
“Malik, at times, has been great,” Pegues said on Monday after Williams’ suspension was lifted. “I don’t want to make this out to be like he’s been an awful kid to be around the entire time he’s been here. That’s not the case at all. But again, with the rank of being a captain comes the responsibility of carrying yourself differently and at your worst, on your worst day, being able to come in and be compliant and be competitive and bring energy and not drain energy from the gym. There was too much of that going on, in my opinion, which created a situation in the first place where I felt like I had to suspend him.”
Sending a message to your leader this late in a lost season is a major risk. Especially as an interim.
Yet, Pegues handled things as respectfully and strongly as possible. All while giving Williams the chance to keep his legacy intact and not go down
A second chance feels warranted
Up until this point in his career, Williams has caused zero issues on or off the court. You may not like his style of play or take too kindly to guys like John Hughley IV calling him out for being soft, but regardless Williams has always been regarded as a strong character individual.
“Malik holds everyone accountable and embraces the uncomfortable conversations which held everyone to a higher standard,” Former teammate Keith Oddo told SOL’s Alan Thomas. “He has a dog mentality that is contagious to every player and coach. You see how hard he plays in games. A true competitor.”
Also Read: Two captains, two Malik’s, One City
“He was always honest, fun to be around, and just an all-around good guy,” former Card Akoy Agau told Thomas. “When it came to basketball he was extremely competitive and wanted the best for his teammates first before himself, the ultimate unselfish player.”
For years anyone who rubbed shoulders with Williams saw a leader and guy capable of being great.
Through an unprecedented time, wear of years of adversity, and struggling to deal with late-season changes with so much on the line. Just like everyone else, Williams wants one thing; to win. That may have come out in a not-so-great way the last few weeks, but none of that means he shouldn’t get the chance to regain his spot on the team.
One mistake doesn’t define a person, and with only a few weeks remaining in the season why not offer a second chance to a player who gave his school a half dozen.
If Williams’ actions match his words, Louisville basketball could stand to benefit from adding their leading scorer and rebounder for the final stretch. Despite the injuries, we’ve seen how dominant Williams can be on defense and how much of an asset he can be on offense. It’s unlikely that any postseason is in the Cards (no pun intended) but we’ve seen crazier things happen. Getting Williams back, assuming he’s focused, only stands to increase that chance for Louisville basketball.
Though Sydney Curry and Rose Wheeler’s development stands to benefit more than Williams at this point, the senior has given his all to this program and needs them now more than ever. An NBA spot seems like a long shot but a professional career with generational wealth is still on the line for the Fort Wayne product. As is going out the right way.
Williams has aided all season all he wants is to go out strong.
“It’s over with come April, whenever this thing is all said and done,” Williams told local media this preseason. “I don’t get that opportunity to come back and play again, so it’s just about really trying to give it all right now, and trying to keep me mentally into it so that I can give it my all.”
It’s been ugly. Mistake-ridden. Hard to watch. A nightmare. All of those things are true, yet Williams deserves a chance to be celebrated on senior day and go out the right way.
