Louisville basketball is moving in on a high major transfer that could draw a lot of attention from power five coaches.
You can call Kentucky Sports Radio Creator Matt Jones a lot of things. But uninformed isn’t one of them. While most Louisville basketball fans despise the Kentucky homer, they won’t be upset about the news he shared on Wednesday.
As I wrote yesterday, the offseason officially began when Chris Mack’s team wasn’t needed in the field of 68. This offseason has the potential to be unlike any before, which could be a good or bad thing for Louisville.
With the new transfer rules and the free year of eligibility granted by the NCAA, rosters across the country will look nothing like they did this past season. We’ve already seen upwards of 500 transfers, and the NCAA Tournament has yet to even begin. Louisville basketball will certainly have their own issues to deal with, including potential transfers & NBA Draft deflections. Already the Cards have lost former four-star big man Aidan Igiehon to transfer and added Matt Cross from Miami.
The roster movement will be fluid over the coming months, but as Mack told the media on Monday it’ll be important to move fast but not overreact to the madness. Still, he confirmed Igiehon won’t likely be the only one transferring or leaving. That seems to be corroborated with the recent interest in guards Jahmir Harris, Antonio Daye, Justin Powell, and others who have hit the portal already. While no scholarships are open, it appears that could be changing. At least according to a report from Matt Jones.
Meet Mason Faulkner
When Western Carolina guard Mason Faulkner entered the transfer portal, I thought he could be a Louisville target. Faulkner is a Kentucky native who started his collegiate career at Northern Kentucky (playing for John Brannen) and has multiple ties to Chris Mack.
Following two seasons where he averaged 6 points and 2 assists a game at NKU, Faulkner left for a better opportunity. As a Catamount, he upped his averages to 17.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game, scoring in double figures 46 out of the 53 times he took the floor. He finished his first season as a first-team all-conference player in 20219-20 and even tested the NBA Draft waters before returning for a final season. In 2020-21 his averages dipped slightly as the program struggled. He finished averaging right under 17 points a game and was named third-team All-SOCON.
Envisioning Mason Faulkner’s role for Louisville basketball
At Louisville, I see Faulkner as a fringe-starter or complimentary guard who can come in and not lose control of the game. Louisville basketball has had two solid guards each season under Mack. The third guard, however, has typically been a question mark. This season we saw Jones and Johnson play way too many minutes, which had a major impact on the team down the stretch.
As mentioned yesterday in the offseason preview, Josh Nickelberry was a guy who was recruited to fill it up for the Cards. Due to injuries and illnesses, Nickelberry only playing sparingly this season. He struggled to find any sort of rhythm, shooting 22 percent from three. Louisville either needs to upgrade there or Nickelberry will be depended on to take a massive step forward.
Faulkner would give Chris Mack a steady veteran presence who is a capable scorer and offense initiator. As Chris Hatfield pointed out, he’s solid from three; especially as a stand-still spot-up shooter. That will be held in high-regard next year or without Johnson or Jones.
Louisville finished 297th in three-point shooting percentage in 2020-21 and it was one of its biggest detriments as an offense. Often, there was a drive that pulled the defense in only to lead to a badly missed three. It completely messed with the flow and rhythm of the offense and made the Cardinals one-dimensional.
Whether it be playing alongside Johnson, El Ellis, Bobby Pettiford, or even Nickelberry, Faulkner will be able to thrive. Why’s that, you ask?
Why Faulkner could thrive in Louisville
It’s because he has the ability to impose his will as a scorer, mostly as a driver. Whether it be off the pick and roll, beating his man 1-on-1, or getting open as a stand-still shooter, he can do it all. At Western Carolina, Faulkner mostly played as the primary guard but thanks to his playmaking and scoring he did anything and everything. It’s clear those are the type of transfers Mack wants.
Even undersized Faulkner can thrive playing off the ball opposite Ellis. His scoring from all three levels will mesh well with another guard who can do the same. Most importantly, he is a guy who can knock down three-point shots; something Louisville desperately missed. He shot 35 percent this season (93 shots) from three, up from the 31 percent he shot during his breakout campaign in 2019-20.
Let’s also not cruise past the fact that Faulkner, like Jones, fills the stat sheet in an impressive way. At 6’1 Faulkner averaged nearly 6 rebounds and 5 assists per game over the course of his career. I can’t even begin to express how impressive that is. We saw how Jones could take over games, even if he wasn’t scoring. Faulkner has that type of game as well. It won’t be at Carlik’s level, but he’ll be valued for crashing the glass and getting teammates opportunities to score. Last year Louisville didn’t have that third guard capable of providing a scoring relief to Jones and Johnson. Faulkner can be a good tertiary player at his ceiling and a low-end contributor at his floor.
Final take
You may have questions about a guard transferring up a level after the struggles we’ve seen some have. Role will be a huge factor into what the success looks like for Faulkner, but his ability to score at all three levels is huge.
He may not be Carlik, but that’s perfectly okay. Not every guard can take a big step up and continue to achieve at that level. If the redshirt senior can come in, play 20-25 minutes a game and provide double-digit scoring and half of the assist and rebound numbers he did at WCU, it’s a big win.
Mack knows his window of opportunity is beginning to open with guys like Sam Williamson, El Ellis, and JaeLyn Withers all entering their sophomore and junior seasons. Complimenting them with veteran players with a chip on their shoulder can help elevate things even quicker.
Mason would be a asset to Louisville. He is the Best finisher I have ever seen. Watch him attack the basket. Then watch him put the ball in after contact. He has no fear. He is a gamer. Plus he is a great young man. He would be a great addition to U of L. I’m in