Louisville basketball is entering their final stretch of their season as they have just five regular season games remaining before postseason begins.
Cardinals currently are on a four game win win streak, and have now won 14 of their last 15 games after starting 6-5. Pat Kelsey continues to make a case for Coach of the Year, and Louisville basketball is looking like a lock for the NCAA Tournament.
The return of Chucky Hepburn and James Scott have given the Cardinals a great boost on the defensive side, and UofL is looking like a team that can contend for ACC crown, and be a dark horse in March Madness this season.
While the Cardinals final rotation for the ACC Tournament isn't finalized yet, there are some players who might need some more floor time, and some who need possibly should lose some time.
3 Louisville basketball players who need more minutes, 2 who need less in final stretch
Pat Kelsey needs to finalize the best and most fitting roles that he wants from some players returning from injuries, but in crucial final stretch, he needs to do what is best for his team.
Here are two Louisville basketball players who should possibly see some more floor time, and one players who should possibly see less time.
5. Needs more minutes: James Scott
Louisville basketball sophomore forward, has made a name for himself as a key piece to Pat Kelsey rotation this season, and is quickly becoming Chucky Hepburn and Cardinals offense favorite lob target.
Scott is the best rim protector for Pat Kelsey, and provides paint presence on the floor that no other forwards can on the roster. He stands tall 6-foot-11, 220 pounds out of Fayetteville, N.C. and has had some great moments this season, including season high 16 points in win over SMU.
He currently leads the Cardinals in blocks per game at 0.8, and now ranks fifth in Louisville basketball history with the most dunks in a single season with 52 dunks. He also is an elite rebounder as he is second on the team, where he averages 6.6 rebounds per game.
Scott elite lob-threat, and ability to rebound is crucial for Pat Kelsey, and major reasons to see more minutes.
4. Needs less minutes: Noah Waterman
Unfortunatley for Noah Waterman the season just hasn't gone the way he wanted it to go. The 6-foot-11 forward out of Savannah, N.Y. has shot the ball 34.5% from the field, 37.5% from the charity stripe, and 25.5% from beyond the arc. He is nearly averaging a turnover a game, and just six points and 3.7 rebounds a game.
He is getting around 20 minutes per game, however since his injury, he is only getting 15.5 minutes a game, but his shooting has only gotten worse since returning as he is shoot ing 31.5% from the field, and 25% (4-16) from downtown. He has a turnover in every game, and is averaging just four points in his return.
The shooting drought this season may cause Pat Kelsey to lean more towards James Scott, or to just play small ball if Scott needs some rest.
3: Needs more minutes: Aboubacar Traore
Aboubacar Traore is known to be one of Pat Kelsey hustle plays as he has been doing everything that doesn't come up on the stat sheet and is an essential piece of the rotation off the bench due to his size and paint presence.
Traore is averaging 5.6 points and nearly five rebounds on the season, but he is shooting the ball at 52.2% from the field. The 6-foot-5, 205 pound forward transferred in from Long Beach State, and in the NCAA Tournament last year he averaged 12 points, 8.4 points, and 4.5 assists.
His presence on the defensive side is where he can step up big time for Louisville in this final stretch as this year he averages 0.6 blocks, and 0.8 steals a game in just his 13 minutes a game. If he is given more time his defensive presence will show how much he can impacts as he averaged 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals per game last season.