Rising: Isaac Mckneely, G
Yesterday was exactly what Louisville fans wanted to see from sharpshooter Isaac McKneely. The Virginia transfer has struggled in big games and against good teams, so tomorrow will be that next step for him, but the 3-point specialist was red-hot yesterday and was splashing 3’s from all over the court.
McKneely didn’t play up to his standards in the ACC Tournament, averaging 8 points while shooting 24 percent from the field and 23 percent from the 3-point line, but he had a huge bounce-back game in the first round win, scoring the team high 23 points on 8-of-11 from the field and 7-of-10 from beyond the arc. McKneely was getting to his spots in transition, catching the ball in rhythm, and was hitting the shots he was supposed to make.
Now, with Louisville facing an even better team in the Spartans and the Cardinals without Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville must have a similar game to yesterday. When McKneely shoots it at a high rate and has an impact on the floor, this team has a real chance of making some noise this tournament.