Louisville Basketball: Cards Look to Get Physical in the Front Court

Louisville men’s basketball is thin in the front court this year. What the rotation will look like, and how Chris Mack’s style of play could benefit the Cards’s bigs.

Louisville basketball was often inconsistent in the front court in 2017-18. What felt like a team with a lot of potential up front, especially with interim coach David Padgett taking the reigns, often left a lot to be desired.

Now, with Ray Spalding– by far the Cards’s most reliable big- leaving for the league, and Anas Mahmoud graduating, there are some big shoes to fill. What is left over from a front court that was already lacking in depth is a young, somewhat unproven group of big men.

Here’s what Louisville’s 4’s and 5’s will look like in 2018:

What we are looking at is not a prototypical college basketball front line. The majority of the pieces in the front court have a knack for floating away from the perimeter on offense, and could be better served matching up against smaller players on defense.

The front court is rather unproven, however the potential is there for the Cardinal’s bigs.

It has been mentioned quite a bit that coach Chris Mack has a completely different way of training and preparing the team than former head coach Rick Pitino. Pitino loved to make the players run. Any time a player messed up, he was made to hit the treadmills. Coach Mack has reportedly taken a good portion of the treadmills out of the team weight room, and brought in more machines.

It seems to be paying dividends already. Many of the players appear to be on some kind of super-human, protein-infused weight regiment. This is to the delight of many Cardinal fans, who grew tired of seeing some Cards pushed around in years past.

This will pay off the most in the front court. Malik Williams and Jordan Nwora, who will both play the four spot, with Williams likely to slide into the center position at times, are long and lanky, but have no business banging with many of the bigs in power a power five conference. If they want to succeed at the highest level, they should be thrilled with Mack’s attack at the weight rack (trademark pending).

The Starters

If the season started today, pressed to give a prediction on the front court starters, I would have to go with Steven Enoch and Malik Williams.

Enoch gives the Cards size that they desperately need. Enoch is a beefy 6’10” 250, but I’d wager to say he is closer to 260 or 265 at this juncture. The man brings size, and that is his biggest asset. The question, though, is if he is ready to compete at the highest level in college basketball. Enoch has a huge upside. He has back-to-the-basket skill set, but can also pop out and shoot a mid range J if called upon. He shoots a solid percentage from the line for a big, and he is a problem in the paint on defense.

The issue with Enoch has been consistency. He committed to in-state powerhouse UConn out of high school, but had various issues with coaching staff in his two years under coach Kevin Ollie. When he got playing time, Enoch was average at best. He often disappeared on the floor, and shot a low percentage from close-range.

Missing lay ups, and playing with a better motor are easily correctable issues. Enoch is a good player with great potential, and he will have to live up to that potential under Chris Mack if Louisville wants any chance of surviving the ACC gauntlet.

Likely starting alongside Enoch will be Malik Williams. This is a guy that fans are really excited about. He showcased his ability to light it up from deep throughout the 2017-18 season, as well as his ability to handle the ball, and get into the lane. His wing-like skillset is a huge asset at 6’11,” 215, but the Cards could really use his added muscle mass down low in 2018-19.

Williams, like Enoch, could be a real problem for offenses with his length and shot blocking prowess. It will be vital that he continue to put on weight, and get stronger and more aggressive on both sides of the ball.

When Enoch is out of the game, it will be crucial that Williams is able to step in and fill the void at the 5 spot. After Enoch and Williams, there is not another player on Louisville’s roster that will match up well with a prototypical power-5 big man. Together, however, a 6’10” and 6’11” back line could be a real challenge for other teams, and that is why I believe Enoch and Williams with start a lot of games together this season.

The Back-Ups

This Louisville team is unique because there are a lot of guys that can play multiple positions, especially in Chris Mack’s system. This uniqueness especially pertains to Jordan Nwora and Dwayne Sutton. Both of whom can play the 2-4 spots when called upon.

Nwora, like Williams is a sharp shooter from deep. Williams and Nwora both possess the ability to stretch the floor at the four spot, and Nwora will likely be called upon to do so frequently this season. Nwora is listed at 6’8,” 215, but is certainly more of a ball handler than Williams is.

Fans were often perplexed by David Padgett’s unwillingness to play Nwora last season, and probably rightfully so. Nwora had a lot of growing pains on the defensive end, but he is such an asset on offense that it’s hard to ignore. Chris Mack, however, is much more likely to let him play through his mistakes, and take the good with the bad.

Nwora could be a key piece for Louisville this season and, although he is listed as a “back up,” I have a hard time seeing him not starting at the 3 guard spot. He will likely play the four when either Enoch or Williams go to the bench. Look for Nwora to average 25-30 minutes a game this year, and to be more aggressive on the boards.

Speaking of aggressive rebounding, Dwayne Sutton is a beast on the boards. Although he is probably only 6’6″ with shoes on, Sutton has no problem getting physical down low. If you think that Sutton is undersized, consider that  6’4″ Kyle Kuric played decent minutes at the four spot for a team that was a 4-seed in the NCAA tournament. Just because Sutton is a bit smaller than your average four doesn’t mean he can’t rebound and score in the paint against some of the best power five forwards. Additionally, Sutton can shoot the three ball just as well as the other fours.

Sutton and Nwora are too good to keep off of the floor. Their roles will vary depending on depth, match ups, and other factors, but those two will see considerable minutes in 2018-19.

The X Factor

In a 2-3 year stretch where there have been some crazy stories around Louisville sports, (good and bad) Akoy Agau might take the top prize for weirdest/ most surprising story.

Agau played for Louisville for two years before transferring, sitting out, playing at Georgetown, graduate transferring, playing at SMU, and then being granted a 6th year of eligibility, and heading back to Louisville.

Due to a myriad of injuries, Agau really has not played all that much in his 5 years in college. Now, he is back at Louisville under a different coach, and seemingly a new man and new player.

Agau will be the first to tell you that he “thought a little highly of (him)self” in his first stint as a Cardinal. “All of the injuries have humbled me,” said Agau on The Drive with Mark Ennis on 93.9 The Ville.

Agau came to Louisville as a highly touted 4-star recruit, by way of Nebraska, and before that Sudan. He was rated as the 105th best player in his class, but six years after first committing to the Cards, he still has not really had a chance to truly showcase his talent.

When he was finally healthy enough to contribute consistently for SMU last season, he was able to start showing his ability. He averaged 8 points, 5.5 rebounds in his last 13 games, and had an offensive rebound rate of 10%. Additionally, he shot 56% from the field on non post-up attempts, a terrific number for a power forward.

Still, Agau says that he is only at 75% while recovering from a serious knee infection issue. Agau was quick to point out on The Drive that he has made a lot of changes to his game due to injury, but also maturity-wise as a leader. Agau still thinks he has a chance to play professionally, and wants a chance to prove it.

If his numbers to finish the season at SMU are any indication, Louisville could greatly benefit from his presence in the front court this season. Agau is big enough and strong enough that he could fill in at the four, or even the five spots in a worst-case scenario.

Agau is an X factor because he is still a relative uncertainty at this time. But, if he is finally (FINALLY) healthy in 2018, Louisville could stand to benefit from his experience and, quite frankly, his skill set on the floor.

Louisville loses almost all of it’s production in the front court from last year, but that doesn’t mean that they couldn’t be just as productive, if not more productive in 2018-19.

Much of what they are capable of remains to be seen, but the sky could be the limit for a talented and improving core of players.

Next: Inside a Big Recruiting Week for Coach Mack