Louisville Basketball: 1-on-1 With a Former Chris Mack Coached Star

I sat down with a former Xavier star this week to discuss in depth what it was like to play for new Louisville basketball Head Coach, Chris Mack.

In nine years as the Head basketball Coach at Xavier, Chris Mack took the program from being a successful mid-major team to one of the top teams in the country, before accepting the offer to become the new Louisville basketball head coach back in March..

Before moving to the Big East in 2013, the Musketeers were one of the nation’s top “mid-major” programs playing in the Atlantic 10. They became known for being in the mix of things in the NCAA tournament each season, with a solid chance of pulling a quality first or second round upset.

After the move to the Big East, Mack quickly showed why he was being talked about as one of the best up and coming coaches in America. Over a five year span, Mack led his program to a 125-53 overall record, including five straight NCAA tournament appearances, two of which included a trip to the Elite 8 and Sweet 16. He even earned a #1 seed in the 2018 tournament for the first time in the school’s history.

When it came to recruiting, Mack was not phased by the difficulties that came with coaching at a small private school in the heart of Cincinnati. Instead he consistently showed the ability to land big time players, while finding some of the top “unheralded” prospects and coaching them up to a level no one thought was possible . In 2017 Mack put together the best recruiting class in program history (11th according to 247 Sports) grabbing top 50 players left and right, while having a top 30 class each of the three years previous.

One of the players who was along for the ride at Xavier, was wing J.P. Macura, who left the program as one of the most successful players in history.

We sat down with the former Musketeer and now Charlotte Hornet to talk about his former Head Coach Chris Mack and what exactly the Louisville players, as well as fans, can expect.

What was it like playing for Coach Mack?

J.P. Macura: It was an unbelievable experience playing for Coach Mack. He cares so much about his players and does everything he can to help the team win.

What was it like being recruited by him? What made you commit to Xavier?

J.P. Macura: It was awesome being recruited by him and the entire Xavier staff. During my recruitment I never met anyone who is as passionate as he is about basketball. I committed to Xavier because it felt like home when I visited, and they always make the NCAA tournament

What about Coach Mack’s style of play did you like?

J.P. Macura: I liked everything about his style of play. He lets his players play. He gives his players a ton of freedom on offense.

Reaction: One of the things that really stood out to me, that I believe could have a huge impact on the returning team, was J.P.’s answer about Coach Mack’s style of play. “He lets his players play. He gives his players a ton of freedom on offense.”

Think about the players on this years team, and how much they could thrive with freedom. Guys like Jordan Nwora, Darius Perry, Malik Williams, and of course V.J. King, all excel in an open court, where they can make plays both scoring the ball as well as impacting the game with their athleticism and high skill level. Giving them the freedom to go out and be themselves, of course all while playing within the system could be huge in 2018-19. These guys didn’t get the chance to show who they really were last year with veterans like Ray Spalding, Quentin Snider, and Deng Adel on the roster, and it always seemed like they were one mistake away from coming out.

Enter in Mack, a coach known to be a “players” coach, who will teach these guys how to be in the right spot at the right moment and how to make the right play. The freedom that comes from a coach who trusts you and won’t necessarily pull you over one missed assignment, one bad pass, or one bad shot allows you to play with a confidence like no other. This team is young and will certainly make mistakes, but knowing that the coach has their back all the time, will allow them to have fun and ball out.

I fully expect to see that this season.