Louisville Basketball Captain’s Log: Day 225

Louisville basketball Captain’s Log: Day 225 “Land Ho”

It’s been 225 days since Coach Chris Mack was hired as the new Captain of the S.S. Larry O’Bannon, and Thursday, day 226, will begin a new era for Louisville Basketball. While David Padgett was perhaps the most beloved roll of duct tape to ever patch up a sinking ship, and the whole crew is grateful for his keeping them from becoming shark snacks, it’s time to move forward.

Freshen her up and send her back out to sea in search of new treasures, scrolls to hang high from castle back home and gold statues to be had from the coast and abroad.

The deck needs a good scrubbing and the hull has some damage at the front, battered by the storms and wave after wave of bad news. The masts have holes and in all honesty the ship probably lost its wind a couple of years ago when it ported in dangerous waters and Scallawag McGee lead the crew astray in the night toward the sirens. But as any good sea fairing man worth his salt knows, it’s darkest just before the dawn. While the waters seem rough and the sea deep, there’s land ahead, nearer than even we might think.

Okay, that’s where we’ll have to kill the sailing analogies because honestly I’m not talented enough to thread what needs to be said with stories of a “kraken” or “maps to parts unexplored”. Know that the analogies came easy for a while because in many ways teams, especially in college sports, are a lot like ships.

They go into situations without certainty, often with mutinies and changes at the helm just around the corner. People go overboard and try and find new ships to practice their craft on and with how arbitrary and inconsistent the NCAA can be, a program, or a successful one at least, is almost always maneuvering away from the danger as fast as possible while still bailing water to stay afloat.

Okay, really. Now we’re done with the analogies.

Coach Mack will start anew on Thursday for Louisville basketball, a chance to prove something for both himself and the program. He has an opportunity to perhaps put his name along with those of the legends of this game. And for the program there is redemption to be had and glory to be restored.

The roster isn’t Duke’s or Kentucky’s or even probably Indiana’s, but the cupboard isn’t bare and the guys that are here have chosen to be. Whether they have weathered the aforementioned storm or have signed up since then to be a part of something reborn, they’re here, with purpose. The team adds 3 graduate transfers, 4 year letterman from The University of Richmond, Kwan Fore, Kentuckian and Samford alum Christen Cunningham and back to the future Cardinal, Akoy Agau.

Fore averaged just over 11 points per game in 29 appearances last year and rounded out his stat line by contributing around 3 assists and 3 rebounds per game. Cunningham comes in slightly more accomplished, ranking 13th all time on Samford‘s scoring list with 1,283 career points, having done so while starting all 110 games of his 4 year career.

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Cunningham also, and probably most importantly to this Cardinal squad, dished out 514 assists in his four years, making him Samford’s all time leader in that category. Akoy Agau returns from his college world tour, making his return to Louisville his 4th stop in 6 years. He is actively trying to get lean and be a hardened, experienced, backup and guiding force for this young team.

Junior small forward, and former McDonald’s All-American, VJ King returns to the KFC YUM! center Thursday as the only returning starter from last year’s team. King, along with Cunningham, is one of this year’s captains on a young team that has no scholarship seniors. The Cleveland native, who has added 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason, will seem a little different to fans in another respect too. VJ has traded in for his number 0 for the number 13 of departed Ray Spalding. King looks to be much improved from last year’s underwhelming 8.6 points per game output.

Former UConn Husky, redshirt Junior Steven Enoch, having sat out last year per NCAA transfer regulations, will be the lone big body available to patrol the paint for the Cards this season. More than an enforcer though, Enoch seems to have a formidable inside game offensively and should certainly benefit from a Card’s game plan wanting to execute more of a half court system than in years past under Coach Rick Pitino.

The sophomore triumvirate of Jordan Nwora, Darius Perry and Malik Williams are out to make that second year jump. It’s said that the largest strides made in college basketball are between a player’s freshman and sophomore years and these three highly touted recruits will certainly have the available minutes to show how they’ve come along. Their play is perhaps the biggest question mark for fans and coaches, and most involved believe their maturation will dictate the success of the team through February and March. Nwora may be the best of the 3 and primed for a breakout season in turn.

Dwayne Sutton returns to his role as the do everything energizer. There are times when the 6-6 forward will certainly earn the “do everything” title as he’ll be asked to both guard perimeter players and protect the rim on defense. Ryan McMahon might be the most inconspicuous scorer in the ACC and the kid can flat-out play on both sides of the ball. If Coach Mack can establish some inside-out passing, McMahon should pour in points from the 3 point line.

The team returns two walk ons, Joe Griffin and Jacob Redding along with newcomers, Freshman Wyatt Battaile and redshirting senior, Atherton alum and Spalding University transfer, Will Rainey.

So the ship has a crew. A surprisingly good one given the recent circumstances at 2301 S 3rd St. Perhaps they’re a little wet behind the ears and their postseason experience is minimal at best but there’s a reason for hope here.

Coach Mack has brought back an air of confidence, the affirmed commitment of all of the players is edging on inspiring and the city seems to be excited about the prospects. Some nationally are even going to the extent of claiming Mack will win coach of the year before the season even gets under way.

We’re back. It’s all ready. The ship is ready. The sea is calm. Calm like it hasn’t been in some time. The ship is afloat and it’s being righted daily but most importantly it’s stopped sinking, it’s moving forward and solid ground is afoot.

Land ho. Go Cards.