Louisville basketball game grades: Cards win ugly over Nicholls State
By Madison Wood
Cunningham is the calming veteran presence this young team needs and will continue to need. The way he led the guys in crunch time and was smart with the ball earns him a B.. PG. Louisville Cardinals. CHRISTEN CUNNINGHAM. B
PG. Louisville Cardinals. DARIUS PERRY. B+. Perry had 14 points and did a good job handling the ball even when pressured. His usual tenacious defense and energy will always be a positive as he continues to learn his role in Mack’s system.
C. To me a C is a neutral grade. Not bad, but not necessarily good. 12 points and 7 rebounds is a decent stat line, but VJ is a captain who’s got to impact the game in more ways than one, and especially improve on the defensive end.. SF. Louisville Cardinals. V.J. KING
B-. Jordan definitely forced things all night. Hopefully this week of practice is better for him and he can get back to being the best player on the team like he’s supposed to be. But he gets a B- because his defense and rebounding have continued to improve.. PF. Louisville Cardinals. JORDAN NWORA
C. Louisville Cardinals. STEVEN ENOCH. A+. Enoch didn’t miss a free throw, drew foul after foul on the opponent, and rebounded very well as per usual. His night would have been bigger had his teammates found him when he was open. This grade is a no brainer.
A+. Malik Williams is a baller. He’s doing all the little things to help the team even when he’s not scoring. His defense around the rim is better than expected, he creates transition opportunities, and hustles on every play. Another no brainer.. PF. Louisville Cardinals. MALIK WILLIAMS
C-. McMahon started out okay, but he’s just not quick or athletic enough to run the point -especially under pressure – for a long period of time. He gave up a lot of shots and even fouled a 3 point shooter. Ryan’s gotta stop trying to do too much and play more within himself.. PG. Louisville Cardinals. RYAN MCMAHON
A+. What can I say? This guy played hard for all of his team high 35 minutes, and when the game got close, he made winning plays as he always does. He does all the little things very very well.. SF. Louisville Cardinals. DWAYNE SUTTON
Fore didn’t get much playing time, but he did okay when he was out there. He converted on an and-1 in transition, but there really isn’t much to talk about with him – neutral.. SG. Louisville Cardinals. KHWAN FORE. C
Even though this game was a bit too close for comfort, the Cards still did enough to come out on top. Honestly, the fact that we had guys in there who made smart decisions and were strong with the ball when it mattered most makes me feel good about the things to come. The balanced scoring attack can only mean positive vibes as well.
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All in all, Louisville won its 15th straight opener, and Mack got his first Cardinal victory under his belt. The improvement the guys on this team have made since Mack has been here is very apparent, which makes me confident that next game, a lot of the issues tonight will be corrected. This team is talented, they’ve shown that much, just as Mack has shown that he’s a talented coach. Give them a little time to put it all together. 1-0, on to the next one. Go Cards!