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Louisville basketball: Darius Perry 2018-19 year in review

By Ross Prophater

LOUISVILLE, KY - NOVEMBER 27: Chris Mack the head coach of the Louisville Cardinals gives instructions to Darius Perry #2 during the 82-78 OT win over the Michigan State Spartans at KFC YUM! Center on November 27, 2018 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KY - NOVEMBER 27: Chris Mack the head coach of the Louisville Cardinals gives instructions to Darius Perry #2 during the 82-78 OT win over the Michigan State Spartans at KFC YUM! Center on November 27, 2018 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Darius Perry, Louisville basketball
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – FEBRUARY 12: Darius Perry #2 and Jordan Nwora #33 of the Louisville Cardinals celebrate at the end of the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at KFC YUM! Center on February 12, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

The Good

While he had his share of struggles, Perry still showed out on some of the biggest stages this season. He proved he can absolutely be a game changer and pivotal play-maker for this Louisville Basketball team.

Perry improved his field goal percentage, three point field goal statistics,  assists per game, rebounds per game, points per game, and just about every other meaningful offensive stat you could think of.

In an early test against Vermont in front of a raucous Cardinal crowd, Perry went for a season high 17 points. He shot 60 percent from the field, 50 percent from the three point line, and finished with 4 assists with only 1 turnover. As someone who was in attendance that night, I can attest to how well Darius played. He seemed to be involved in almost every pivotal play and was the means of combustion that made the engine go.

In Louisville’s next game, they would play preseason top 5 ranked Tennessee- who, by seasons end, proved to be one of the best teams in the country. Perry used that as motivation and would elevate his game, having one of his best performances of the season. While he only finished with 8 points (2-3 from the field, 1-2 on 3 point field goals, 3-4 from the line), he was essential in finding his teammates, taking care of the ball, and playing sound defense on one the best point guards in the country, Jordan Bone. Darius would finish with season highs in minutes played (31), assists (8) and steals (3).

As noted earlier, soon afterwards Perry would see his minutes and role within the team decrease as the season would wear on. But like I also noted, I like to end on a good note, so here it is.

The last 3 games Louisville basketball played this year, Perry averaged 21.3 minutes per game, went 10-21 (46 percent) from the field, 7-14 (50 percent) from the 3 point line, and averaged 9.6 points in that 3 game stretch. To go along with that, he racked up 10 rebounds, 9 assists and only 1 turnover. All of which occurred in postseason play. I don’t know about you, but a 9:1 assist-to-turnover ratio is dang good.

So what good do we take away from this season for Perry? While he did not have the greatest of seasons, Perry appeared to have figured out a lot come year’s end.

Whether it was Chris Mack getting through to him, having a change in attitude, or simply taking his game to another level for postseason play, the light came on for Perry. In his final game, he was one of the only players that came to play from the start of the whistle against Minnesota in the NCAA Tournament. He showcased one of his best stat lines of the season, playing 26 minutes and accumulating 12 points, on 4-7 field goals, 3-5 from the 3 point line, with 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 0 turnovers.

When Perry was able to earn minutes and keep himself in the game, he was a valuable asset for this Louisville Basketball team. Next season, look for Perry to continue that trend and be a real contributor his Junior season.

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