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Louisville basketball: The biggest threats to Jordan Nwora for ACC POY

By Jacob Lane

LOUISVILLE, KY - NOVEMBER 16: Jordan Nwora #33 of the Louisville Cardinals handles the ball against Ernie Duncan #20 of the Vermont Catamounts in the second half of the game at KFC YUM! Center on November 16, 2018 in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville won 86-78. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KY - NOVEMBER 16: Jordan Nwora #33 of the Louisville Cardinals handles the ball against Ernie Duncan #20 of the Vermont Catamounts in the second half of the game at KFC YUM! Center on November 16, 2018 in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville won 86-78. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA – FEBRUARY 26: Brandon Childress #0 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons tries to stop Chris Lykes #0 of the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes during their game at LJVM Coliseum Complex on February 26, 2019 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA – FEBRUARY 26: Brandon Childress #0 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons tries to stop Chris Lykes #0 of the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes during their game at LJVM Coliseum Complex on February 26, 2019 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Chris Lykes – G

Miami

He may be small in stature, but don’t let that fool you in the slightest. When it comes to producing at a big level, Chris Lykes is always up to the challenge.

As a freshman playing alongside Lonnie Walker IV, Lykes often times looked like the best player on Miami’s team. Tasked with being the team’s lead guard and primary scorer after the suspension of Dewan Hernandez, Lykes led Miami in scoring at 16.7 points per game and finished 10th overall in the conference. Unfortunately, the Hurricanes finished 11th in the ACC and were overmatched nearly every night which didn’t allow for much focus nationally on Lykes.

That should change this season, as Miami is expected to be a much better team and while Lykes is by no means a favorite, he should be considered a darkhorse for the ACC Player of the Year.  With incredible speed and shiftiness, Lykes has the ability to score whenever and where ever on the floor even at 5’7 and 160-pounds, and with a few new weapons in Oklahoma transfer Kameron McGusty and freshman Harlond Beverly alongside, he should be able to take a big step forward in his junior season as a distributor.

Miami is expected to take a step into the top eight in the ACC this season, but even with a big season, I’m not sure it would be enough for Lykes to grab the trophy away from Nwora or one of the other players on this list.

Stranger things have happened and with the talent of Lykes on display night in and night out, don’t be shocked to see him finish on the ACC First Team in 2019.

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