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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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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – FEBRUARY 16: John Mooney #33 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish shoots over Jack Salt #33 of the Virginia Cavaliers in the first half during a game at John Paul Jones Arena on February 16, 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – FEBRUARY 16: John Mooney #33 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish shoots over Jack Salt #33 of the Virginia Cavaliers in the first half during a game at John Paul Jones Arena on February 16, 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

John Mooney – F

Notre Dame

Headed into the 2019-2020 season the biggest dark horse to compete for a top-four spot in the ACC outside of the traditional powerhouse programs of Duke, North Carolina, Virginia, and Louisville is Notre Dame.

Though they went 14-19 last season, that has more to do with having bad luck with injuries and developing freshmen, than being a bad team. This season the Irish will return seven of their top eight scorers, none more important than big man John Mooney.

Mooney is quickly charting on “I’ve been in college for 14 years” territory, as it seems he’s been dominating the posts of the ACC since 2009. But entering his senior season after making the All-ACC Third Team last year and carrying the Irish through the majority of their games, Mooney is expected to be on the top players in the entire country.

Last season as the Irish struggled through growing pains, John Mooney emerged as a legit ACC Player of the Year caliber big man, averaging nearly 15 points and 12 rebounds per game. Behind Mike Brey’s coaching, the emergence of guards TJ Gibbs and Prentiss Hubb, as well as the return of wing Rex Plfueger, the senior big man is going to have the necessary weapons around him to draw the defense away enough to do major damage.

If Mooney is able to maintain his 15 and 12 per game averages, and Notre Dame wins at a high level, the senior big man could be a legitimate threat for ACC Player of the Year when it’s all said and done.

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