Louisville basketball: Cardinals as characters from Stranger Things

Will Byers | Josh Nickelberry

Will Byers is one of the more underrated characters in the series. Though the plot is centered around Will being stuck in the Upside Down, and after his rescue, his ensuing possession by the mind flayer, Will is the more soft-spoken of the protagonists.

A highly intelligent kid with tons of talent, Will has the world at his fingertips. However, the reality of being stuck in an alternate dimension full of monsters as well as his later attachment to the mind flayer leaves him with a lot more to deal with than your average teenager.

Like Will, incoming Freshman is often forgotten about. Though he hasn’t played a game for the Cards yet, Josh Nickelberry has had a profound impact on his school. During some tumultuous times around the program, and not soon after a coaching change, Nickelberry became the first recruit to commit to Chris Mack at Louisville.

Not only did Nickelberry pledge to the Cards, but he was instrumental in Louisville snagging Aidan Igiehon, David Johnson, and the rest of the Cards’s “Super Six” class. Yet, it’s Nickelberry who is often forgotten about when we discuss the Super Six.

Much like Will in season three who feels forgotten about or looked over when his friends start to get girlfriends and spend more time apart, Nickelberry has often been overshadowed by McDonald’s All-American Samuell Williamson and “The Irish Hulk” Aidan Igiehon. Yet, it was Nickelberry who came to Louisville as the second-leading scorer in North Carolina high school basketball history.

Perhaps Williamson will lead the way for the Cards, and maybe Igiehon will live up to the hype. However, Nickelberry is the reason they are here. Just like Will, his heroics should not be overlooked.