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Louisville basketball: Cardinals as characters from Stranger Things

By Presley Meyer

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA - DECEMBER 08: (L-R) Actors Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin and actress Sadie Sink pose after the Stranger Things panel during day 2 of Argentina Comic Con 2018 at Costa Salguero on December 08, 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Photo by Ricardo Ceppi/Getty Images for NETFLIX)
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA - DECEMBER 08: (L-R) Actors Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin and actress Sadie Sink pose after the Stranger Things panel during day 2 of Argentina Comic Con 2018 at Costa Salguero on December 08, 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Photo by Ricardo Ceppi/Getty Images for NETFLIX) /
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SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 28: Natalia Dyer attends the premiere of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” Season 3 on June 28, 2019 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 28: Natalia Dyer attends the premiere of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” Season 3 on June 28, 2019 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images) /

Nancy Wheeler | Dwayne Sutton

Who doesn’t love Nancy? Apparently every guy in the 1980’s newsroom, but that’s a discussion for a different day. What’s interesting about Nancy’s character is that she’s just thought of as a badass by the majority of today’s viewers, but in the setting of Stranger Things, it would have been jarring to many to see such a strong female protagonist. That certainly isn’t lost on the writers of Stranger Things who break Nancy up with the “popular boy” in school and place her into the life of an unlikely suitor in Jonathan Beyers.

Though the 80’s rom-com storyline holds true, Nancy portrays a much stronger character- think modern-day Molly Ringwald with a lot more flair. In instances where Jonathan and Steve are hesitant, Nancy takes the lead in every season. During season three, Nancy is determined to make a name of herself in a male-dominated business as a beat writer but is shut down over and over again, mocked and ridiculed.

However, Nancy is an underdog who fights for what she deserves, and she ultimately does nothing but alter the course of the show in a positive manner.

Dwayne Sutton is the Nancy Wheeler of this Louisville basketball team. Sutton has always been an underdog. He’s an undersized forward, he doesn’t have “elite” leaping ability or NBA intangibles you’d expect out of one of the leaders of an ACC favorite, yet it’s hard to imagine the 2018-19 season being much of a success without him.

Sutton went to high school literally 100 yards away from his current university, but Louisville never came knocking with a scholarship offer until a year after he helped lead UNC Ashville to the NCAA tournament in 2015. Sutton then had to sit out a season during Rick Pitino’s first year, and saw the court to the tune of 15 minutes per game under interim coach David Padgett. But playing for his fourth coach in as many years under Chris Mack, Sutton found his stride en route to 10-point, seven-rebound, and two assist-per-game season.

Like Nancy, Sutton kept pushing along past the doubters, and he will be a key piece to the story next season.

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