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Six bold predictions for Louisville basketball in 2019-2020

By Jacob Lane

DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 21: Head coach Chris Mack of the Louisville basketball program looks on during their game in the First Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Wells Fargo Arena on March 21, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 21: Head coach Chris Mack of the Louisville basketball program looks on during their game in the First Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Wells Fargo Arena on March 21, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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SYRACUSE, NY – FEBRUARY 20: Head coach Chris Mack of the Louisville Cardinals looks on against the Syracuse Orange during the second half at the Carrier Dome on February 20, 2019 in Syracuse, New York. Syracuse defeated Louisville 69-49. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images)
SYRACUSE, NY – FEBRUARY 20: Head coach Chris Mack of the Louisville Cardinals looks on against the Syracuse Orange during the second half at the Carrier Dome on February 20, 2019 in Syracuse, New York. Syracuse defeated Louisville 69-49. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images) /

Madison Wood (@zzdamssim): Josh Nickelberry will develop into Louisville’s sixth man by tournament time

Josh Nickelberry already has the love of Cardinal fans everywhere, being the commit that set this historic class into motion. By the time the postseason begins though, he’ll be a fan favorite for a different reason.

The Cards have a real chance to win the ACC this season, make no mistake about that. Nickelberry looks to be a key piece to this squad’s depth. He is just a freshman (albeit on a freshman heavy team) but let’s not forget he’s a four-star guy -ranked in the ESPN top 100 – and his ranking dropped a bit after his commitment to Louisville, as per usual.

Chris Mack was on with Jon Rothstein a couple of weeks ago and he mentioned Nickelberry as one of the guys who he expects to really make an impact this season. Here’s the link to that sound.

The injury to David Johnson surely pushed Nickelberry to work even harder seeing that he would most likely be called upon sooner than expected. He’s a skilled player who can play both guard spots, and his tenacity sets him apart. He’s always giving 100% energy and effort and he never gives up on the play.

Nickelberry definitely looks to score as he averaged nearly 27 points per game his senior year along with 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals a game. This prediction is based on his ability to get buckets; when the Cards find themselves needing one of those, particularly during the postseason, I firmly believe Nickelberry will be that guy.

Next. Ranking the top 100 Louisville Cardinals of all time. dark

To be a 6th man you gotta give your team that jolt of energy when you get on the court. Josh Nickelberry has the skills and the attitude to be the guy that helps the Cardinals reach this season’s lofty expectations. I think he will embrace the challenge.

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