Louisville basketball was widely considered a title contender in the preseason, and through college basketball’s first two weeks it’s tough to argue that the Cardinals aren’t the best team in the country.
Louisville basketball is the best team in the country right now. Let me prove it to you.
Though the competition has been below the best of what the ACC has to offer by a long shot, the Cardinals are humming on all cylinders through the first two weeks of the season.
The same cannot be said of many of college basketball’s typical elites. Michigan State, the preseason No. 1 lost its opener to Kentucky who, in turn, dropped one of the most shocking upset losses in recent years to Evansville. SEC favorite Florida was thumped by Florida State, who lost its opener to a Pitt team that finished last in the ACC last year.
There are teams like North Carolina, Duke, Gonzaga, Ohio State, and Virginia who have had solid starts to their seasons, but one could argue that no team has looked as impressive thus far as Louisville basketball.
Depth and versatility
Some of the country’s top teams are going to continue improving as squads like Duke, UNC, and Kentucky completely rebuilt with talented freshmen and grad transfers.
Louisville already looks like a complete team.
The Cardinals return preseason All-American forward Jordan Nwora, who has lived up to the hype thus far, along with talented senior center Stephen Enoch, do-it-all senior forward Dwayne Sutton, and sharp-shooter Ryan McMahon.
They supplemented their only losses of grad transfer point Christen Cunningham and two guard Khwan Fore with a much-improved Darius Perry, the aforementioned McMahon, and graduate transfer Fresh Kimble.
Those pieces alone are enough to propel a team towards a run in March, but the Cards also brought in a very talented freshman class headed by guard/ forward Samuell Williamson.
A smooth operator on offense, Williamson has already notched his first start against conference foe Miami and looks like he’s been playing with the veterans for years. Williamson gives Louisville another go-to scorer and rebounder in the mold of Nwora.
The rest of the freshmen pieces are still very raw, but Louisville has a good one in beloved Irish big Aidan Igiehon, who is giving the Cardinals added depth in the absence of junior captain Malik Williams.
A possible starter upon return, Williams is yet another piece at the center or the four spot who can bring depth and different options when he’s on the floor.
Williams is joined on the bench by freshman combo guard David Johnson, who figured to play a big-time role as a primary ball-handler and polished finisher.
Right now, Louisville goes 9 or 10 players deep and will be able to play 11 or 12 come season’s end. What makes the Cards so scary is that each player brings his own unique skill set, and there’s not one specific player or line-up opponents have to prepare for.
Louisville has been starting the smaller McMahon and Perry at the guard spots and the Cards rotate the 6’6” Sutton in at center sometimes. Throw in Williamson and Nwora and that’s a lineup of death with every player capable of shooting and driving and two of the best rebounding forwards in the country crashing the boards.
Conversely, Louisville can throw in a huge lineup. Kimble is a bowling ball at point guard, and with Williamson, Nwora, Sutton, and Enoch in the game, that’s a massive lineup to defend and gameplan for. Throw in the 6’5” Johnson at point and 6’11” Williams at forward and Louisville can play a lineup with an average height of 6’8” where every player can shoot effectively.
An electric offense
Led by Nwora, Louisville’s offense is clicking on all cylinders early. Ken Pomeroy’s No. 2 ranked offense, Louisville has all of the options.
Enoch is near-automatic in the low post, while the entire team is adept to creatively getting to the bucket and knocking down shots from deep.
Ryan McMahon has always been seen as a 3-point shooting specialist, but the senior is off to a special start, firing at a 60 percent rate from three. He is also extremely intelligent in Mack’s offense and hasn’t become one of the best passers on the team.
Sutton is a walking double-double, and on the rare occasion Louisville is off on offense, he finds ways to create extra possessions or hit a shot out of the flow of the offense.
Nwora is the go-to guy with the ball in his hands, and along with Williamson, the Cardinals have a duo who can take and make any shot on the floor. They are knockdown shooters off the catch or creating their own shot. They both are smooth and crafty at the bucket, and both players are deadly in the mid-range
As a whole, Louisville is averaging 85 points per game while shooting 54 percent from the field and 43 percent from beyond the arc.
The Cardinals’ offense only stands to get better as the season wears on.
Defensive aggression
Under the previous coaching regime, Louisville basketball fans and college basketball fans as a whole became familiar with the idea of the Cardinals sacrificing offense for a suffocating defense. And, for the most part, it was extremely successful.
Louisville isn’t that team anymore, but that doesn’t mean the Cardinals cannot be among the best in the country in defensive efficiency.
KenPom has the Cards 4th in adjusted defense, and Louisville looks every bit the part of the No. 4 defense.
The most noticeable strength of Louisville’s “D” is its ability to guard opponents one-on-one and stop dribble penetration.
The Cardinals use a combination of athleticism and high basketball IQ on defense to keep opponents out for the lane in an attempt to force teams to beat them from the outside.
Louisville is allowing only 39 percent on two-point field goals and 32 percent from beyond the arc.
The “It” factor
Lastly, Louisville basketball simply seems to have “it.” The Cardinals, on paper, have an elite squad. In person, they pass the eye test.
But for successful teams, winning at the highest level goes beyond that. Louisville has what it takes to respond positively whenever it’s back is against the wall.
Sutton, McMahon, and Williams make for a triumvirate of mental and physical toughness from a leadership standpoint as the Cardinals’ captains. Perry brings energy and charisma. Kimble brings grit, leadership, and experience to the table, and Nwora and Williamson are cool customers under pressure.
There’s more to winning than being an “efficient” offensive team or having a stifling defense. Winning teams need winning players that can make timely, winning plays.
Louisville basketball undoubtedly has that.
Overall, it’s tough to argue that Louisville isn’t already the most complete team in college basketball without two of its biggest contributors.
That’s a scary thought for the rest of college basketball as the season unfolds.