Louisville basketball: 3 locks and 3 bold predictions vs. Wake Forest
By Jacob Lane
Lock: David Johnson flirts with a triple-double
It has been a long long time (at least from what I can remember) since someone from the University of Louisville recorded a triple-double on the hardwood. However, one player was close a few years ago and I would be willing to bet it’s not who you think.
As far as my research can determine the last player to have a recorded triple-double for Louisville was Terrence Williams, but the most recent triple-double watch went to Anas Mahmoud when he recorded 17 points, 13 rebounds, and nine blocked shots against Siena back in 2017.
On Wednesday night against Wake Forest, I once again expect us to be talking about how close David Johnson was to recording the first triple-double in nearly 10 years in what should be a win.
It’s been pointed out by a few people on Twitter, but for the most part no one has really noticed how quickly the freshman has begun to flirt with triple-double like assists. While he hasn’t recorded one or even a double-double yet, the stat lines for David Johnson over the last few games look like this:
- Duke – 19 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds
- Clemson – 8 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds
- Boston College – 6 points, 6 assists, 8 rebounds
The closest effort to a triple-double came against Duke when Johnson played a season-high 27 points, something he hasn’t done or gotten to since. Johnson played just 15 minutes in the game against Georgia Tech before bouncing back up to 20-plus minutes against Clemson and BC before once again playing only 14 against NC State.
Against Wake Forest, I expect to see Johnson log somewhere between 20 and 25 minutes, depending on the foul situation which has been something that’s plagued him as of late. If Johnson can avoid silly fouls, there will be a real potential to fill the stat sheet. If the game gets to blow out status like many of us expect, that will not only mean more minutes for Johnson but the opportunity to be one of, if not the best players on the floor which could push him into double-digits.
Next. Evaluating the Louisville basketball freshmen. dark
It’s a long shot to get to the triple-double, seeing as how only one Cardinal has done it in the last 12-plus years, but against a bad Wake Forest team, Johnson should be able to have his way.