Louisville basketball: 3 takeaways from senior night win over Virginia Tech

Jordan Nwora’s swan song was for the haters

All of you who have taken it on yourself to be overly critical of a student-athlete, who found whose hard-work and determination not only allowed him to graduate in three years but also has made him one of the best shooters in Louisville history, Sunday’s performance from Jordan Nwora was for you.

I put out a simple joke about Louisville basketball allowing Nwora to read the worst of his mentions and DMs during the senior day ceremony on Twitter and the responses showed just how ridiculous people can be with criticism.

Regardless, we all knew that in what was his final game as a Cardinal playing at the KFC Yum! Center we were going to get a great performance from not only the seniors but in particular, Nwora.

That’s exactly what happened, and surprisingly enough, it all started in a fashion that has often led to criticism for Nwora; a slow start. Starting the game, 2-6 from the field, Nwora didn’t let his inability to get shots to fall (good shots at that) but instead ramped up his defensive intensity to a level we haven’t seen all season and attacked the glass at the level we all have known he’s capable of. He also began to attack the basket with force, much to the liking of ACC Network color commentator and former college basketball star Jordan Cornette. We’ve watched Nwora take the court for three years now, but never have I ever seen the intensity from him that he brought last night.

In the midst of a sluggish start, Nwora’s effort set the tone for the Cards and pushed them on the defensive end until the hot shooting began. He would go on to finish the game shooting 8/16 from the field, and while he struggled from deep going 2/8, it didn’t matter. His defense was sensational, like to the point that words don’t do it justice. Nwora (and others) was able to limit Virginia Tech’s best player Landers Nolley III to just 6 points on 2/9 shooting which is 10 points below his season average. He also grabbed 12 rebounds, which led both teams, while turning the ball over only one time.

Chris Mack has been persistent in challenging Nwora to play at a different level of intensity all season and it was great to see him rise to that level in his final game at the KFC Yum! Center. After the game when speaking with the media, Mack made it clear in his opening statement how he viewed Nwora’s performance against Virginia Tech. He said:

"“I thought Jordan maybe played one of his most complete games in a Louisville uniform — ironically, his last one here. And I thought on the defensive end, he gave great effort he guarded the ball exceedingly well. He rebounded. I thought he made the right plays in transition. And it was good to see. “"

As if Nwora’s performance wasn’t enough, the reaction from Nwora after the game’s best play which was a last-second three from graduate-transfer walk-on senior, Keith Oddo. I’ve heard some of the nuttiest things when it comes to Nwora’s character and how he is as a teammate by Louisville fans who legit have zero idea what they’re talking about.  As if scoring 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds wasn’t enough to be happy about, Nwora was even more pumped for Oddo getting that moment than he was about his own performance. Poetic justice at it’s finest if you ask me.

If this Jordan Nwora is what the Cards get for the month of March, everything we thought about what this season could be is a possibility. That means a run to the Final Four, y’all.

Also, can we agree to stop the ridiculous slander?