Louisville basketball: Projected 2020-21 starting lineup 1.0

David Johnson – Lead guard (So.)

2019-20 stats: 6.3 ppg, 2.8 rbg, 2.8 apg

There are probably two players on this team who are day one locks, and Johnson is one of them.

The incumbent starting point guard, and player that will have the highest expectations in his jump from year one to year two, Johnson is the best ball handler and by far the best returning play-maker for the Cardinals.

The Louisville Trinity alumnus was the talk of the fan base when Mack dubbed him a real threat as the starter in the offseason, but a shoulder injury set him back over two months.

Once Johnson got the ball rolling during the season, however, he was the most electric player on the court at times.

By season’s end, Johnson had to be on the court for Louisville to be at it’s best, and it feels like it will be that way heading into the 2020-21 season.

If this team is going to go anywhere, Johnson has to be the catalyst on both ends of the floor. As the season progressed, his comfort level increased running Mack’s offense, and he acted more instinctually on defense.

The biggest thing for Johnson is going to be both continuing the be a good decision maker and improving his offensive arsenal.

Johnson is deadly on the break or one-on-one in space, but teams made a more concerted effort to keep him from penetrating and he became more pass-oriented in Louisville’s offense.

That has to change during his sophomore campaign. If Johnson can develop into an overall scoring threat for the Cardinals, they have a much higher ceiling.