Louisville basketball: 5 under the radar transfers for Cards

Jalen Carey – PG

Syracuse, Sophomore (6’3, 186-pounds)

2019 stats: 1.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.5 apg

Much like Alex O’Connell at Duke, Jalen Carey is need of a fresh start as he looks to fulfill the potential that many thought he may have as an elite recruit two years ago.

It’s not typically a good thing when heralded freshmen come into a program with sky-high expectations and immediately struggled. We’ve seen how that can play out first hand at Louisville with guys like Shaqquan Aaron and Lance Thomas, and how it can quickly kill the confidence of a once-promising, and even elite player.

That’s the case for Carey, a former four-star and top 100 recruit, who chose to play his college ball at Syracuse over UConn, Arizona, Miami, and others. That commitment lasted two years, in which most of the time Carey was watching game action from the bench.

Things didn’t go anywhere near what was planned as Carey sat behind a deep rotation of guards as a freshman, playing in 25 games (with two starts) averaging 3.5 points and an assist per game in a little over 12 minutes per night.

As a sophomore things went from bad to worse, as Carey struggled mightily in his first two games as the starting point guard before being benched. After moving him to the bench and not playing him, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said:

"“We wanted to win. We wanted guys out there that could win the game for us.”"

Carey only would never appear in another game for the Orange after that, which led many to believe it was only a matter of time before he transferred. That’s why when Carey announced his intentions to leave Syracuse last week no one batted an eye. So what’s next?

Enter Louisville.

We’ve detailed the need both short-term and long-term at the point guard spot, and how Chris Mack can go about filling that. With David Johnson, Josh Nickelberry, and at least one grad-transfer likely to be in the fold next season the Cards are more than capable of taking a chance on a talented player who would have to sit a season due to NCAA transfer rules while preparing to take over as the lead guard.

Carey can be that guy and he can do so as a good fit in Chris Mack’s system – assuming he’s mentally locked in and willing to help his team win games. As a high-school star, he showed the ability to play both guard positions, dominating on the Nike EYBL circuit as both a scorer and a primary ball-handler/playmaker. At Syracuse however, he struggled mightily with turnovers and bad shot selection, which is a major negative. However, that doesn’t mean he can’t restore his game.

Louisville’s offense plays best when the guards are able to attack the rim down-hill and get the ball inside. Carey is a really good athlete with a quick first step that allows him to get past defenders, and if he’s able to improve as a shooter and decision the ability is there to get his career on track.

Carey has played nearly his entire basketball career in the New York area, so this time around I expect him to try and get away from his hometown. Louisville presents a great opportunity to play for an experienced Coach who’s been able to get the most out of his guards even in difficult situations. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Carey take a step down and play at the mid-major level, but there is without question a lot of talent waiting to be realized.