Louisville basketball: 2020-21 picture becoming clear for Chris Mack

The Big Red Louie Podcast returned (practicing proper social distancing) to talk about Louisville basketball’s newest addition and the decision of Jordan Nwora.

At this time last week, there was a ton of uncertainty when it came to what the roster may look like for the 2020-21 season for Chris Mack and his Louisville basketball program.

After the abrupt end to the 2019-20 season, Chris Mack and his staff quickly got to work identifying potential fits for team 107 (the 2020-21 team) as players began flooding the transfer portal as many expected.

We knew there were a few big needs for Mack to take care of this offseason, whether it be from the high school ranks or from the transfer portal, but none bigger than at the guard position. Louisville will have a ton of production to replace as they officially said goodbye to guards Fresh Kimble, Ryan McMahon, and Darius Perry, while also losing future guard Jay Scrubb to the NBA.

It quickly began to feel like Louisville was going to follow the same path as they were on during the 2020 recruiting class where it seemed they missed on nearly every player they had made a priority during the recruiting cycle.

Blame it on the confined spaces and times were all in, but some Louisville fans are on the brink of losing it.

I saw more questions and comments about Mack’s inability to recruit over a four day period than I had in months. Not ideal timing when you have a really talented roster just missing a few pieces.

Thankfully, all of that was put to rest when the number one grad transfer guard, Carlik Jones, announced he was committing to Louisville.

Jones’ announcement was big in many ways. For one, it was as timely a commitment Chris Mack and staff have had at Louisville. With Perry’s absence, current PG David Johnson was in need of support, and Louisville was in need of additional senior leadership.

Carlik Jones does just that, providing another veteran presence in the locker room and on the court, while transforming the Cards into one of the best backcourt duos in the country.

We wrote more about Jones’ game in a previous article, but this is a great summary of what Louisville is getting:

"‘At only 6’1,” Jones plays much larger than his size. He follows shots near the basket and crashes the boards like a forward. He doesn’t have ridiculous athleticism to his advantage, but he seems to find himself in the right place at the right time a lot.’Combine that with great ball-handling skills and his current average of 20pts,5.5ast,5rbs and you have another key piece to Team 107’s puzzle."

During the podcast we also talked about the increasing likelihood that Jay Scrubb would never wear a Louisville uniform, instead, taking his chances by standing in the 2020 NBA Draft in hopes of securing a guaranteed contract.

We found out just a few hours later that Scrubb would officially be staying in the draft, hiring an agent and forgoing any college eligibility. As Danielle Lerner tweeted out, Scrubb felt like after winning the NJCAA Player of the Year Award, there was nothing left to prove before heading off to the NBA.

Call it a good move or a mistake, but there’s no denying that Scrubb will leave a hole on the Louisville roster. Chris Mack already had one scholarship, with which he was attempting to land a big man but missed on his two targets (Matt Haarms & Mattias Markusson), but now he’s left with two and will need to find another wing to fill in the minute left behind by Scrubb.

Not having Jay Scrubb around in 2020-21 may mean adjusting expectations, but it doesn’t mean the Cards won’t have talent. Remember, Mack will return all six sophomores next season, and on the wing, he’ll still have the former McDonalds All-American Sam Williamson as well as former highly-touted recruits, Josh Nickelberry, JaeLyn Withers, and Quinn Slazinski, all of whom should be major contributors next season.

Read More: One player stands to benefit most from Jay Scrubb’s NBA decision

There was more news that impacted the Louisville wing position shortly before we went on to record, and that was the official announcement of Jordan Nwora declaring for the 2020 NBA Draft, hiring an agent (as we expected) and forgoing his final season.

Nwora’s season was one that featured a lot of criticism, but there is no denying how impactful he was for the Cards. As the team’s leading scorer for the second season in a row, Nwora oftentimes carried Louisville to wins with his hot shooting and ability to take over games. While he did disappear far too often this season, I think he would tell you that as well, he showed an improved effort on the defensive end (for the majority of the season) the ability to impact the game on the glass, as well as the ability to lead a team. It was all culminated by being named to the First-Team All-ACC, being named a national Third-Team All-American, and finishing second in the ACC Player of the Year Voting (an award he should’ve won).

Depending on what draft you look at, Nwora may or may not be listed. We discussed his NBA future and where he could land, as well as what he needs from an organization to be successful.

There’s still plenty to discuss on this weeks show about the future of Louisville basketball, including who will fill the final two scholarship spots. Stay tuned!

As always, thank you for listening and please subscribe, rate, and listen!