Louisville basketball: Chris Mack’s plan for the man from San Fran

The Big Red Louie Podcast returned to talk about Louisville basketball’s newest commitment, Charles Minlend Jr., as well as the expectations for the 2020-21 season.

In what is supposed to be a relatively quiet period due to having no sports, things have been happening rather quickly for Chris Mack and the Louisville basketball program over the last week. After recording last week’s podcast, we returned on Tuesday to discuss all the happenings for the Cards since we turned our microphones off.

First things first – good god Lamar Jackson.

If you haven’t witnessed, you’re about to (click here). The Louisville legend and reigning NFL MVP showed off the newest colorful upgrade to his ink collection on Instagram the other night and honestly? Its a work of art.

The ‘TRUZZ’ life. I love everything about it. Honoring the things Lamar holds dearest in this world: His mother, his sport, and his lifestyle of legally snatching grown men’s souls on the football field every weekend. Seriously, id be shocked if Mark Ingram was scrolling his Instagram feed, saw his favorite ride or die QB get an insanely awesome tattoo with the motto he helped create, and didn’t immediately run through the nearest wall. Ravens, Super Bowl 2021 – book it.

However, were here to discuss the news that’s even larger than Lamars MVP Ink. We’re here to talk about Mack’s new man from San Fran. I really don’t think I’ll be able to stop saying that next season, and not so secretly I hope it sticks.

Louisville coach Chris Mack came out of nowhere from the top rope late on Easter Sunday, giving a Stone-Cold stunner to the SEVEN programs who were involved in the touted graduate transfer, Charles Minlend Jr. when the Cards weren’t. Programs including Gonzaga, Arizona, and even the fighting Archie’s of Indiana, literally no one saw this commitment coming. A commitment that was urgently needed for Louisville, instantly calming the nerves and fears of an unfinished roster.

Things are starting to get Mack on track.

And if you didn’t instantly exit out of this article after that incredibly creative joke, i’d like to provide a little insight into who Louisville is getting in Charles Minlend Jr., just in case you don’t have the time to hit up the BRL podcast (which you do, don’t lie to me).

San Fransisco University standout Charles Minlend Jr. is a man on a mission, driven to prove all his doubters wrong with a chip on his shoulder. A mission that Louisville directly benefitted from. In an interview with Jamie Shaw from the Absolute Basketball Experience, Minlend shared in more detail that he still feels jaded from the lack of love and interest shown from the bigger programs within his home state of North Carolina.

"“If someone told me that I had the chance to go back to the same place where everybody saw me and everybody knew who I was, but they just overlooked me, and I had a chance to prove to them that I can do all those things that they all doubted me on — It would kill me if I decided to go somewhere else when I had the opportunity there… I get to play against all those schools that saw me and knew who I was, and no disrespect to them, but I feel like I’m good enough to play on those teams.”"

Give me the guy who has a personal vendetta for the same in-conference blue bloods that our fanbase also loathes, every time.

I said this within the podcast, and it might be a little unpopular, but I believe Louisville potentially can become an even better overall team with Minlend rather than now NBA bound, Jay Scrubb. Take your fan goggles off and hear me out for a second – Minlend might not have the same level of athleticism and pizazz that came with Scrubb, but he will bring more needed senior leadership and the focus, drive, and mentorship to younger players that comes with.

For a team mostly compromised of sophomores and freshmen, Louisville’s core guys have the opportunity to really learn from and soak in the leadership mentality that the transfer duo of Carlik Jones (who committed last week) and Minlend can provide. Although I’m sure some highlights would be more entertaining, I believe some of those intangibles would have been missing had Scrubb came to Louisville.

As we discussed on the show, Louisville isn’t getting a star in Minlend. But what they are getting is a guy capable of bringing the mentality that Chris Mack looks for to a group of young players who are ready and willing to do the work to go to the next level.

Read More: How Louisville’s starting lineup will be impacted by Charles Minlend Jr. addition

Even with Jones and Minlend on board, the expectations are still all over the place. As Jacob Lane and I discussed during the show fan’s responses on Twitter ranged from fringe tournament team, to top 25 team, and even a team capable of making the NCAA tournament.

The ceiling for Louisville could be similar to what we saw last season against Duke, in one of Louisville’s biggest wins, while the floor could look similar to what we saw in several games when Chris Mack put his young freshmen into games that had sizable leads only to see those evaporate. The offseason isn’t going to look like what coaches and players are used to, which could hinder the overall development, but there’s no denying that next season’s team will be defined by how far they come along from year one to year two.

With the commitments of guards Carlik Jones and Charles Minlend Jr., Louisville now has 11 of their 12 players in the fold. It seems that Chris Mack is likely to spend all of his effort into adding one final versatile big who will be able to provide quality minutes behind senior Malik Williams and rising sophomore, Aidan Igiehon.