Around the ACC: Where does Louisville basketball’s backcourt rank?
By Jacob Lane
No. 8 – North Carolina State
2020 backcourt: Cam Hayes (Fr.), Thomas Allen (RS Jr.), Devon Daniels (RS Sr.), Dareon Seabron (RS Fr.), Braxton Beverly (Sr.), Nick Farrar (Fr.), Shakeel Moore (Fr.)
North Carolina State is another team on the list that loses a lot of talent from the 2019 roster but returns a fair amount and gets a boost from new transfers and recruits. Kevin Keatts received the best news possible a few weeks ago when Devon Daniels decided to not go through the NBA Draft process and return to campus, giving the Wolfpack a legitimate go-to scorer.
Combine Daniels’ return along with the addition of Nebraska transfer, Thomas Allen, who will be eligible for the first time since transferring last offseason and four-star freshman Cam Hayes and the Wolfpack once again will have a dangerous backcourt.
Losing leading scorers Markell Johnson and C.J. Bryce will hurt in a year that is absolutely crucial for Keats, but Daniels should be able to make a big enough leap in scoring to cover some of the production while Hayes, redshirt freshman and fellow four-star recruit Dareon Seabron and veteran Braxton Beverly will make up for the rest.
Hayes is a sneaky one and done player in 2020 and if he plays up to the level of his potential, the Wolfpack could be one of the more dangerous teams in the conference. A lot will depend on the frontcourt where they are awaiting big news, but the guard play of Daniels, who showed he can score, Hayes, and Allen should be enough to get the program in contention to make the NCAA Tournament.
No. 7- Miami
2020 backcourt: Chris Lykes (Sr.), Kameron McGusty (Sr.), Isaiah Wong (So.), Harlond Beverly (So.)
I went back and forth here between three schools and ultimately settled on Miami. I am much higher on the Hurricanes than most heading into 2020 and the biggest part of that is their returning backcourt which will return two of the team’s top three scorers; Chris Lykes and Kameron McGusty.
The duo combined to score nearly 30 points per game last season and on most nights were required to carry the Hurricanes on their shoulders, along with the departing DJ Vasiljevic. Injuries cost Jim Larranaga a chance at competing in the ACC last season, but with most everyone back and healthy, the Hurricanes could be a major problem.
Lykes is a problem that no one has yet figured out how to deal with since he joined the Hurricanes three years ago. He is easily one of the top returning players overall in the ACC and at this point in time could easily be considered a favorite for Player of the Year in 2020.
Even at his height, Lykes has made a killing out of scoring in big chunks against the top guards and as more teams focused on him last year he evolved into a playmaker giving McGusty plenty of opportunity.
Both should be double-digit scorers again, and what will make the group even more promising will be their returning sophomores and former four-star recruits Isaiah Wong and Harlond Beverly. Both showed flashes of being really good players in their first season in Miami and with another offseason to focus on developing their games, they should contribute at an even higher clip than the 14-plus points they averaged to combine.
If those two are capable of taking another step as sophomore’s in the scoring department and freshman Earl Timberlake can contribute at a similar level as they did in their first season, impacting the game defensively, the Hurricanes could be much improved.
The names may not be considered “household stars” but this is a dangerous group spearheaded by the dynamic scorer in Chris Lykes.
No. 6 – North Carolina
2020 backcourt: Caleb Love (Fr.), Anthony Harris (So.), Leaky Black (Jr.), R.J. Davis (Fr.), Kerwin Walton (Fr.)
Young but talented; that’s a major theme for the top dogs in the ACC in 2020 as multiple programs, including North Carolina, will find themselves being led in the backcourt by a group of special young players with NBA level talent.
Roy Williams is looking to have his Tar Heels team bounce back after a major disappointment of a season in 2019 that saw injuries single-handily destroy a team capable of winning the ACC. While he’ll have to replace star Cole Anthony, who’s off to the NBA, and Brandon Robinson, he’ll be fortunate enough to do it with five-star freshman Caleb Love and four-star guards Kerwin Walton and R.J. Davis. Combine those pieces with the return of a healthy Anthony Harris, who suffered an ACL tear for the second time in as many years, and Leaky Black, who showed a ton of progress last season.
There is so much talent in the Tar Heel backcourt but just as many questions, none bigger than how they’ll overcome what usually compliments youth. There’s no doubt UNC is going to struggle in spurts, there’s no way around it with freshmen, but with one of the best coaches in America at the helm and a backcourt made up of a five star and four other four-star players, you have to like their chances to be good.
Louisville fans expected to see Love wearing the red and black for Louisville this season, so it’ll be extremely tough to watch as he follows in the footsteps of Anthony. While he’s been mostly a combo guard (more focus on scoring) in high school, Love has the size and tools to be an elite-level point guard at the college level. With the weapons and shooting around him, the Tar Heels have the potential to go as far as Love can take them.