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Around the ACC: Where does Louisville basketball’s backcourt rank?

By Jacob Lane

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 12: A general view of center court prior to the quarterfinals round of the 2020 Men's ACC Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 12, 2020 in Greensboro, North Carolina. The remainder of the tournament will be played with only essential tournament personnel, limited school administrators and student-athlete guests, broadcast television and credentialed media members in attendance due to concerns over the possible spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 12: A general view of center court prior to the quarterfinals round of the 2020 Men's ACC Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 12, 2020 in Greensboro, North Carolina. The remainder of the tournament will be played with only essential tournament personnel, limited school administrators and student-athlete guests, broadcast television and credentialed media members in attendance due to concerns over the possible spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – MARCH 07: David Johnson #13 of the Louisville basketball program drives past Kihei Clark #0 of the Virginia Cavaliers in the first half during a game at John Paul Jones Arena on March 7, 2020 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – MARCH 07: David Johnson #13 of the Louisville basketball program drives past Kihei Clark #0 of the Virginia Cavaliers in the first half during a game at John Paul Jones Arena on March 7, 2020 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

No. 5 – Louisville

2020 backcourt: David Johnson (So.), Carlik Jones (Sr.), Charles Minlend Jr. (Sr.), Josh Nickelberry (So.), D’Andre Davis (Fr.)

Trying to figure out where Louisville’s backcourt should fall in these rankings was a lot more challenging than I originally thought. At first glance the ACC looks to have several backcourts that have taken step backs due to who they lost, but when you think about what they could be that’s where trying to rank them is tricky. Louisville falls squarely into that group and though they lose a lot they bring back potentially special talent and add valuable veterans.

There are a lot of factors that go into projecting what 2020 will look like for a group that will have to deal with losing valuable and veteran guards including point guard Fresh Kimble, scorer Ryan McMahon, and the ever-dangerous Darius Perry. But with potential 2021 NBA lottery pick, David Johnson, taking over as the primary ball-handler and 2019 Big South Player of the Year, Carlik Jones transferring in, the Cards could potentially be even better in 2020.

Read more: Comparing each 2020 signee to former Cardinals

We’ve heard that song and dance before when it comes to players stepping into roles left behind by big names players, only to see them fall short. Sure, in 2020-21, Johnson and Jones may struggle with fitting into new roles and taking over a new-look offense, but I don’t see it. Call me a fan wearing rose-colored glasses, but the combination of playmaking, scoring, versatility, and basketball IQ could make them one of the more dangerous ACC duos in their one and only year together.

Behind them is where things get tricky. The depth that Louisville had last season has evaporated a bit and the options behind Jones and Johnson aren’t as crystal clear. Josh Nickelberry was a highly sought after recruit in the 2019 class but we didn’t get much of a chance to see what he was capable of with the players in front of him earning more minutes. He came to Louisville as one of the best scorers in NC high school basketball history and there’s a ton of faith that he became an effective contributor off the bench.

If you’re reading this and you’re not a Louisville basketball fan then you probably are asking yourself how a group that is led by a grad-transfer from Radford that’s never played in the ACC and a point guard who scored only 6.3 ppg can be a top-five backcourt? Well, folks, you need to go back and watch the Louisville vs. Duke game from early 2020.

In that game, as Alex Stengel recapped, David Johnson showed just a small glimpse of the special and elite player he can be when given ample minutes. Playing 27 minutes, Johnson record 19 points, seven assists, four rebounds, three steals, and two blocks while outshining the eventual ACC Player of the Year in Tre Jones. That type of performance is going to become the norm during the 2020-21 season and if Louisville can get great defense and some scoring from fellow graduate-transfer, Charles Minlend Jr. from San Francisco, while seeing more production from Nickelberry and freshman D’Andre Davis, the backcourt for Louisville could be its biggest strength.

It may be a bit of a bold prediction but I expect Johnson to lead the ACC in assists in 2020 and become the first player to secure a triple-double for the Cards since Terrence Williams.

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