Around the ACC: Where does Louisville basketball’s frontcourt rank?
By Jacob Lane
No. 6 – Louisville
2020 Frontcourt: Malik Williams (Sr.), Quinn Slazinski (So.), Jae’Lyn Withers (RS. Fr.), Aidan Igiehon (So.), JJ Traynor (Fr.)
For the first time in a long time, the Louisville frontcourt will easily be the team’s biggest question mark as they prepare for the 2020-21 season. Gone from a year ago are three crucial pieces who provided so much in Chris Mack’s first 41 wins as the head coach of Louisville, including wing Jordan Nwora, do-it-all swiss army knife Dwayne Sutton, and inside/outside threat, Steven Enoch.
That means Chris Mack will be forced, for the first time, to replace production in mass, and he’ll do so with three returning former four-star recruits, a project big man with a ton of potential, and the sixth man of the year runner up in the ACC, Malik Williams.
It’s very rare that you find a senior stepping into a full-time starting role for the first time, but that’s where we are with Williams, and because of it, Louisville’s players, coaches, and fans know what they’ll be getting.
Williams will have to become a dependable option for the Cards night in and night out in 2020-21, and that starts with strengthening his game in every area- Especially on offense. The last two seasons, Williams has been the best defender on the team with his excellent hustle and ability to switch off onto any defender. However, he has never been an adept shot-blocker. Much of that depends on instincts and timing, but nevertheless, a presence on the glass would greatly benefit the Cards.
On the offensive end, Williams has shown that he is good at pretty much everything, but he’s not great at anything. He has a solid face-up game, and improving back-to-the-basket game, a good mid-range jumper, is hot and cold from beyond the arc, and about what one would expect on the glass. Where Louisville basketball could stand to benefit the most from Williams in 2020-21 is to have him take his offensive game to the next level. If he can become a reliable post option, it changes the entire dynamic of the team.
Outside of Williams, Louisville is largely unproven at the four and five spots.
Behind him at the five spot, rising sophomore Aidan Igiehon proved to be a bit more of a project than many anticipated during his freshman year. Igiehon needs to show improvement as far as spatial awareness. He is great at clearing space, making himself big, and finishing with authority. Outside of that, Igiehon struggled on the defensive end last season and lacked any low post moves.
Louisville has to get 10-12 minutes per game out of Igiehon in order to remain effective in the low post next season.
At the four, Louisville returns rising sophomore Quinn Slazinski, who showed real promise in 2019-20. Slazinski was stuck behind Jordan Nwora and Dwayne Sutton last season, which meant that he was relegated largely to mop-up duty. However, Slazinski showed that he can be similar to Nwora as a stretch four who is a lethal shooter from deep and above-average rebounder.
The wildcards for Louisville this season will be redshirt freshman Jae’Lyn Withers and true freshman JJ Traynor.
Withers sat out last season in order to develop his body and game and preserve a year of eligibility, but he could be this team’s biggest surprise. His seven-foot wingspan makes him a real threat at the four spot defensively, and he has guard-like skills on the offensive end. He can get to the bucket and has a solid midrange and outside shot.
Withers models his game after Kevin Durant, and with a similar frame, he will bring that style of play to Louisville’s lineup this season.
Traynor has been a bit of an afterthought in this year’s recruiting class, but he has potential to be a breakout player from day one. He has the ability to get to the bucket at will, but he appears to be becoming a true asset in the midrange and beyond the arc. Like Withers, Traynor was a player who was always bigger than everyone else and could use his frame to his advantage. However, he figured out that he could become a real threat as an outside shooter, and that’s where his game could really help the Cardinals in 2020 and beyond.
Louisville basketball has a lot of unproven commodities this season upfront, but they sit at the seventh spot because the potential is there for something special.