Louisville basketball: Most important players for the 2020-21 season
By Alan Thomas
![LOUISVILLE, KY - FEBRUARY 05: Louisville Cardinals players huddle together prior to the start of a game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at KFC YUM! Center on February 5, 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville defeated Wake Forest 86-76. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) LOUISVILLE, KY - FEBRUARY 05: Louisville Cardinals players huddle together prior to the start of a game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at KFC YUM! Center on February 5, 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville defeated Wake Forest 86-76. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/463b17d6087346ea06ea1a8c702188582ef56bb5678034e7ffbd1c6821dfca19.jpg)
F. 438. Sam Williamson. 4. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Sophomore
The Rockwall, Texas sensation rolled into Louisville as a decorated five-star McDonald’s All-American. Last season at times, the pure scorer showed the nation a bit of what he can do.
Williamson dropped 13 points in his career debut at Miami, ranking 12th in school history for freshman debuts. He has about as smooth of an entry into the lane as you’d like to have and he had a flowing chemistry on the court with teammates. His basketball I.Q. is well above average, allowing him to create while being mindful of his surroundings.
Undoubtedly, the reason his success is so pertinent to this squad is the fact that he is Mack’s highest rated recruit ever, even dating back to his Xavier tenure. If Sam can come out and make a splash and morph into the dynamic scorer that we all know he can be, it could not only vault the Cardinals into contention for an ACC Title, but also improve the recruiting outlook at least for the immediate future.
Now that Jordan Nwora is gone, Williamson will start every single game at the three spot. Mack will be relying on him heavily to be able to create his own shot and go get us a bucket in a pinch, which was one shortcoming that plagued last year’s roster at times.