Instant reaction to Louisville basketball’s win over Boston College

Louisville basketball defeated Boston College on the road in an ACC matchup.

The Cardinals pulled out a foul-heavy second half to move to 2-0 in ACC play and 7-1 overall on the season on Saturday.

Four Cardinals scored in double digits in this one including freshman Dre Davis finding his footing for a 12 point, 5-for-5 performance.

It was about as ugly as it gets of a basketball game after a relatively clean and smooth first half that Louisville dominated.

Louisville, led by star sophomore guard David Johnson, went up 41-24 just a minute in to the second half on Saturday. The Cardinals held steady control until Boston College went on an 11-3 run midway through the second half to cut the lead down to seven with nine minutes remaining in the game.

David Johnson dazzled while Carlik Jones struggled some scoring the ball. But he was very productive and efficient in other areas of the game.

Samuell Williamson started the game 1-for-6 before rebounding very well to shooting 5-for-10 and 12 points.

Louisville did a nice job of forcing Boston College big men to shoot the ball. That resulted in their forwards shooting a combined 0-for-9 from deep on the day.

Let’s talk about a couple of instant takeaways from the game for Louisville

David Johnson is a pro-ready star

Johnson is proving in the early stages of this season that he is improving on the areas that he needed to in order to prove his NBA worth.

He scored 20 points and shot 7-for-16 on the game including 4-for-6 shooting from three. Johnson scored 15 and was 5-for-9 in the first half.

It was a performance to hang his hat on where he showcased his ability to hit the three and get hot from beyond the arc which was something that was not a part of his arsenal as a freshman. His fast improvement from there is admirable.

His ability to create his own shot via step-backs and pulling up off of the dribble will excite NBA scouts.

Johnson also showed off his ability to drive and score and he is an elite rebounder for a guard.

After struggling with turnovers the last few games, Johnson only had one in this one. He was smart and efficient about his offense while still showing his goods as a tremendous offensive threat.

This may be Johnson’s last season in a Louisville uniform before he is in the NBA. Appreciate what he brings to the floor as a basketball player. Johnson is going to set himself up in prime position for ACC player of the year.

Carlik Jones got it done in other ways

When the shots were not going down, Carlik Jones made it work in other facets of the game. He had nine rebounds at just 6’2″ including four first half offensive boards.

He only shot 3-for-13 on the day and while they will need him to be better in that facet in the future, his ability to stay involved on a tough day from the floor proves how much worth he has to the team.

Jones also had six assists on the day and stayed active throughout the course of the game. He never disappeared despite poor shooting. That’s when you know you have a fantastic player on your hands.

Fastbreaks should be a mainstay

This team can really get out in the open floor. The advantage of having a smaller player like Jae’Lyn Withers playing center is really important in fastbreak situations.

At 6’8″, he moves much better than most other centers and he can be a big factor in odd-man fastbreaks where the Cardinals have numbers. He received an easy pocket pass from Carlik Jones that led to an easy layup in this one and plays like that could play to their advantage in the future.

It is not currently a big part of the team’s point totals but this personnel has what it takes from a court vision and athleticism standpoint to be very good running off of turnovers and quick rebounds.

Sam Williamson had himself a backdoor dunk off of the break as well. Louisville had 10 total fastbreak points today. Those opportunities are far and few between, but they are very effective when they get the chance to run.

If it becomes a bigger part of the plan for Louisville, it could open things up for easy buckets and more opportunity for the offensive playmakers to show off their athleticism and court awareness.

Overall

It was another solid win for Louisville that could have easily been more had there not been 29 total fouls called in the second half. That really ended up messing with the flow of the game when it wound down.

It was ugly at the end, but it never truly felt like the game was at risk. Louisville looked a step above Boston College and they proved that with a 12-point win.

The Cardinals have a ton of talent. Boston College may not be the best ACC team, but Louisville really needed a game like this one to gain confidence back. This could be a great way to gain confidence for a player like Samuell Williamson who made each of his final four shots before fouling out late in the game.

Louisville next plays No. 24 Virginia Tech on Wednesday, Jan. 6.