Louisville basketball significant rankings rise well deserved

Louisville basketball had a huge boost in the AP basketball rankings this past week.

Within the past week, Louisville basketball only played one game against then No. 19-ranked Virginia Tech where the Cardinals took the win on Jan. 6 73-71. That was all it took to convince voters to vault Louisville in to the rankings.

This week, Louisville was ranked No. 16 by the Associated Press after beingch unranked the week prior. The Cardinals squeaked out a two-point victory over the Hokies who are 9-2 on the season and – had they not been upset by Penn State –  would have been a one-loss team with their sole loss coming to the Cardinals last Wednesday night.

Louisville has earned every bit of the praise they have received this week. The Cardinals are streaking including winning four in a row since their enormous blowout loss to Wisconsin in mid-December.

Why does Louisville deserve their rankings boost?

They have a bona fide star

David Johnson is a star that has been in the making since his freshman run in ACC play. The hometown product out of Trinity High School in Louisville is making waves as a strong ACC Player of the Year candidate.

The true sophomore has been earning a ton of hype among the media as a potential 2021 draft prospect and lottery pick.

Johnson is a star guard that has the ability to play on or off the ball with his 6’5″ frame. He has really improved as a shooter this season which is leaving draft gurus buzzing about just how good his professional future could look.

Rising stars around the headliner

While Johnson will likely be stealing the show over the next couple of months for this squad, there are a multitude of rising stars around the program that are very encouraging potential options to surge when it matters most in ACC play.

The most notable co-star is Jae’Lyn Withers who just put up a career performance against the Hokies and looked like the best player on the floor for much of the game.

Withers put up 16 points and 12 rebounds in the matchup and showed just how high his ceiling is once again for the Cardinals. If Withers can continue to play with consistency, more performances like the one against Virginia Tech would make Louisville hard to beat in the ACC.

Cardinals have a needed veteran presence

Carlik Jones is the only true veteran playing right now for Louisville just over a third of the way through the regular season. In the one game without Jones, the Cardinals lost by 37 to Wisconsin. Louisville would not likely repeat that bad of a performance again in a rematch against the Badgers without Jones. But the shear terribleness of the team without him that day was a clear indicator they need his presence on the floor.

Louisville needs Jones to be a glue guy. He may have passed his baton of stardom to David Johnson for the season. But Jones in the number two man averaging over 16 points and 6 rebounds per game during this 2020-21 season.

If Louisville is to continue their hot streak, Jones is still a huge reason for that.

Cardinals doing so shorthanded

Let us not forget that graduate transfer Charles Minlend and senior forward Malik Williams have not played a second of basketball for Louisville this season. The veterans are expected to be a heavy presence for an already 8-1 team.

Minlend is expected to return as early as this week and Chris Mack offered his thoughts on his return to the floor and what that process entails.

The Cardinals are at least a very good ACC team already without the two seniors in the fold. Their potential reaches a new height when they are activated in to the lineup. If Williams can come back for a run in the ACC tournament, Louisville could be one of the most dangerous teams heading into March Madness.

It is nice to see the AP give some love to the Cardinals after they finally got a true signature win over a Top 25 team all without two (likely) massive contributors.

Overall

Louisville is really setting themselves up nicely in the ACC. They still are not ranked the highest in the ACC. Clemson now owns that title sitting at No. 12 overall in the AP rankings. But the Cardinals are hot on their heels.

David Johnson is a legit player of the year contender. They have the high upside and rising stars, and Carlik Jones is a star and a glue player all at once. Oh, they are also doing it shorthanded.

The Cardinals are ranked the highest they have been all season.

Expect that rank to continue to rise in the next couple of months if the same narratives continue to trend positively.