en en en en fr fr en en en en en en en en en en en en en en
If that's for the good or for the bad remains to be seen. On paper, it appears the team has the chance to be really good, due to returning players who are familiar with Chris Mack's system and the addition of a top-10 recruiting class. The Cardinals should have experience, depth and talent.
The biggest takeaway from this past season that they will need to build on the 20-win season and NCAA Tournament berth is to find a "dawg." A player, primarily an inside player, who is a force to be reckoned with inside and who the opposing team will have issues guarding and keeping from getting rebounds.
Read this:Louisville athletic director Vince Tyra is working U of L out of a funding jam
In Louisville's past, some of the more successful teams had that type player. Most recently, Montrezl Harrell was that guy. You see it now with the Los Angeles Clippers, but when he was a Cardinal, he fought for every loose ball and rebound. When he went to score, he had all intentions of dunking the ball on somebody and making a "SportsCenter Top 10" play. Even if there was a game in which he didn't score a lot of points, he still did the work of getting rebounds and defending. Simply put, he was a beast.
U of L didn't have that on a consistent basis this past year. Steven Enoch showed glimpses of it, but there were other games in which he wasn't a factor. Malik Williams showed dramatic improvements defending and rebounding, but there were moments when he preferred shooting 3-pointers — a lot of that due to him being a thinner player.
Saying this doesn't mean Louisville doesn't have next season. Aidan Igiehon could very well be that guy. Enoch, if he does return, or even Williams could prove to be that more consistently. But if they want to be even better next season — to help the guard play — that dawg will help the Cardinals take that next step.
Check out:Spend Oaks Day playing basketball with Angel McCoughtry and Asia Durr
Careers Staff Directory Accessibility Site Map Legals Our Ethical Principles Terms of Service Privacy Policy Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy PolicyDo Not Sell My Info / Cookie Policy
Contact Us Support Local Business Advertise Your Business Advertising Terms and Conditions Licensing & Reprints Help Center Subscriber Guide My Account Give Feedback