Louisville Basketball: 2017-2018 Cardinals season preview
Louisville Starters
Quentin Snider– Snider will be Louisville’s starting PG for the third straight season. The 6’2 senior averaged 12.4 ppg and 4.1 apg while shooting 37% from three. Snider also owned a superb 2.73:1 assist to turnover ratio which shows his ability to value possessions and take care of the ball. Expect another strong season from the talented lead guard. Snider is extremely undervalued nationally and it will be interesting to see if he takes a bigger scoring role to fill the void left by Donovan Mitchell. Either way, Snider should earn more recognition as one of the best collegiate point guards.
VJ King– King will benefit the most from Mitchell’s early entry into the NBA Draft. The 6’7 wing scored 5.5 ppg in just over 13 minutes per game but should see a much bigger role this season. King could easily eclipse 26 minutes per game and average double figures. King fits the mold of the coveted 3 and D player as he shoots a great percentage from three (42%) and has the length to be a good wing defender. However, King is not just a shooter, he can put the ball on the floor and get his own shot which is something he will be asked to do more frequently this season. The talented sophomore should be on every breakout player list and do not be surprised if he appears on draft boards in June.
Deng Adel– Adel is the most versatile Cardinal and will split time between the two forward positions. The 6’7 forward is an excellent athlete who excels in transition and has the body to finish in the half court. Adel also has shown a proficient jump shot, 35% from three on 44 makes. This skillset has earned Adel some NBA Draft buzz. The talented junior averaged 12.1 ppg and 4.5 rpg last season and should see more touches this season.
Raymond Spalding– Spalding will play both the power forward and center positions, but will likely start at PF. Spalding is an athletic 6’10 big man who will see a larger role since Jaylen Johnson and Mangok Mathiang have gone pro. He is not offensively gifted, but his mobility and rebounding ability makes him a useful piece. Spalding averaged 5.9 ppg and 5.5 rpg as a sophomore and it will be interesting to see if he developed a more polished offensive game this summer.
Anas Mahmoud– Mahmoud came on strong towards the end of last season and earned a starting role for Louisville. The mobile seven-footer has steadily improved each season and should establish himself as one of the top defensive centers in the country this season. Mahmoud is an excellent rim protector as he averages 2.1 blocks per game and was fourth in the country with a 12.1% block rate. Offensively, Mahmoud is mostly limited to lobs and dump offs, but his defensive value makes him a really appealing player. He averaged 5.7 ppg and 4 rpg last season.
Overall, Louisville’s starting lineup should have the Cardinals among the top defensive squads in the nation. Their mix of interior length (Spalding and Mahmoud) with perimeter length (Adel and King) will make their opponent’s lives extremely difficult. Expect a combination of Snider, Adel, and King to make up for Mitchell’s production, but his loss will definitely sting.