Louisville Basketball: 2017-2018 Cardinals season preview

Louisville Reserves

Brian Bowen– Bowen joined Louisville late in the recruiting cycle and will likely be the Cards’ sixth man. The 6’7 wing had a wild recruitment where Arizona, Oregon, Michigan St, Creighton, and DePaul were all rumored to lead at one point during last spring. Bowen adds even more length to the perimeter rotation and will add a scoring punch off the bench. Expect Louisville to play King, Adel, and Bowen simultaneously in order to disrupt opposing teams and increase their versatility.

Malik Williams– Williams is the second elite recruit who should come off the bench for Louisville this season. Louisville will likely use Williams as the backup center and the heir to senior Anas Mahmoud. The 6’11 freshman is mobile for his size and can block shots, but also flashes a face-up jump shot. This could allow him to play with Mahmoud in bigger lineups and length of this pair would keep opposing teams completely out of the paint.

Jordan Nwora– Nwora gives Louisville a different look in the frontcourt since he has the ability to stretch the defense with his long-range shooting. At 6’8, Nwora will likely play most of his minutes as a stretch four as King, Adel, and Bowen look to be in front of him on the wing depth chart. This should be a positive for Nwora since it differentiates him from Spalding, Mahmoud, and Williams which will earn him more minutes. Expect 12-15 minutes per game for the freshman sharpshooter.

Darius Perry– Perry will operate as the backup PG behind senior Quentin Snider. The 6’2 freshman is known for his ability to score the basketball and could play alongside Snider in smaller lineups. While Perry is a top 100 recruit in his own right, he has a pair of talented 2018 guards and a five-star 2019 guard breathing down his neck. It will be crucial for Perry to make a good first impression as a freshman and it will be interesting to see how he plays with all this pressure.

Ryan McMahon and Dwayne Sutton– McMahon and Sutton are the veterans of Louisville’s bench, which could earn them some early playing time. McMahon played sporadically last season and was used when Louisville needed an additional shooter. The 6’0 sophomore should play a similar role as the sharpshooter off the bench. Dwayne Sutton is a transfer from UNC-Asheville where he averaged 12 ppg and 7.7 rpg as a freshman. The tough 6’5 wing gives Louiville no another player who can play multiple positions. Sutton should play a small consistent role off the bench.

Lance Thomas– Thomas will provide depth at both the four and the five. The 6’8 freshman looks to be a solid long-term piece for Louisville, but minutes will be hard to come by this season.

Overall, Louisville’s bench is young but talented. The Cardinals will be one of the few teams to bring multiple elite recruits off the bench in Brian Bowen and Malik Williams. Guys like Dwayne Sutton, Jordan Nwora, and Darius Perry each fill a necessary role on this deep roster. Bench play should be a major strength for the Cardinals.