Louisville Basketball: 5 reasons why Cardinals will win ACC title in 2019-20
By Neil Adler
Skillful freshmen and a grad transfer arrive
Mack will have at his disposal a myriad of line-up options in 2019-20, as the Cardinals not only benefit from a large core of guys coming back, but also a six-member recruiting class chock full of promise. ESPN.com rates Louisville’s 2019 class as No. 10 in the country, while these half-dozen prospects are slotted at No. 12 nationally, and third in the ACC, on the 247Sports Web site.
The incoming newbies are five-star shooting guard Samuell Williamson, four-star center Aidan Igiehon, four-star point guard David Johnson, four-star shooting guard Josh Nickelberry, and a pair of three-star power forwards in Jaelyn Withers and Quinn Slazinski. Plus, and this is critical to note, the Cardinals also picked up point guard Lamarr “Fresh” Kimble, a graduate transfer who served as a captain on three occasions, as well as a two-year starter, at Saint Joseph’s.
In 2018-19, Kimble accumulated 15.6 points and 2.8 assists a game, according to a press release on the Louisville athletic department’s Web site from this past April. In that same announcement, Mack had this to say about Kimble: “In our conversations, it was clear to me that Fresh wanted to win big in his senior year, and is willing to do whatever it takes to help our team achieve great success. Being a three-time captain at St. Joe’s spoke loudly to me on how his former teammates and coaches feel about Fresh’s leadership capabilities. So while I know we are getting a terrific ball-handler, and competitor, I am perhaps more excited about the person joining our program here at Louisville.”
How effectively a sizable group of veterans will gel with six freshmen and a grad transfer is unclear at this juncture, although what does appear lucid is that the Cardinals contain an intriguing roster that should prove able to go toe to toe with any other outfit in the ACC and throughout the greater college-basketball scene.