Louisville Basketball: 2019-20 season preview for Cardinals

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 19: The Cardinal Bird, mascot for Louisville Cardinals performs before the game against the Michigan Wolverines in the first half during the second round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 19, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

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SPOKANE, WA – MARCH 20: Lamarr Kimble #0 of the Saint Joseph’s Hawks drives against Dillon Brooks #24 and Tyler Dorsey #5 of the Oregon Ducks in the second half during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena on March 20, 2016 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

A highly-rated class supplements the roster

Louisville would be a pretty good team with just the players returning, but on top of that, Mack was able to bring in one of the best recruiting classes in the country. His group is ranked 12th by 247Sports and is highlighted by five-star small forward Samuell Williamson, a 6-6 190lb. wing from Texas that many believe will be starting for the Cardinals from day one. He’s a lengthy wing that can do a little bit of everything, the McDonald’s All-American averaged 25 points, 11 rebounds and four assists as a senior.

Mack also brings in three frontcourt players, Jaelyn Withers and Quin Slazinski are both 6-8 power forwards and the gem of the group, Aidan Igiehon. The guy they call “Irish Hulk” is a 6-10 230lb. specimen that is a serious rim protector, blocking nearly six shots and grabbing over 10 rebounds per game as a senior.

The backcourt also has plenty of reinforcements, Josh Nickelberry and David Johnson are top-100 recruits, both earning a four-star rating from 247Sports. Johnson, a 6-5 combo guard was the No. 1 recruit in the state of Kentucky and Nickelberry can really shoot the ball, the 6-4 North Carolina native averaged just under 27 points per game as a senior at Northwood Temple Academy.

The biggest addition to the backcourt though could be Lamarr “Fresh” Kimble who is a graduate transfer from Saint Joseph’s where he averaged 15.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. Where Kimble can really help the Cardinals as a distributor as they only averaged 13 per game last season and with Cunningham gone, no player averaged more than 1.9, as a sophomore Kimble dished out 4.5.

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