NCAA Basketball: Ranking the 12 teams in play for 5-star CG Hunter Sallis

Head coach Chris Mack has been strong on the recruiting trail since joining the Cardinals, particularly concerning Junior College transfers. Jay Scrubb didn’t end up on campus but hopefully No. 1 class of 2021 combo guard El Ellis does for the following year. He’s the equivalent of a top-50 recruit and it would be interesting to see him and Sallis play together on the court.

Of course, if David Johnson decides to return for his junior season, that would be a fairly crowded backcourt for Sallis to contend with. In this scenario, Sallis would be the primary ball-handler in the backcourt but would have the share the ball as well. That doesn’t even include three-star point guard commit Bobby Pettiford, Jr. as potentially part of the rotation as well.

Louisville is one of the top teams in the ACC and is very competitive against the likes of Duke and North Carolina. Adding Sallis would certainly keep them as contenders in the 2021-22 season and he wouldn’t have to possibly play second-fiddle to other five-star prospects.

What worries me about the Cardinal’s chances is that they already have a filled out backcourt after next season unless Johnson departs. For the other teams on this list, there’s a lead guard leaving the roster to open up room for another player. For that reason, I have Louisville lower among the contenders.