NCAA Basketball: Predicting best player from top 2021 recruiting classes
By Ian Mumm
17. Louisville Cardinals
Recruiting Class: Roosevelt Wheeler, Michael James, El Ellis (JUCO), Sydney Curry (JUCO)
Louisville experienced a true “Tale of Two Halves” last season. Following a 9-1 start to their year, including navigating a two-week shutdown, all momentum build in non-conference play was destroyed on the back end. Inconsistency on both ends of the floor created a difficult situation for the team to successfully navigate their schedule and position themselves well for the conference tournament and potential postseason play.
Head coach Chris Mack signed a strong recruiting class but relied more on JUCO and transfer options to fulfill weaker areas of the roster. As a result, the Cardinal only signed a pair of freshman players in forward Roosevelt Wheeler and wing Mike James. With El Ellis (JUCO), Noah Locke (Florida), and Matt Cross (Miami FL) joining the fold this offseason, there is not a ton of room for a bonafide freshman breakthrough in the rotation as there was in 2020.
However, if it’s going to happen it’s likely to be Mike James. The 6’6” wing brings instant versatility to the Louisville roster and can function in multiple roles on the court to create production. James can comfortably create his own shot and brings a lot of electricity to his team with momentum-building plays. He will be a key piece in the rotation for Coach Mack, especially if injuries become an issue this season.
Prediction: Mike James