NCAA Basketball: Ranking the 6 finalists for Iowa State transfer Tyrese Hunter

5. Louisville Cardinals

The frontcourt for the Cardinals is starting to take shape this offseason under new head coach Kenny Payne. They recently landed former five-star prospect and Tennessee center Brandon Huntley-Hatfield from the portal, pairing him with returning big man Sydney Curry and backup big  Roosevelt Wheeler.

The backcourt is where they need more work, mainly at the ball-handler position. El Ellis is back but he’s the only true point guard on the roster. Last season, he spilt time with Mason Faulkner and Jarrod West, with poor overall results. But Ellis has the most potential so having him be the starting point guard next season could be what’s best for Louisville.

That being said, the Cardinals can’t afford to turn down talent as they look to get back to the top half of the ACC. Ellis is a combo guard that can play off-ball to make way for Hunter so that would work on paper. And Hunter can be the lead guard that makes everyone better on the Louisville roster, just as he did with Iowa State last season.

Hunter was willing to join one rebuilding program, with good results. But is he going to do it again at Louisville? The ability to play big minutes is there but so are the other options. With so many question marks still remaining, it’s hard to see how the Cardinals win out here.