Louisville Basketball: 8 potential guard options after not landing Emoni Bates
Louisville Basketball was part of the latest storyline in college hoops in the past month, mainly because they were reportedly linked with Memphis transfer Emoni Bates. After he entered the NCAA transfer portal, he gave a final list of six team options that included the Cardinals. They, at one point, were viewed as legit favorites to win his signature but in the end, it was the Eastern Michigan Eagles of the MAC that got his commitment.
It may not be fair to fully blast new head coach Kenny Payne and the staff for this. There have been rumors that the team wasn’t interested in the former five-star prospect after a while and that it wasn’t a surprise that they didn’t win out on Bates.
And that would normally be fine. The problem is that Bates may have been the last true impact perimeter player that would’ve had an impact at Louisville this upcoming season. As of right now, the Cardinals only have returning guard El Ellis that can play either the point or shooting guard positions. Right now, there are several “wings” among the newcomers that’ll have to play out of position next season, which has its downside potential.
Louisville did bring in Tennessee State guard Hercy Miller as a walk-on but at this point, he’ll probably be on scholarship, as the team still has four open spots available. There are rumors that a couple of class of 2022 late recruits are in the mix and while it doesn’t feel like it, there still are hundreds of players still available in the portal.
So who could Louisville realistically target that can have an impact for the upcoming season to make them more competitive? Here are eight current free agents in the portal to consider.