ACC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2022-23 season

Last season Louisville had plenty of depth but lacked starpower at the top. This time around, they’re lacking both depth and starpower, leaving a ton of holes on the roster. New head coach Kenny Payne lost a lot of players in the offseason and didn’t replace them, which was an odd move to say the least.

The main storyline regarding the Cardinals’ roster is the lack of backcourt depth. The only “true” perimeter player on the roster through most of the offseason was El Ellis, who shared the point guard duties with two other guys before taking a larger role in the second half of the season. Overall, Ellis averaged 8.7 ppg and 1.6 apg but did have six games of at least 15 points, including 22 points versus Michigan State and a season-high 25 against North Carolina.

But with incoming three-star freshman Fabio Basili as the only other player that is a ball-handler, it’ll be the Ellis show all season, playing around 30-35 mpg. The likely “shooting guards” will be four-star freshman wings, Devin Ree and Kamari Lands. Both are talented prospects that should have an impact but may have to play outside their normal positions at times.

If Louisville has success in the ACC, it’ll have to come from the frontcourt. Returning big man Sydney Curry was solid in his first year in D-I, while former five-star prospect and Tennessee transfer Brandon Huntley-Hatfield is looking to have a bigger impact. How those two fit on the court together is a question but they’re two of the top players on the roster.

Look for guys such as Mike James, Jae’lyn Withers, and Roosevelt Wheeler to be part of the rotation and it’ll likely be another collective effort. Yet unless someone from the roster becomes a 15 ppg scorer and go-to player on offense, the Cardinals will be fighting with Georgia Tech to avoid dead last.