Louisville Basketball 2021-22 Roster Outlook 1.0: The First Domino Falls
(Photo of David Johnson: Paul Rutherford/USA TODAY Sports)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It might be less than a week since the Louisville men's basketball program found out their season would be coming to an end, but it's never too early to take a glimpse into the future and look at how the 2021-22 roster could shake out.
Between players moving on to the next step in their respective careers, recruits donning the red & black for the first time, as well as potential transfer targets between now and opening tip-off, nothing is completely set in stone as to how Team 108 will look like when they lace 'em up for the first time.
Departures and Arrivals
Just one day after Louisville was excluded from the NCAA Tournament field, the roster started to change. Aidan Igiehon, whose two-year career as a Cardinal had been plagued with injuries, entered the transfer portal. Head coach Chris Mack said that he "would not be surprised" if more players opted to transfer, but as of this writing, none have yet.
Louisville's three upperclassmen on the roster, Carlik Jones, Charles Minlend and Malik Williams, all have the opportunity to come back next year thanks to the extra year granted by the NCAA across the sport. It also helps that they will not be count against the 13-man scholarship count.
Mack said he was not sure what Jones and Williams would decide, but didn't see Minlend making the decision to return. Since none of the three have decided to move on yet, for the purposes of this piece, they will be included for the time being.
David Johnson is also a player who could wind up departing for the NBA, but could easily come back considering the slump he had in the second half of the season. Mack is not sure if he will stay or leave, but he at least expects him to enter his name in the name process to get feedback.
That being said, Louisville has already started to dip into the transfer portal. Last month, Matt Cross committed to the Cardinals after parting ways with Miami in late January. If any more players decide to join Igiehon in transferring, you can absolutely expect more incoming transfers to join the fold.
Not to mention that Louisville is already welcoming a five-man recruiting class from the high school ranks. El Ellis, Bobby Pettiford, Michael James, Eric Van Der Heijden and Roosevelt Wheeler all signed Letters of Intent in the last recruiting cycle to play for the Cardinals.
Projected Depth Chart
Starting next season, Louisville's scholarship reduction will no longer apply, and they will be back to a 13-man scholarship roster. However, even when not taking into account the three players that don't count against the limit, the Cardinals are still at 14 scholarship players, meaning at least one more current underclassman is set to depart the program.
Given all that we know now about the current state of Louisville's roster, below is an early look into what the depth chart next year could look like:
*Mobile users can scroll left & right on the table*
| Point Guard | Shooting Guard | Small Forward | Power Forward | Center |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Carlik Jones** | David Johnson | Samuell Williamson | Jae'Lyn Withers | Malik Williams** |
El Ellis | Dre Davis | Matt Cross | Quinn Slazinski | Gabe Wiznitzer |
Bobby Pettiford | Charles Minlend** | Michael James | JJ Traynor | Roosevelt Wheeler |
Josh Nickelberry | Eric Van Der Heijden |
**Does not count against 13-man scholarship limit
If Carlik Jones does decided to come back, he is unquestionably the starting point guard. He was named First Team All-ACC, finished tied for second in ACC Player of the Year voting, and received an honorable AP All-American mention. Behind him, El Ellis will be the backup primary ball handler, as his is having a stellar sophomore season in the JUCO ranks. Bobby Pettiford should be able to make an early impact due to his abilities as a playmaker and scorer at all three levels.
The starting off ball guard is another spot for Louisville that could be in flux, as David Johnson currently has that spot locked up. Dre Davis was the starter replaced when Malik Williams returned from injury, but he could elevate to starter at the two if Johnson departs. Then it's between Charles Minlend and Josh Nickelberry, unless Minlend is able to fully recover both mentally and physically from his knee injury.
Samuell Williamson was able to overcome a disappointing freshman year and inconsistent first half of his sophomore season to average 11.3 points and 11.0 rebounds in the final six games. Matt Cross will be able to give Louisville some much needed three-point shooting, as he shot 40.0% in his freshman year at Miami, and Michael James' motor will help the Cardinals with their struggles to maintain effort.
Power forward will be the deepest position on the roster in terms of pure numbers. Jae'Lyn Withers' redshirt year allowed him to have a great year that landed him on the All-ACC Freshman Team, and played phenomenally when he was at his natural position. Both Quinn Slazinski and JJ Traynor played solid minutes when inserted, which should allow Eric Van Der Heijden time to adjust to the next level.
At the five spot, we have a few questions, with the first one revolving around Malik Williams and if he will return. If he does, he will provide an invaluable defensive presence in the paint, one that was sorely missed in 2020-21. Gabe Wiznitzer was decent at times, but will need a good offseason in order to take the next step. With Roosevelt Wheeler, you just hope that his Achilles injury sustained in his senior year in high school won't have a negative impact in his collegiate career.
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