Louisville Men's Basketball 2022-23 Roster Outlook 4.0
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With the college basketball season roughly three months away, the 2022-23 roster for the Louisville men's basketball program is likely, finally, complete.
Between players moving on to the next step in their respective careers, newcomers donning the red and black for the first time and less than half last season's roster returning, the Cardinals will look a little different next season as the program kicks off the Kenny Payne era.
Departures and Arrivals
After months of clamoring from the fanbase, Louisville finally landed another scholarship guard earlier this week. Fabio Basili, who had been on the Cardinals' radar since June, has made things official after getting transcript issues settled at his high school.
Basili is one of four newcomers on Louisville's roster for the upcoming season. Former Tennessee forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield was the first to join the fold, followed by Class of 2022 prospects Kamari Lands and Devin Ree not long after.
The program also got confirmation from six players earlier this offseason that they would returning to play for first-year head coach Kenny Payne. Sydney Curry, El Ellis, Mike James, Jae'Lyn Withers, J.J. Traynor and Roosevelt Wheeler all announced that they would come back.
Even with the returners, this will be a significantly different roster from last season. The Cardinals saw eight players depart the program this offseason; with Malik Williams, Mason Faulkner and Jarrod West all graduating; while Gabe Wizntizer, Samuell Williamson, Matt Cross, Noah Locke and Dre Davis all entered the transfer portal.
While there are still three scholarships left to fill, it's very likely that the 2022-23 roster is finalized. Not only is it incredibly late in the cycle with the preseason fast approaching, but there has been speculation that Louisville is using the open scholarships to brace for a potential punishment from the NCAA's ongoing infractions case against the program.
Projected Depth Chart
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:
| Point Guard | Shooting Guard | Small Forward | Power Forward | Center |
|---|---|---|---|---|
El Ellis | Kamari Lands | Brandon Huntley-Hatfield | Sydney Curry | |
Fabio Basili | Mike James | Jae'Lyn Withers | Roosevelt Wheeler | |
Devin Ree | J.J. Traynor |
El Ellis' return to Louisville is a massive win for Payne. While his 2021-22 campaign certainly had its up's and downs, the JUCO transfer displayed enormous potential on numerous occasions. He finished as Louisville's third-leading scorer, and also their top three-point shooter from a percentage standpoint. While Fabio Basili still is very raw as a prospect, adding him to the fold so that not all of the ball-handling responsibilities fall on Ellis' shoulders is big for the Cardinals.
Things get a little interesting at the two and three spots. With Noah Locke entering the portal, there are no true shooting/scoring guards on the roster. That being said, all three of the Cardinals' small forward have the ability to double dip between the backcourt and the wing. Kamari Lands is a solid starting option at the three, Mike James will likely see the most split-rep minutes between the two and the three now that he is healthy, and Ree will be Louisville's true backup wing. All-in-all, there is a lot of length and shooting potential here.
Speaking of potential, there is loads of it at the power forward. Brandon Huntley-Hatfield got progressively better over the course of his freshman year, and his toughness and versatility could vault him into an early starting role. Withers largely struggled this past season, but was able to turn in on over the final month and look like the pseudo-NBA prospect many expected him to be. J.J. Traynor was a no-show for almost the entire year thanks to setbacks last offseason, but working with Payne should be good for him.
The Cardinals also look promising at center as well. Sydney Curry looked borderline unstoppable on offense over the final month of the season, but will have to drastically work on his defense. Roosevelt Wheeler also had flashes of potential, but got lost in the big man shuffle behind Curry, Withers and Malik Williams. With Payne's reputation as a stellar post player developer, there is a lot to be excited about in the paint.
(Photo of El Ellis: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)
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