How Jay Scrubb's decision affects Louisville Basketball
In a move that had been widely anticipated, Louisville basketball signee Jay Scrubb confirmed on Thursday that he would indeed be staying in the NBA Draft process and would forgo his time as a Louisville Cardinal. Scrubb didn't waste much time, as this comes just over two weeks after he originally entered his name in the draft.
Even though this was a decision expected by the program and fans alike, it doesn't make it any less of a blow for the Cardinals. In Louisville Report's roster outlook for the 2020-21 season, Scrubb was projected as a day one starter based on his scoring and his athleticism. As a sophomore at John A. Logan College in Carterville, Ill., Scrubb averaged 21.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 50.1% from the field. He was named the NJCAA Player of the Year as a result.
Fortunately, the news of his decision to remain in the draft process doesn't hit quite as hard as it would have a week ago. With Radford grad transfer Carlik Jones announcing his commitment to the Cardinals on Apr. 5, it is under the early presumption that Jones will slide into the starting role that Scrubb once was expected to hold. While Jones doesn't have the size and athleticism of Scrubb, his scoring efforts (20.0 PPG, 48.8% FG, 40.9% 3PT) more than make up for it. Head coach Chris Mack now no longer has to find a way to balance minutes between Johnson, Scrubb, Jones and even Samuell Williamson.
However then there is the issue of depth. With David Johnson & Carlik Jones expected to start as your one & two guards, the only remaining non walk-on guard for Louisville is Josh Nickelberry, who averaged just 0.8 points over 3.7 minutes in 15 games last season. The backcourt is now arguably the most thin aspect of the roster for Louisville, along with the center position.
The timing of Scrubb's decision also helps Louisville more than it hurts them from a recruiting perspective. Had he opted to drag out this decision, it would have impacted Chris Mack's ability to recruit potential replacements and fill the scholarship spot now left open. While they might have missed out on some targets during the period where it was not clear what Scrubb would ultimately do, letting Mack know now instead of at the deadline to withdraw your name allows the program the time to properly find a replacement grad transfer.
As it stands now, Louisville has filled 10 of their 12 scholarship spots for next season. Mack has already stated that one of them will go towards a front court player, and is already working to fill it. Now that Scrubb is confirmed to be gone, it is safe to assume his spot will go towards a guard. Time will tell who Louisville is able to attract at this stage in the game.
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