Is Louisville Close to Landing Another Transfer?
(Photo of Mason Faulkner, Malik Osborne: Glenn Beil - USA TODAY Sports)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - At this point in time, the Louisville men’s basketball program already has a solid roster for the upcoming 2021-22 season. Despite losing a pair of starters and several other role players the NBA and transfer portal, they are retaining handful of veterans and meaningful contributors, and are also importing a plethora of high quality newcomers.
But that all being said, the Cardinals might not be done adding to their roster. Louisville still has one scholarship available left to fill, and it seems it could be filled sooner rather than later.
Late Wednesday, former Western Carolina guard Mason Faulkner announced on social media that he was decommitting from Colorado, and moving back to Kentucky in an effort to “be closer to my daughter and family”.
While a move to the Bluegrass State is not completely indicative of an commitment to the Cardinals, there are prior connections to Louisville. Back in late March/early April, the Glasgow, Ky. native was a graduate transfer target of the Cardinals, but opted to head out west to to Buffaloes.
If that’s not enough, he also has a personal connection to the university. The mother of his five-month old daughter is Alexis Brewer, the daughter of former Louisville guard James “Boo” Brewer, who played for the Cardinals from 1988-93, and carries the fifth-highest career three-point shooting percentage in school history at 39.7 percent.
If that’s not enough, reports are already surfacing that he will soon become a Cardinal. According to 247Sports’ National Recruiting Director Eric Bossi, Faulkner told Colorado’s coaches that he was indeed going to Louisville.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound point guard averaged a team-best 16.9 points, accompanied by 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He also shot 45.5% from the field, 35.5% on three point attempts, and 76.2% at the free throw line. Injury limited him to just 22 of WCU's 37 games, but was still named Third Team All-SoCon.
During the 2019-20 season as a redshirt junior, and his only full season as a Catamount, he put up 17.7 points, 6.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game. He posted not one, but two triple-doubles that season, and was named a First Team All-SoCon.
He spent the first two years of his career at North Kentucky, sitting out the 2018-19 season at Western Carolina due to transfer rules. In 65 total games with the Norse, he averaged 6.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
Prior to beginning his college career, Faulkner was one of the most prolific scorers in the state of Kentucky. He led the state in scoring as a senior at Caverna, averaging 35.9 points per game, while also chipping in 10.0 rebounds, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 steals. He was named a finalist for Kentucky Mr. Basketball.
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