Louisville's Jae'Lyn Withers Returning for 2022-23 Season
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville men's basketball program is getting back another key piece for the 2022-23 season.
Jae'Lyn Withers, a stretch four who struggled in the first half of last season only to have a strong second half, announced on social media Friday that he will be returning to the program for next year.
Withers posted a graphic to Twitter and Instagram of him next to several Louisville landmarks with the message "Coming Back", accompanied by the caption "I'm back, watch yours."
He's now the fourth current Cardinal to confirm that he would be coming back for next season to play for recently-hired head coach Kenny Payne. He joins Sydney Curry, El Ellis and Mike James.
After redshirting his first year, the 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward had a solid second year. He averaged 10.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, shot a team best 54.9 percent from the field, and was named to the 2021 ACC All-Freshman team.
But in the first half of his redshirt sophomore year this past season, Withers struggled immensely. He did average 8.2 points and 5.2 rebounds over the first five games with three in double figures, but then had a 12-game stretch where those totals plummeted to 2.5 and 4.2, respectively.
Fortunately, the Charlotte, N.C. native was able to rebound down the stretch and look vaguely like that NBA prospect he was billed to be in the offseason. Over the final 12 games, he averaged 8.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. He averaged 5.8 points and 4.6 rebounds with a 41.0 shooting percentage for the season.
Bringing back Withers is a big win for Kenny Payne and Louisville. Despite his struggles last year, he does give the Cards versatility at the four and five spots. Plus, given Payne's prowess when it comes to developing post players, Withers has a chance to see tremendous growth over the offseason.
Now, eyes shift to potential decisions from J.J. Traynor and Roosevelt Wheeler to return to Louisville. They're also waiting on a concrete decision from class of 2022 commit Kamari Lands, who has yet to sign an NLI but has hinted he wants to remain a Card.
(Photo of Jae'Lyn Withers: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)
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