Looking Back at Louisville Men's, Women's Basketball's 2016 Recruiting Classes

(Photo of V.J. King via University of Louisville Athletics)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The 2016 recruiting classes between the Louisville men's and women's basketball programs could not be any more different. The men signed just a single recruit, while the women signed the No. 5 class in the nation.

So how well did then-men's head coach Rick Pitino and women's head coach Jeff Walz do in 2016? Below is every scholarship signee from the class in alphabetical order, their career stats at Louisville, coupled with a brief summary on their tenure with their respective program:

Men's Basketball

V.J. King

Position: Guard/Forward
UofL Career Stats: 616 points, 285 rebounds, 67 assists, 40.0% field goal percentage, 29.7% three-point percentage (101 games, 48 starts)

King is one of the more polarizing Louisville players in recent memory, and came into the program with lofty expectations, as he signed with the Cardinals as a five-star recruit and was a McDonald's All-American. Mainly coming off the bench as a freshman, he averaged 5.5 points and 2.1 rebounds. He took on a much bigger role as a sophomore, starting all 36 games and going from 13.5 minutes to 25.4, putting up 8.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in the process. He was expected to have a breakout junior year, but fell way short of expectations, only mustering 3.9 points and 3.0 rebounds in Chris Mack's first year as the head coach, later entering the 2019 NBA Draft. Had King not played for a different head coach every year (Rick Pitino, David Padgett, Mack), it's possible he could have been a much better player, or at least more consistent.

Women's Basketball

Bionca Dunham

Position: Forward
UofL Career Stats: 696 points, 461 rebounds, 65 assists, 60 steals, 54 blocks, 56.0% field goal percentage (134 games, 62 starts)

Dunham might not be the flashiest name to come through the program in recent years, but she still had a productive career as a Cardinal. Strictly a reserve over her first two years at Louisville, as a junior and senior, she became a regular starter and developed into one of the top defensive assets on the team. Her best season came during her junior campaign in the 2018-19 season, where she averaged 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds, had 21 blocks and 26 steals, while also shooting a team-best 56.3% from the field.

Ciera Johnson

Position: Center
UofL Career Stats: 148 points, 86 rebounds, nine assists, 27 blocks, 10 steals, 50.0% field goal percentage (37 games, seven starts)

Johnson showed real promise and potential during her one and only year at Louisville, averaging 4.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game. While she did start in seven games, she only averaged 12.2 minutes per contest. She later transferred to Texas A&M, citing homesickness and a lack of minutes.

Jazmine Jones

Position: Guard
UofL Career Stats: 1,239 points, 600 rebounds, 326 assists, 170 steals, 52.0% field goal percentage, 31.3% three-point percentage (144 games, 107 starts)

Jones wasted very little time becoming an impact player for the Cardinals. She saw the floor in every game as a freshman, then in her next three years, started every game but one, eventually becoming's the program's all-time leader in games played. During her senior year, she was the second-most productive player on the team behind only Dana Evans, and there was very little she couldn't do. She averaged 14.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 53.9% from the field and 37.8% on three-point attempts. Her stellar swan song earned her All-ACC First Team and All-ACC Defensive Team honors, and she was later chosen by the New York Liberty with the No. 12 overall pick of the 2020 WNBA Draft.

Kylie Shook

Position: Forward
UofL Career Stats: 948 points, 724 rebounds, 96 assists, 77 steals, 223 blocks, 47.6% field goal percentage, 38.3% three-point percentage (141 games, 45 starts)

Though she doesn't have nearly as many starts as Jones, Shook proved to be just as valuable of a contributor. She was an imposing figure in the paint, particularly on the defensive end, but also had the offensive acumen to make her a fantastic two-way player. She came close to averaging a double-double in her senior campaign, putting up 10.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, while also averaging 2.7 blocks and 1.0 steal. Louisville's all-time blocks leader, she was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in her final season, as well as an All-ACC First Team selection. She was chosen right after Jones, also by the New York Liberty, with the No. 13 overall pick of the 2020 WNBA Draft.

Sydney Zambrotta

Position: Guard
UofL Career Stats: 195 points, 51 rebounds, 29 assists, 37.3% field goal percentage, 35.7% three-point percentage (62 games, 1 start)

Zambrotta showed promise as a sharpshooter for Louisville, and even looked the part early in her career in that regard. As a freshman, she connected on 20 of her 49 three-point attempts, leading the team with a three-point percentage of 40.8% in 2016-17. But she hardly saw the court, averaging just 8.5 minutes and making just one start in her first two years. She transferred to George Washington after her sophomore year.

You can follow Louisville Report for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us on Twitter:

Facebook - @LouisvilleOnSI

Twitter - @LouisvilleOnSI and Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @GeneralWasp