Cardinals ranked fifth in preseason AP Poll
The expectations have risen in Chris Mack's second year as Louisville men's basketball head coach.
The Cardinals were ranked fifth in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 that was released Monday, Oct. 21. Michigan State received 60 of 65 first-place votes.
Louisville last ranked in the top 5 of the AP preseason poll in 2013-14. It is the fifth time in the last 10 years that the Cardinals have been ranked in the preseason top 10.
After being ranked 11th in last year's Atlantic Coast Conference preseason voting and receiving just 11 votes in the annual AP preseason poll, Louisville has garnered plenty of national attention for the upcoming season.
Jordan Nwora, who chosen as the ACC Preseason Player of Year, is Louisville's biggest returner for a team that went 20-14 last season. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 17.0 points and 7.6 rebounds as a sophomore.
Forward Dwayne Sutton (10.0 points, 6.9 rebounds) and center Steven Enoch (9.4 points, 5.2 rebounds) return to Louisville's front court that will be without Malik Williams, who is recovering from foot surgery, for at least the first month of the season. Williams averaged 7.7 points and 6.1 rebounds in 20 starts last year.
Darius Perry and Ryan McMahon were to a backcourt boosted by a 2019 recruiting class that ranked in the top-15 nationally.
Lamarr Kimble is a 6-foot graduate transfer from St. Joseph's while Josh Nickelberry and David Johnson were both rated as four-star guards. Johnson is sidelined with a shoulder injury suffered in late July.
Samuell Williamson, a 6-foot-7 wing, was the top-rated recruit in Mack's six-member class. Williamson was ranked 19th nationally by 247Sports. Aidan Igiehon, a 6-foot-10 forward, was graded a four-star.
Louisville opens the season on the road against Miami.
