What Trentyn Flowers' Departure Means for Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Typically, the month of August isn't a time where headline-grabbing or head-turning college basketball roster moves are made. This is normally a time where rosters have long been set, with players and teams having already been working together for several weeks in preparation for the upcoming season.

However, the Louisville men's basketball program found themselves on the wrong end of such a bombshell on Monday.

Trentyn Flowers, a five-star prospect who was the crown jewel of Louisville's 2023 recruiting class, decided that he will no longer suit up for the Cardinals. Instead, the incoming freshman opted at the last minute to pursue a professional opportunity in Australia with the NBL's Adelaide 36ers in preparation for a future career in the NBA.

The move from Flowers was nothing short of a stunner. He had been on campus since late May, was actively practicing with the team, and had even been taking part in community engagement. His active involvement with both the University and City of Louisville makes his decision to skip town all the more head scratching.

So what does this mean for the Cardinals, both in short and long term?

From both a talent and upside standpoint, this is major loss for Louisville. Before his reclassification to the 2023 cycle, Flowers was ranked as high as the No. 16 player in the Class of 2024, according to On3. Even in the Class of 2023, he was still regarded as the No. 23 overall player in the nation according to the 247Sports Composite, and was Louisville's highest-ranked signee.

When you actually watch his game and breakdown film, you realize quickly that he was very deserving of his highly ranked status. The 6-foot-8, 210 pound guard/forward was one of the more athletic players in the class, had an arsenal of moves in his toolbag, and was very good at finishing through contact. Plus, despite his frame/playstyle suggesting he could be a true wing, Flowers had the versatility to play both guard positions as well.

Given his on-court talent, he was someone who was very clearly a candidate to start for Louisville. It might have been hard to do it on day one with guys like Skyy Clark, Tre White and Mike James likely being the starters at the one through three, but this was a player who USA Today tabbed as someone who would be a lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft just a few weeks ago.

Now, a player who was set to play a large role in a potential bounce back during year two of the Kenny Payne era is now gone. His play as true point guard might have been a bit of a work in progress, but at the very minimum, his abilities at the two or three were a lot set in stone.

Sure, Louisville still has Clark, White and James, and the trio all have prior college experience - something that Flowers doesn't. Plus fellow freshmen Kaleb Glenn and Curtis Williams Jr. are talented small forwards, too. On paper, the roster is still a perceived upgrade over the maligned 4-28 squad.

But there's no denying that the backcourt and wing for the Cardinals took a major step back when Flowers opted to skip town. Plus, all the time that the team spent building chemistry and camaraderie in hopes of improving from last season just had a big wrench thrown in the mix. Throw in the fact that Ty-Laur Johnson, Louisville's only other true point guard on the roster, still has not officially enrolled in school, and depth in this area is back to being a major concern like it was last season.

On top of the fact that losing a player of Flowers' caliber is always bad, the timing of his decision could not have been much worse for Louisville. with the season less than three months away, the amount of quality additions still available in the transfer portal are miniscule.

According to Rivals' top 150 players to enter the portal in this cycle, Arizona State transfer point guard Luther Muhammad, Mississippi State transfer point guard Tyler Brumfield and Arkansas-Little Rock transfer small forward Myron Gardner are the only players at the one, two or three still available. There aren't many options in the high school ranks, either.

Plus, Kenny Payne has very limited time to find a replacement for Flowers, period. The first day of classes at UofL for the Fall 2023 semester is on Aug. 21 (six days from the time of writing), and the last day to drop/add is Aug. 25 (10 days from the time of writing).

In essence, Flowers' decision leaves Louisville in a very precarious position. Not only do the Cardinals lose a massive component needed for a potential bounce back season, there is very little time to find a replacement for him, and the options that are available are not nearly as talented.

Does that mean Louisville is doomed before the season even starts? No. The Cardinals still have the No. 16 recruiting class coming in, have a couple high-impact transfers that serve as leaders and go-to players, and their returners are taking steps in their own rights to make sure Louisville doesn't have another ghastly season.

But make no mistake: Kenny Payne's efforts to guide the Cardinals back to their winning ways unquestionably got harder.

(Photo of Trentyn Flowers: Dan Fritz - On3)

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