What Jackson Shelstad Brings to Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Flory Bidunga might have been the one that generated more headlines, but the second half of his package deal commitment to the Louisville men's basketball program was significant as well.

On Sunday, the Cardinals also picked up a commitment from former Oregon point guard Jackson Shelstad, who is the No. 18 player in the transfer portal. Shelstad and Bidunga are coming off of a visit to campus this past weekend, which resulted in the two pulling the trigger.

The 6-foot-0, 170-pound guard only suited up for 12 games this past season due to a hand injury, but he was in the midst of a career year before being shut down for the season. He averaged 15.6 points, 4.9 assists and 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game, all of which were career-highs.

But beyond his stat lines, what else does Shelstad bring to the table for the Cardinals?

What immediately stands out on Shelstad's film is just how fast he is. He is extraordinarily quick and shifty both with the ball in his hands, and he can get downhill in a hurry because of it. This is most evident when he explodes off of ball screens, but he has also consistently shown an ability to win one-on-one matchups when driving to the rim.

Shelstad also showcases this speed and burst off of the ball as well. In fact, any time there's a chance to be the finisher in transition offense, he jumps at the opportunity - and can routinely sneak past defenders when they're not paying attention.

He's also a very good shot creator as well. Shelstad can easily create space with the variety of dribble moves that he has, especially with his stepback and behind-the-back moves. Whether dribbling or finishing, he's shown that he is comfortable using both hands, and doesn't favor one or the other.

As far as his ability to finish at the rim through contact, it's good but maybe not great. As a sophomore, he was just 57-for-96 (59.4 percent) at the rim, although he was 18-of-26 (69.2 percent) this past season before getting hurt a second time. He also doesn't draw a lot of free throws with just an 18.7 career free throw rate, but he does make his trips to the line count, as he's an 84.4 percent career free throw shooter.

Additionally, Shelstad is a true three-level scorer. He's flashed a good step back jumper on the baseline and around the elbow, and has mixed in a driving floater. For his career, he's shooting 45.4 percent on two-point tries outside of the painted area.

From three-point land, Shelstad is very underrated in this regard. He's got true NBA range shooting capabilities, especially around the wings and the top of the key. His jump shot is quick and has a high point of release, although he almost never squares up his feet when he shoots. His right foot tends to lead very far in front of his left, regardless of the defense.

Something to note is that his shooting percentages did take a big step back this past season. After shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 37.9 percent on threes as a sophomore, thise numbers fell to 39.1 and 31.4, respectively this past season. Although this might have to do with the fact that we was coming off of an injury to his shooting hand, and played in 23 fewer games.

Shelstad is very much a score-first type of point guard, but has flashed some good floor vision. He actually took a huge step forward from his sophomore season to his junior season in this regard, almost double his assist average (2.7 to 4.9) and posting a 31.7 assist rate. It's a small sample size, but it was promising to see him make strides in the playmaking department after being almost exclusively a scorer in his first two college seasons.

There's no doubt that Shelstad's offensive capabilities are way in front of his defensive prowess, but he's not a complete liability on that end of the floor. He's showcased some solid timing with disrupting passing lanes and ball handling on the dribble (career-best 1.4 steals per game this past season), and his lateral agility allows him do do a solid job of fighting through screens and keeping guys in front of him. He won't get named to the ACC All-Defensive Team, but he's not a traffic cone, either.

Overall, this is a great portal pickup for Louisville. While not perfect, Shelstad is an extremely high level shot creator, and has some potential to be a true floor general. Because of the speed at which Shelstad operates, he'll be able to make a seamless transition to Pat Kelsey's pace-and-space offense.

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