What to Expect When Charles Minlend Joins Louisville's Rotation
(Photo of Charles Minlend: University of Louisville Athletics)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Over the first six weeks of the 2020-21 college basketball season, the Louisville men's basketball program has, by and large, exceeded most people's expectations. The Cardinals currently find themselves at 8-1 on the season with a few NCAA Tournament resume-boosting wins, and have sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 3-0 record in league play.
What is even more impressive, is that Louisville has done all that without two key pieces in their rotation. One is forward/center Malik Williams, who has been dealing with a nagging foot injury, and the other is guard Charles Minlend who is dealing with a knee injury.
While the prognosis for Williams has him returning to the court possibly around mid to late February, Minlend on the other hand is right around the corner. He has been seen taking part in pregame shoot-arounds over Louisville's last three games, and even returned to non-contact drills earlier this week.
With the Cardinals' weekend game vs. Georgia Tech getting postponed, and head coach Chris Mack saying a replacement game for that day won't be scheduled, Louisville's next game has them going on the road to Wake Forest on Wednesday, Jan. 13.
Given the progression that Minlend has made up to this point, there's a very good chance the graduate transfer from San Francisco will get to make his Louisville debut down in Winston-Salem. That being said, here is a refresher of what he brings to the table for the Cards.
First of all, there's very little that he can't do, and I would best describe him as a "jack of all trades". The 6-foot-4, 208 pound guard/wing can score, he rebounds well for a guard, and he is a proven playmaker, getting both he and he teammates involved. In his final season at San Francisco, he averaged 14.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, earning Second Team All-WCC honors in the process.
When you watch his film, one of the first things that jumps out is his ability to get to the rim. He is not afraid to attack the basket, and takes full advantage of his athleticism to do so. He is able to finish through contact, whether it's on a tough contested layup or simply slamming it home with authority.
His high motor and aggressive mindset also helps him in other aspects. He attempted 157 free throws a season ago, good for 4.62 per game and sixth in the West Coast Conference. His athleticism helps out on the defensive end as well, as he is known for the occasional highlight block.
How much of this aggressiveness we will see out of the gates is not quite clear, as he gets reacclimated following the knee injury and adjusts to the playing at the ACC level, but it's good to know he plays with little to no reservations.
Fortunately, as has been the case with fellow grad transfer Carlik Jones, Louisville fans might not have to worry about the latter, as he seems to be a player that shines the brightest when the stakes are higher.
In five games last season against both Gonzaga and Saint Mary's, the West Coast Conference's two premier teams and modern NCAA Tournament mainstays, he averaged 15.4 points and 5.6 rebounds, both above his season averages. In three WCC Tournament games, he averaged 18.7 points & 3.7 rebounds, including 19 & 7 in a four point loss to No. 2 Gonzaga in the semifinals.
If there's anything to be concerned about, it could be his shooting. Last season, he shot 41.6% from the field, 30.3% on three-point attempts, and just 64.3% on free throws. This could, however, be attributed to high usage and his status as a volume shooter at San Francisco, as he was involved in 26.9% of the Dons' total possessions according to KenPom.com (190th in D1).
Then there's chemistry. Given all the ups and downs that the program has gone through since the season began, and even in the preseason, the Cardinals are starting to become a tighter knit, and more efficient group. Adding another asset, even one with the potential Minlend has, could have an inadvertent adverse effect.
Fortunately, neither one of these issues seem to be a problem to those who have seem him behind the scenes. If anything, they actually seem to be a complete non-factor ever since he joined the program.
"We are playing very well in practice together," sophomore guard Josh Nickelberry said last month when asked how Minlend's return could affect chemistry.
"Once Charles gets back, and we get our full team back, we're gonna be very good, because Charles's game fits in perfectly with how we play. He can also shoot the ball. so we need all the assets we can get. Chemistry has definitely been getting a lot better."
Then it begs the questions, where will he get his minutes from? Most likely, he will be coming off the bench for a few games following his return to the court, perhaps eating some of guard Josh Nickelberry's minutes. But if he continues on the trend set by Carlik Jones, he could very well contend for a starter's role.
If that does happen, whose place in the starting five will he take? Most likely, it will boil down to guard/forwards Dre Davis or Samuell Williamson. Davis has had a good start to his career, but Minlend has a more well-rounded game and could be regarded as a better playmaker. As for Williamson, his offensive streakiness could be justification for Mack to try out Minlend in his place.
Regardless, just the pure addition of Minlend will be a huge bonus for the Cardinals from a depth perspective, especially in the backcourt. Louisville is slowly but surely trekking towards their peak efficiency, and in one way or another, he will only help that progression once he makes his program debut.
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