THE GOOD
Mathiang is the undoubted vocal leader of the team, with his good-natured ribbing of teammates, his various comedy routines and his ability to get serious when needed. The elder statesman among returning players, Mathiang knows what Pitino wants, particularly on defense, and he has the experience of practicing with a team that won the national championship. Those are all critical bullet points on Mathiang's resume, and they will all help him lead a young team that is full of new players.
On the court, Mathiang is an energy player who is a solid offensive rebounder and an instinctive shot blocker. He is at this best as a help defender who, on offense, can scrap for putbacks and draw the occasional foul. As much as he struggled last season on offense, which we'll cover in a moment, Mathiang had a solid redshirt freshman campaign, making 52.8 percent of his shots and showing glimpses of his talent in big games, like his first half against UK in the Sweet 16.
THE BAD
Mathiang's offensive limitations were a major liability for Louisville last season. Paired with Chinanu Onuaku's own offensive struggles, Mathiang's inability to consistently put the ball in the basket essentially allowed opponents to guard 5 on 4, and not worry about U of L's 5 man.
The stats back up the misery: Mathiang shot 38.8 percent from the field, including 26.2 percent on 2-point jumpers and 29.4 percent on putback layup or dunk attempts. To make matters worse, he was just a 48.1-percent free-throw shooter.
On defense, Mathiang had the second-best block percentage on the team and was the director of traffic in Louisville's 2-3 matchup zone, but he was often beat by the opposing big man in 1-on-1 situations. Syracuse's Rakeem Christmas, for instance, dominated Mathiang and Onuaku in scoring 29 points from 9-of-10 shooting in a February win over U of L.
FINAL WORD
Mathiang will serve as a key figure for U of L this coming season after not quite making the leap Pitino had hoped for last season. The good-spirited big man will be Louisville's leader, an outspoken, cheerful voice in a locker room that is full of quiet players like Quentin Snider, Chinanu Onuaku, Matz Stockman and others.
It's hard to imagine Mathiang struggling on offense the way he did last season. His redshirt freshman season showed he can be an effective offensive player, and his hustle, plus his offensive rebounding and shot-blocking abilities, can help him log serious minutes as Louisville's primary center.
Mathiang is the undoubted vocal leader of the team, with his good-natured ribbing of teammates, his various comedy routines and his ability to get serious when needed. The elder statesman among returning players, Mathiang knows what Pitino wants, particularly on defense, and he has the experience of practicing with a team that won the national championship. Those are all critical bullet points on Mathiang's resume, and they will all help him lead a young team that is full of new players.
On the court, Mathiang is an energy player who is a solid offensive rebounder and an instinctive shot blocker. He is at this best as a help defender who, on offense, can scrap for putbacks and draw the occasional foul. As much as he struggled last season on offense, which we'll cover in a moment, Mathiang had a solid redshirt freshman campaign, making 52.8 percent of his shots and showing glimpses of his talent in big games, like his first half against UK in the Sweet 16.
THE BAD
Mathiang's offensive limitations were a major liability for Louisville last season. Paired with Chinanu Onuaku's own offensive struggles, Mathiang's inability to consistently put the ball in the basket essentially allowed opponents to guard 5 on 4, and not worry about U of L's 5 man.
The stats back up the misery: Mathiang shot 38.8 percent from the field, including 26.2 percent on 2-point jumpers and 29.4 percent on putback layup or dunk attempts. To make matters worse, he was just a 48.1-percent free-throw shooter.
On defense, Mathiang had the second-best block percentage on the team and was the director of traffic in Louisville's 2-3 matchup zone, but he was often beat by the opposing big man in 1-on-1 situations. Syracuse's Rakeem Christmas, for instance, dominated Mathiang and Onuaku in scoring 29 points from 9-of-10 shooting in a February win over U of L.
FINAL WORD
Mathiang will serve as a key figure for U of L this coming season after not quite making the leap Pitino had hoped for last season. The good-spirited big man will be Louisville's leader, an outspoken, cheerful voice in a locker room that is full of quiet players like Quentin Snider, Chinanu Onuaku, Matz Stockman and others.
It's hard to imagine Mathiang struggling on offense the way he did last season. His redshirt freshman season showed he can be an effective offensive player, and his hustle, plus his offensive rebounding and shot-blocking abilities, can help him log serious minutes as Louisville's primary center.
