1) Coaching:
Kenny Payne has done well bringing in a Top 5 class this off season. There are many interchangeable and versatile players and lineups he can utilize. He has shored up the point guard position with Johnson and shouldn't have any problem pulling guys to the bench if they won't hustle and play hard.
But Payne's 4 win debut season looms large over everything else. Was it a fluke or can he muster a bunch more wins with better and different talent? Many questioned what they were seeing on the court throughout last season, and wondered exactly what Payne's offensive and defensive philosophy actually was. Why did everyone seem to lack basic fundamentals? Payne's coaching will remain in question until he proves otherwise.
2) Youth/Inexperience:
This is a very young team overall, bringing in 5 freshmen with only two junior upperclassmen. Skyy Clark, Okorafor, and Danilo are all sophs but they either played very little last year or didn't play an entire freshman season. Mike James and Tre White are sophs but will have to carry a pretty big load for this team.
Payne either didn't want any grad transfers, or couldn't get any and that type of experience could've helped a lot on a young squad like this. This team could still succeed, but history and stats indicate you need a mixture of quality upperclassman to help out the young guys, especially if they are not all elite talent themselves.
3) Turnovers:
Louisville was one of the worst TO teams in the country last year. We all lamented the passes to no one and nowhere, bouncing balls off feet and knees and other careless plays that lead to countless and costly turnovers.
Even though Payne has brought in more guards for this season, TO's are still a very real concern. Clark, Davis, James, and White- who are all expected to have some ball handling and/or play making duties- all have bad assist to turnover ratios. Can they shore those deficiencies up and cut down on turnovers this season? That remains to be seen but is vitally important.
4) 3 Point Shooting/Sharpshooters:
This team lacks some proven and consistent 3 point shooters. The lack of a sharpshooter could end up haunting this team if no one can knock in some threes when we really need it.
Unfortunately Clark, White, Johnson, Davis, and James are bad to okay three point shooters. Could be cause for concern as the season goes on.
5) Front Court Production and Post Play:
Many times last season the Cards would get nothing from the front court, especially the 5, in terms of scoring, rim protection, and rebounding. Okorafor, Danilo, and Evans are seemingly projects though the potential is there, especially for Evans.
Can BHH, who was very inconsistent, and Traynor, who was showing flashes toward the end of last season, take a step up and help out more? Can we get some rim protection, consistent scoring, and better rebounding from our bigs? Only time will tell.
Kenny Payne has done well bringing in a Top 5 class this off season. There are many interchangeable and versatile players and lineups he can utilize. He has shored up the point guard position with Johnson and shouldn't have any problem pulling guys to the bench if they won't hustle and play hard.
But Payne's 4 win debut season looms large over everything else. Was it a fluke or can he muster a bunch more wins with better and different talent? Many questioned what they were seeing on the court throughout last season, and wondered exactly what Payne's offensive and defensive philosophy actually was. Why did everyone seem to lack basic fundamentals? Payne's coaching will remain in question until he proves otherwise.
2) Youth/Inexperience:
This is a very young team overall, bringing in 5 freshmen with only two junior upperclassmen. Skyy Clark, Okorafor, and Danilo are all sophs but they either played very little last year or didn't play an entire freshman season. Mike James and Tre White are sophs but will have to carry a pretty big load for this team.
Payne either didn't want any grad transfers, or couldn't get any and that type of experience could've helped a lot on a young squad like this. This team could still succeed, but history and stats indicate you need a mixture of quality upperclassman to help out the young guys, especially if they are not all elite talent themselves.
3) Turnovers:
Louisville was one of the worst TO teams in the country last year. We all lamented the passes to no one and nowhere, bouncing balls off feet and knees and other careless plays that lead to countless and costly turnovers.
Even though Payne has brought in more guards for this season, TO's are still a very real concern. Clark, Davis, James, and White- who are all expected to have some ball handling and/or play making duties- all have bad assist to turnover ratios. Can they shore those deficiencies up and cut down on turnovers this season? That remains to be seen but is vitally important.
4) 3 Point Shooting/Sharpshooters:
This team lacks some proven and consistent 3 point shooters. The lack of a sharpshooter could end up haunting this team if no one can knock in some threes when we really need it.
Unfortunately Clark, White, Johnson, Davis, and James are bad to okay three point shooters. Could be cause for concern as the season goes on.
5) Front Court Production and Post Play:
Many times last season the Cards would get nothing from the front court, especially the 5, in terms of scoring, rim protection, and rebounding. Okorafor, Danilo, and Evans are seemingly projects though the potential is there, especially for Evans.
Can BHH, who was very inconsistent, and Traynor, who was showing flashes toward the end of last season, take a step up and help out more? Can we get some rim protection, consistent scoring, and better rebounding from our bigs? Only time will tell.
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