College basketball 2017-18 preseason Top 25
By Chris Stone
No. 9 Louisville Cardinals
Notable departures: Tony Hicks, Jaylen Johnson, David Levitch, Mangok Mathiang, Donovan Mitchell
Notable returnees: Deng Adel, V.J. King, Anas Mahmoud, Quentin Snider, Ray Spalding
Notable newcomers: Brian Bowen (?), Jordan Nwora, Darius Perry, Lance Thomas, Malik Williams
No team has been impacted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s probe into the corruption surrounding college basketball recruiting as much as the Louisville Cardinals. Shortly after legal documents alleged that the family of 5-star recruit Brian Bowen had received a $100,000 payment from Adidas as facilitated by Louisville’s coaching staff, the school fired Hall of Fame head coach Rick Pitino and its athletic director. Bowen’s status remains up in the air after the FBI cleared him to pursue collegiate eligibility. He is still attending classes at Louisville and practicing on his own.
Bowen or not, the Cardinals have the potential to be a top-10 team next season. Certainly transitioning from Pitino to interim head coach David Padgett will be a challenge, the team’s roster is littered with experienced players who have handled adversity before. Louisville should still be one of the elite defensive units in the nation and between perimeter players like Quentin Snider, V.J. King and Deng Adel, it should be able to put enough points on the board.
Finally, keep an eye on Anas Mahmoud. A potential NBA player due to his length and lateral mobility, Mahmoud should be the centerpiece of the Cardinals’ defense. If he can give them any sort of presence offensively, Louisville will be in great shape despite the off the court distractions.