LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – The University of Louisville men's basketball team doesn’t know when its season will start, whether it will be played in front of fans or who exactly it will wind up playing when plans are finally unveiled for the 2020-21 campaign.
But there is no question who this team will be built around.
If you watched David Johnson take over at Duke, if you watched him become the only player who seemed to be able to generate offense at Virginia, you won’t be surprised that Louisville coach Chris Mack is counting heavily on Johnson expanding on the positives of his game, while eliminating some of the turnovers and mental errors that come with being a freshman.
"Expectations for David are enormous. They should be,” Mack said while speaking with the media Thursday. "I expect him to be very consistent if we are going to be a really good team. ... David is a huge piece to our team."
Consistency is what Mack is stressing. He knows about the flashes of brilliance. What he wants that to become is a steady beam.
"I think David gave everybody glimpses," Mack said. "You think of at Duke. Just some of the plays that he made against Virginia. He’s got to be that way damn near every, single night. ... He’s got to gain more confidence in his shot. He’s got to handle the ball in terms of whether he’s playing the point or whether he’s playing the two. He’s got to make better decisions with the basketball."
Freshmen don’t usually deliver a great deal in terms of leadership, but Johnson made his voice heard from time to time last season. He will be asked to do much more as a sophomore.
"I expect him to be way more of a talker and a guy that can lead versus a looker and a guy that took instructions and direction," Mack said.
With workouts ongoing, Mack is asking Johnson to pay more attention to his defense and to work on shooting. Johnson went just 5 for 23 from 3-point range but was nearly a 50% shooter overall because of his ability to get into the lane and to the rim.
"He’s got to get much better defensively," Mack said. "He’s got to gain more confidence in his shot. He’s got to handle the ball in terms of whether he’s playing the point or whether he’s playing the two. He’s got to make better decision with the basketball. ... Freshman to sophomore year, you like to see a lot of growth with the skill set but also between the ears."
If that happens, Johnson will take a large step toward the NBA Draft, and Louisville basketball could take a big step toward contending in the Atlantic Coast Conference once again.
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