With the NBA Draft just a week or two away and knowing who is in and who is out, it gives us an early chance to look at what 2018 might bring us.
One of the hot topics early on for the upcoming ACC season are the Louisville Cardinals and how loaded they look this season. Many have projected Rick Pitino’s squad to not only be a Top 10 program but also the headliner and early favorite to win the conference.
Rising senior point guard Quentin Snider brings the experience, while VJ King will need to step up in his second season at Louisville.
However, the play of rising junior Deng Adel may be the one that the Louisville Cardinals will need to step up into the spotlight if they want a chance to cut down the nets. Last season, Adel averaged 12.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in 30 minutes of play. He shot 42 percent from the floor and nearly 35 percent from three as well.
But the 6-foot-7 prospect returned to Louisville just for this opportunity and Pitino believes he is the one that has to step into the role of being "that guy" for the Cardinals.
"I think this is Deng Adel’s team," Pitino said to the Courier-Journal recently. "Deng came back, and he wanted to be a lottery pick, and, by the way, he looks awesome right now. .... That’s not to take anything away from Quentin Snider because Q’s playing great. But Q is very quiet. Q is not going to bark a lot of orders, but Deng Adel is going to speak out."
Adel brings a unique talent back to the team, along with great size, versatility, and length. It allows the Cardinals to play big at times (with Anas Mahmoud, Malik Williams, Brian Bowen, Lance Thomas and Ray Spalding), as well as an athletic team that can get up and down the court (with players such as Snider, King, Darius Perry, and Ryan McMahon). Adel has the unique ability to play the shooting guard or small forward position, which allows VJ King and others to switch at the two or three spots, depending on who else is on the court.
With Adel's size, it certainly can cause havoc for opponents on both sides of the ball. Furthermore, Pitino could look to play faster with length if you move Adel to the small forward position, or even the four spot (if he wants to play small ball).
The talent that returns along with the incoming freshmen has the Cardinals thinking big for 2018, even National Title early on. But the leadership, vocal ability, and experience of Adel will be looked upon early and often, as it looks to be his team this upcoming season for the Cardinals.
