It’s time to find some players.
With just eight scholarship players currently at his disposal, Chris Mack knows that he needs to add a few more able bodies if he wants to field a competitive squad in his first season as Louisville’s head coach. That being so, it appears Mack and his staff will be spending much of the next month trying to convince some of the nation’s top grad transfers to become Cardinals in 2018-19.
While Louisville has reached out to more names than the ones listed here, three grad transfers have made it public that U of L plans to visit them or they plan to visit U of L before the end of the month. Let’s take a look at them.
Joseph Chartouny, Fordham
ESPN’s Jeff Goodman reported Wednesday morning that Chartouny, who averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists for Fordham last season, will host Louisville on a home visit this Friday (hence Chris Mack not being able to make it to the spring game anymore). Chartouny will also take an official visit to Marquette next Tuesday.
Chartouny is a decent enough scorer and a capable outside shooter, but he’s been more well-known for his passing and defense than anything else. As a sophomore in 2016-17, he set the Fordham single-season steals record with 94.
Zach Johnson, Florida Gulf Coast
The most heavily recruited of the three, Johnson told reporters Wednesday that he will take an official visit to Louisville next Monday. He also has an unofficial visit set with Miami this Friday, and official visits set with Creighton (April 14) and Arizona (April 22).
Though he’s more of a combo guard than a true point, Johnson, who stands 6’2, 190-pounds, could push Darius Perry for the starting point guard position. He could also allow Perry to play off the ball, the spot he had the most success as a freshman.
Johnson averaged 16.1 ppg in 2017-18, the second-best for a Dunk City team that won the Atlantic Sun’s regular season title. He shot nearly 40 percent from beyond the arc and 78.1 percent from the free-throw line.
Mike Cunningham, South Carolina-Upstate
Cunningham, who just wrapped up a visit with Tulane, will be on Louisville’s campus on April 25. Jon Rothstein has also reported that Cunningham will visit Oklahoma on April 19 and Oklahoma State three days after that.
A three-year starter at Upstate, Cunningham is known primarily for his outside shooting. he buried 86 treys a year ago and shot 38.2 percent from beyond the arc. Overall, he averaged 13.7 ppg and 3.0 apg for a Spartans team that finished the season just 7-25. Cunningham played most of last season at the point for USC-Upstate, so he would be another option as a primary ball-handler for Mack.
