Louisville Among Nation’s Top “Winners” in Returnees From NBA Draft
June 04, 2019 | Men's Basketball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Last week, University of Louisville center Steven Enoch and forward Jordan Nwora announced their return for the 2019-20 Cardinals' basketball season after withdrawing their names from consideration for the 2019 NBA Draft.
Enoch, Nwora and UofL Head Coach Chris Mack met with members of the media on Tuesday to discuss the developments, with that news conference available in the attached video.
The following clippings from news outlets across the nation provide a glimpse at Nwora and Enoch's return projections for the Cardinals.
"The Cardinals got perhaps the country's biggest returnee in Jordan Nwora, a projected first-rounder who was unable to compete in the draft combine due to an injury. Nwora averaged 17 points a game as a sophomore, and his return gives second-year coach Chris Mack a top-10 team poised to compete for an ACC title. Stephen Enoch is also back."
- Scott Gleeson, USA Today
Link: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2019/06/01/college-basketball-winners-losers-after-nba-draft-withdrawal-deadline/1299481001/
"There's no other way to put this: Louisville is far and away the biggest winner from (NBA Draft) deadline day. Jordan Nwora likely wouldn't have been a first round pick, but by announcing his return, he guaranteed himself to be one of the faces of college basketball next season for a team that should challenge for the ACC."
- Kyle Boone, CBSSports.com
Link: https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/nba-draft-deadline-winners-and-losers-kentucky-louisville-rejoice-while-penny-kansas-lose-big-pieces/
"The Cardinals cemented their status as a preseason top-10 team on Wednesday, as Jordan Nwora announced he was returning for his junior season. Nwora didn't participate at the combine due to injury, but he took his decision down to the deadline anyway. With Nwora and his 17 points per game back in the fold, Chris Mack has all the pieces to compete at the top of the ACC."
- Jeff Borzello, ESPN.com
Link: http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26846674/college-basketball-winners-losers-nba-draft-deadline
"The Cardinals will be a top ten team next season Jordan Nwora announced on Wednesday that he will be returning to school, which likely puts him in the mix for first-team all-ACC and ensures that Chris Mack's second season in charge of the Cardinals will be as relevant as his first."
- Rob Dauster, NBC Sports
Link: https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-draft-early-entry-deadline-192029926.html
"When I did my previous ranking, Nwora had already decided to test the NBA Draft waters. His Wednesday announcement that he was withdrawing was monumental for the program. Enoch also put his name in the draft before deciding to come back. And if that didn't make Chris Mack's spring good enough, the Cardinals also landed one of the biggest prizes of the graduate transfer circuit in Kimble, who averaged 15.6 points and 2.8 assists this season for Saint Joseph's. This program has made a remarkable turnaround in a very short time."
- Seth Davis, The Athletic
Link: https://theathletic.com/1003922/2019/05/31/davis-updating-my-preseason-top-25-after-the-nba-draft-deadline/
"Jordan Nwora was one of the biggest remaining dominos entering Wednesday, and his evening announcement that he will return to Louisville cemented a Cardinals team with Final Four potential in 2019–20. Chris Mack is bringing in a strong recruiting class, as well as St. Joseph's grad transfer Lamarr Kimble, but Nwora was the difference in making this a team that will enter next year with high expectations—and not just plenty of optimism. The Cardinals also got big man Steven Enoch back when he withdraw from the draft, and while V.J. King is moving on, Nwora is the jewel of a talented returning core that also includes Dwayne Sutton, Darius Perry, Ryan McMahon and Malik Williams."
- Molly Geary, Sports Illustrated
Link: https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2019/05/30/nba-draft-decisions-winners-losers-kentucky-duke-kansas
"Nwora will be the leader for a Cardinals team that should start the season somewhere in the top-seven, and will be among the favorites to win the ACC and get to the Final Four in Atlanta. If he does what he's supposed to do, puts in the work this summer, gets better on defense, and helps Louisville reach those lofty hopes, he has a good chance to go in the first round next season."
- Sam Vecenie, The Athletic
Link: https://theathletic.com/1001791/2019/05/30/sam-vecenie-big-board-version-7-0-field-is-set-after-early-entry-withdrawal-deadline/
"Louisville was the big winner at the draft deadline after star Jordan Nwora elected to return. Nwora finished sixth in the ACC in scoring last year at 17.2 points per game but dealt with injuries during the pre-draft process. He will be one of the preseason favorites to win ACC Player of the Year. Enoch also opted to return after testing the waters, giving Louisville a loaded frontcourt that includes veterans Williams and Sutton. The Cardinals were a pleasant surprise last year. They didn't lose much. They brought in a talented recruiting class with five prospects among the country's 150 best, as well as one of the best graduate transfers available in Kimble. The Cardinals are a threat to win both the league and a national title."
- Chris Carlson, Syracuse.com
Link: https://expo.syracuse.com/sports/g66l-2019/06/9f1cb4bb426409/acc-power-rankings-where-does-syracuse-sit-ow-that-oshae-brissett-has-left.html
Enoch, Nwora and UofL Head Coach Chris Mack met with members of the media on Tuesday to discuss the developments, with that news conference available in the attached video.
The following clippings from news outlets across the nation provide a glimpse at Nwora and Enoch's return projections for the Cardinals.
"The Cardinals got perhaps the country's biggest returnee in Jordan Nwora, a projected first-rounder who was unable to compete in the draft combine due to an injury. Nwora averaged 17 points a game as a sophomore, and his return gives second-year coach Chris Mack a top-10 team poised to compete for an ACC title. Stephen Enoch is also back."
- Scott Gleeson, USA Today
Link: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2019/06/01/college-basketball-winners-losers-after-nba-draft-withdrawal-deadline/1299481001/
"There's no other way to put this: Louisville is far and away the biggest winner from (NBA Draft) deadline day. Jordan Nwora likely wouldn't have been a first round pick, but by announcing his return, he guaranteed himself to be one of the faces of college basketball next season for a team that should challenge for the ACC."
- Kyle Boone, CBSSports.com
Link: https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/nba-draft-deadline-winners-and-losers-kentucky-louisville-rejoice-while-penny-kansas-lose-big-pieces/
"The Cardinals cemented their status as a preseason top-10 team on Wednesday, as Jordan Nwora announced he was returning for his junior season. Nwora didn't participate at the combine due to injury, but he took his decision down to the deadline anyway. With Nwora and his 17 points per game back in the fold, Chris Mack has all the pieces to compete at the top of the ACC."
- Jeff Borzello, ESPN.com
Link: http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26846674/college-basketball-winners-losers-nba-draft-deadline
"The Cardinals will be a top ten team next season Jordan Nwora announced on Wednesday that he will be returning to school, which likely puts him in the mix for first-team all-ACC and ensures that Chris Mack's second season in charge of the Cardinals will be as relevant as his first."
- Rob Dauster, NBC Sports
Link: https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-draft-early-entry-deadline-192029926.html
"When I did my previous ranking, Nwora had already decided to test the NBA Draft waters. His Wednesday announcement that he was withdrawing was monumental for the program. Enoch also put his name in the draft before deciding to come back. And if that didn't make Chris Mack's spring good enough, the Cardinals also landed one of the biggest prizes of the graduate transfer circuit in Kimble, who averaged 15.6 points and 2.8 assists this season for Saint Joseph's. This program has made a remarkable turnaround in a very short time."
- Seth Davis, The Athletic
Link: https://theathletic.com/1003922/2019/05/31/davis-updating-my-preseason-top-25-after-the-nba-draft-deadline/
"Jordan Nwora was one of the biggest remaining dominos entering Wednesday, and his evening announcement that he will return to Louisville cemented a Cardinals team with Final Four potential in 2019–20. Chris Mack is bringing in a strong recruiting class, as well as St. Joseph's grad transfer Lamarr Kimble, but Nwora was the difference in making this a team that will enter next year with high expectations—and not just plenty of optimism. The Cardinals also got big man Steven Enoch back when he withdraw from the draft, and while V.J. King is moving on, Nwora is the jewel of a talented returning core that also includes Dwayne Sutton, Darius Perry, Ryan McMahon and Malik Williams."
- Molly Geary, Sports Illustrated
Link: https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2019/05/30/nba-draft-decisions-winners-losers-kentucky-duke-kansas
"Nwora will be the leader for a Cardinals team that should start the season somewhere in the top-seven, and will be among the favorites to win the ACC and get to the Final Four in Atlanta. If he does what he's supposed to do, puts in the work this summer, gets better on defense, and helps Louisville reach those lofty hopes, he has a good chance to go in the first round next season."
- Sam Vecenie, The Athletic
Link: https://theathletic.com/1001791/2019/05/30/sam-vecenie-big-board-version-7-0-field-is-set-after-early-entry-withdrawal-deadline/
"Louisville was the big winner at the draft deadline after star Jordan Nwora elected to return. Nwora finished sixth in the ACC in scoring last year at 17.2 points per game but dealt with injuries during the pre-draft process. He will be one of the preseason favorites to win ACC Player of the Year. Enoch also opted to return after testing the waters, giving Louisville a loaded frontcourt that includes veterans Williams and Sutton. The Cardinals were a pleasant surprise last year. They didn't lose much. They brought in a talented recruiting class with five prospects among the country's 150 best, as well as one of the best graduate transfers available in Kimble. The Cardinals are a threat to win both the league and a national title."
- Chris Carlson, Syracuse.com
Link: https://expo.syracuse.com/sports/g66l-2019/06/9f1cb4bb426409/acc-power-rankings-where-does-syracuse-sit-ow-that-oshae-brissett-has-left.html
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