Bowen's commitment to Louisville puts ACC on notice for next season
With North Carolina, Duke, and Florida State all hammered by graduation and NBA draft departures, Louisville looks primed for a run at the ACC title next season.
After five-star small forward Brian Bowen shockingly committed to the Cardinals on Saturday, Rick Pitino's outfit officially put the rest of the country's strongest conference on notice that Louisville is the team to fear.
Bowen was thought to be picking his school from a final list of Arizona, Michigan State, Oregon, DePaul, and Texas, but surprised the country with the announcement that he will play for Pitino.
His decision gives Louisville one of the strongest recruiting classes in the country, with four players landing on ESPN's list of 100 top prospects for 2017.
| Player | Rating/100 | Position Rank | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Bowen | 93 | 3rd (SF) | 13th |
| Malik Williams | 90 | 6th (PF) | 27th |
| Darius Perry | 86 | 13th (PG) | 52nd |
| Jordan Nwora | 86 | 9th (PF) | 54th |
| Lance Thomas | 82 | 21st (PF) | N/A |
Bowen is among the best shooters in the class of 2017 and fills a desperate need for Pitino's roster next season. The Cardinals may have lost leading scorer Donovan Mitchell to the NBA, but the list of returnees is as strong as any team in the ACC.
Louisville will be absolutely loaded in the backcourt and at small forward in 2017-18, with returnees Quentin Snider, Deng Adel, and V.J. King likely sliding into starting roles, while Darius Perry and Bowen will provide some impressive depth.
| Player | Points/Game | Rebounds/Game | Assists/Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quentin Snider | 12.4 | 2.7 | 4.1 |
| Deng Adel | 12.1 | 4.5 | 2.1 |
| Ray Spalding | 5.9 | 5.5 | 0.8 |
| Anas Mahmoud | 5.7 | 4 | 0.8 |
| V.J. King | 5.5 | 2.1 | 0.5 |
Adding prized five-star power forward Malik Williams to a towering frontcourt of Ray Spalding and Anas Mahmoud will cause rebounding issues for any opponent.
Louisville entered Saturday as a team with quality parts returning and a solid recruiting class that would have helped them compete for the ACC title. But thanks to Bowen's commitment, they now have to be considered favorites for the conference crown and among a handful of teams that have a real shot at the national championship.