Jordan Nwora entered the season as the preseason Player of the Year in the ACC. He is considered one of the best players in the nation and rightfully so. Nwora is responsible for Louisville’s quick turnaround during the Rick Pitino to Chris Mack transition. However, Nwora has been off to an inconsistent start.
Louisville is one of the best teams in the nation this year and has high hopes to cut down the nets in Atlanta in April. The Cardinals sit at 11-2 with losses to Texas Tech and Kentucky, as well as a notable win over Michigan.
Jordan Nwora’s Slow Start
Louisville has played three major basketball programs this season. In those games, Nwora shot 15/50 from the field and 3/18 from three. These numbers are troubling for the Cardinals because they will have a hard time winning games with Nwora shooting this poorly. In the three games mentioned, Louisville is 1-2 and the game they won, Nwora scored 22 points.
Jordan Nwora is an interesting player because he is a “tweener.” Nwora is positionless. In the college game, he is built like a forward, but in terms of the NBA, he is more of a wing. This is a difficult spot because to prove your worth for the NBA you have to show your abilities on the perimeter. However, for Louisville’s immediate success, Nwora needs to be on the block.
Last season, Nwora played great in the post and was a matchup nightmare. When you guard him with a big, he can face up and navigate his way to the rim. When he is guarded by a guard, he can back them down and shoot over the top.
Analyzing Jordan Nwora’s Poor Performance
When looking at Louisville’s most recent game against Kentucky, Nwora fell in love with his jump shot. Most of the game he was guarded by a player smaller than him, especially at the end of the game when he was guarded by Immanuel Quickley.
This should be primetime for Nwora to post up and force double teams which would greatly free up his teammates. Instead, Nwora took several deep, contested twos and ended up having a rough shooting game.
Additionally, when he plays on the perimeter against guards, he is not known for having the quickest feet. This makes it increasingly more difficult to find good shots because he is unable to beat guards off the dribble.
Analyzing Jordan Nwora’s Entire Season
Jordan Nwora is still averaging 21.2 points and 7.5 rebounds on the season. He has played a major role in Louisville’s 11 wins and will continue to do so for the rest of the season.
When looking at some of Nwora’s better games, one thing becomes clear; the majority of his scoring comes from the paint and free throw line.
Overall, he is shooting nearly 41 percent from the three-point line on the season. However, those numbers are so high because of his success inside. Nwora is so gifted with the basketball in his hands that he can take advantage of any matchup. He just needs to understand where to attack.
Louisville’s Season Outlook
The latest loss to Kentucky should be very inspiring for the Cardinals. Yes, a loss to an archrival is depressing. However, Louisville was in the game the whole way and had multiple chances to win while getting almost nothing from Jordan Nwora.
The Cardinals should still contend for the ACC crown and have a chance to advance to Atlanta in April. They just need to help Nwora be successful in the offense and continue to play off of him.
One of the major concerns for Louisville to start the year was their guard play and that has been significantly better recently. There is absolutely no reason to be alarmed. These are just nitpicking things that can separate a really good team from the rest of the pack in this crazy college basketball season.
Main Photo
Embed from Getty Images
