Louisville emerges as early favorite to win NCAA Championship

A couple years removed from the scandal that saw the departure of Rick Pitino and the removal of championship banners, second-year head coach Chris Mack’s has the Louisville Cardinals as the favorite to win it all in March. So how did they get here?

Odds to win the 2020 NCAA men's basketball championship

Tyra and Mack have made their presence felt

Just more than two years ago, Pitino was fired and athletic director Tom Jurich was also relieved of his duties. Since then Louisville leadership brought in athletic director Vince Tyra, who has put forth a herculean effort to turn the entire athletic department around. One of his first moves as AD was hiring Mack away from Xavier.

Mack arrived on March 28, 2017, and 618 days later, the Cardinals are ranked No. 1 in the nation and the favorite (+900) to win the national title.

Louisville smothered Michigan

Louisville hasn’t been ranked No. 1 since 2012-2013, the season the Cardinals won the national title that was later vacated by the NCAA. With a 58-43 victory over No. 4 Michigan, the Cardinals became just the second team in a top-five matchup to hold its opposition to fewer than 45 points. They are the only team in the nation to rank in the top 10 of the Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings for both offensive and defensive efficiency.

Nwora is a walking double-double

The return of Jordan Nwora is the catalyst for much of Louisville’s success. Nwora is averaging 21.9 points per game and recorded the 11th double-double of his career in the Michigan game. He was voted preseason ACC Player of the Year.

But one thing that makes this Louisville team so scary for opponents is, unlike some past years, the team doesn’t just rely on one offensive weapon. Though Nwora’s success is undoubtedly linked to the success of the Cardinals, they have several players who on any given night can contribute in a variety of ways.

Dwayne Sutton has been referred to by both coaches and teammates as a gamer, the guy who shows up to every game not concerned about the stat sheet, but a also a “dog,” who will be at the bottom of every pile. Sutton averages 31.5 minutes for Louisville, the most of anyone on the team. He shows tenacity across the whole floor and his an appetite for rebounds. He averages a team-leading 8.8 rebounds per game.

Perry has been on point early on

Mack’s system generally runs through Darius Perry. The junior from Marietta, Georgia has a team-leading 42 assists and Louisville’s offense flows through the point guard like a well-oiled machine.

Louisville’s attack also includes big man Steven Enoch, who returned for his redshirt senior year and is the Cards’ go-to guy in the paint. And there’s Ryan McMahon, who is can drain threes all night.

Then there's the six standout freshmen Mack brought in as a part of his 2019 recruiting class, which includes five-star forward Samuell Williamson and four-star forward Aidan Igiehon.

Louisville's short odds are deserved

Louisville’s depth and defensive tenacity makes the Cardinals tough to pick against. While they have the gauntlet of the ACC season ahead, it’s easy to see why Louisville’s line to win it all has gone from +1800 to +900 to raise another banner.

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The market for the NCAAB national championship is wide open! Who do you like to win it all?