Three Cards received All-ACC accolades this morning. The league announced its postseason awards and senior guard Carlik Jones, sophomore guard David Johnson, and redshirt freshman forward Jae’Lyn Withers were recognized.
𝐀𝐥𝐥-𝐀𝐂𝐂 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦: @CarlikJones#GoCards pic.twitter.com/4J9SmZyr58
— Louisville Basketball (@LouisvilleMBB) March 8, 2021
Jones was named first team All-ACC and it was well deserved. The grad transfer from Radford had an excellent year. He averaged 17 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, and 4.6 assists per game in 18 games played. His efforts also led him to be tied for second in voting for ACC Player of the Year, which went to Georgia Tech’s Moses Wright.
𝐀𝐥𝐥-𝐀𝐂𝐂 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: @DavidJohnson13#GoCards pic.twitter.com/k8EPS7bF0O
— Louisville Basketball (@LouisvilleMBB) March 8, 2021
Johnson received honorable mention All-ACC for his stellar efforts this season. The Louisville native averaged 12.6 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game, and 3.3 assists per game. Johnson also was very good defensively in his 18 games, with 19 steals and 5 blocks tallied. His defense on Duke forward Matthew Hurt helped Louisville win both its matchups with the Blue Devils.
𝐀𝐥𝐥-𝐀𝐂𝐂 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦: @JaelynWithers#GoCards pic.twitter.com/6GQGV0fyHW
— Louisville Basketball (@LouisvilleMBB) March 8, 2021
Jae’Lyn Withers was named to the ACC All-Freshman team. It was a well deserved honor for the redshirt freshman. He’s been forced to play the center position most of the year due to the absence of Malik Williams. Withers has done a remarkable job in the process. In 19 games, Jae’Lyn averaged 10.2 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per game. This included 3 double-doubles and 5 games where he was one basket or one rebound away from a double-double.
All three players played well in a very difficult season marred by injury to key players and Covid pauses. They now look to the postseason and the ACC Tournament which begins this week. These three players will lead the Cards into a Wednesday evening matchup with the winner of a game between Duke and Boston College.
Congrats to Carlik Jones, David Johnson, and Jae’Lyn Withers on the honors they earned. Below you can read the UofL press release for more about each player and their postseason honors:
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT:
Louisville’s Jones, Johnson, Withers Earn All-ACC Honors
Jones is first team All-ACC, Johnson is All-ACC honorable mention, Withers an ACC All-Freshman Team selection
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Three University of Louisville men’s basketball student-athletes have received postseason recognition in the Atlantic Coast Conference for their accomplishments this season.
Graduate guard Carlik Jones was honored as a first team 2020-21 All-ACC selection, sophomore guard David Johnson earned honorable mention All-ACC honors, and freshman forward Jae’Lyn Withers was chosen as a member of the ACC All-Freshman team in a vote of media and league coaches.
Jones is only the third Cardinal to earn first team honors in Louisville’s seven years in the ACC, joining Jordan Nwora (2020) and Donovan Mitchell (2017). Jones received the third-highest votes and finished tied for second in the conference player of the year vote.
Jones is the only player in the ACC to rank among the top five in scoring (17.0 ppg, 5th in the ACC), assists (4.6 apg, 3rd), assists/turnovers ratio (2.16, 3rd) and free throw percentage (.826, 3rd). He has 100 career double-figure scoring efforts, including 40 of his last 41 games (17 of his 18 at Louisville). He is the first person in UofL history to reach double figures in his first 17 games at Louisville.
It is Johnson’s first all-conference honor and with Jones’ selection, the pair matches Jordan Nwora’s All-ACC first team and Dwayne Sutton’s honorable mention selections from last year. Johnson is the only player in the ACC among the top 25 in both rebounding and assists, averaging 12.6 points, 3.3 assists (11th in the ACC) and 5.5 rebounds (25th). He has nearly doubled his scoring and rebounding averages from a year ago and has buried six times his number of three-pointers from last season (team leading 30-of-79 threes this year, .380).
Withers is the first Louisville freshman to be named to the conference All-Freshman team in the Cardinals’ seven years in the ACC and he is the first Cardinal to receive a similar honor since Chane Behanan was named to the Big East All-Rookie team in 2012.
Withers is the leading freshman rebounder in the ACC for all games (7.9 per game, 6th overall) and in conference only games (8.4, 3rd overall). After redshirting last season, Withers is averaging 10.2 points while shooting a team-best 56 percent from the field. The only player to start every game this season for the Cardinals, he has averaged 13.3 points and 9.3 rebounds over the last three games.
Louisville (13-6, 8-5 ACC) will enter the 2021 ACC Tournament as the number six seed and play on Wednesday at 7 p.m. against the winner of Tuesday’s game between Duke and Boston College.
