Louisville men’s basketball named their team captains for the 2022-2023 season. Jae’lyn Withers, Sydney Curry, and El Ellis earned the honor to be this year’s team captains under first-year head coach Kenny Payne.
2022-23 Captains:@Bigticket_sc @elellis3 @jaelynwithers
— Louisville Men's Basketball (@LouisvilleMBB) October 10, 2022
Details: https://t.co/AKHSSQUcfd#GoCards pic.twitter.com/VapZhe6gFa
Ellis and Curry are both JUCO transfers that have truly ingratiated themselves to the city. Both showed flashes of brilliance in a turbulent 2021-2022 season. Now, under new coaching leadership, it appears they are primed for huge breakout seasons.
Withers has been a mainstay for the program, one of the first commits for former coach Chris Mack. The forward is looking to capitalize on his obvious potential and become a force for his new coach. As one of, if not the, most tenured players in the program, it makes perfect since as to why Withers received this accolade.
I believe it bodes well for what to expect from the 3 players this season, because I think Coach Payne rewards the hardest workers. Ellis, Curry, and Withers, arguably the most experienced and talented returners, earning the captaincy speaks volumes of the work they have put in. Hopefully, it leads to a tournament birth and maybe a tournament win or two this season.
To read more about the three new captains, check out the press release from Louisville below:
Press Release from Louisville Athletics:
UofL MBB: Curry, Ellis, Withers Named 2022-23 Louisville Men’s Basketball Captains
This is the first time as a captain for each member of the Cardinal trio.
Date: Oct. 10, 2022
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — University of Louisville returners Sydney Curry, El Ellis and Jae’Lyn Withers have been named team captains for the 2022-23 men’s basketball season.
Although all three players bring experience in a Cardinal uniform, this is the first time as a captain for each member of the trio.
The 6-foot-8 senior forward Curry averaged 7.1 points and 4.4 rebounds in his first year at UofL in 2021-22, but blossomed late in the year with a dominant string of games.
He averaged 17.6 points and nine rebounds over his last five games while shooting 64.4 percent from the field. Curry achieved two double-doubles in his last four games, including 18 points and 11 rebounds at Virginia Tech and 24 points with a career-high 14 boards against Virginia. He also had a career-high 28 points at Wake Forest, the most by a Cardinal since Jordan Nwora scored 37 at Boston College on Jan. 29, 2020.
The Fort Wayne, Ind., native scored 165 points in his last 16 games after tallying a combined 33 points over his first 12 games. He led the Cardinals in field goal percentage for the season at 67.2 percent and was the only UofL regular who shot above 50 percent.
The 6-3 senior guard Ellis is Louisville’s leading returning scorer at 8.7 points per game, to go along with 51 total assists and 41 made 3-pointers at a 36 percent clip.
Ellis started six of the last nine games for UofL last year and was a double-figure scorer in seven of the last 12 games, including a career-high 25 against North Carolina. He averaged 11.3 points per game over the last 12 contests.
The Durham, N.C., native led UofL in scoring on five occasions and scored 18 or more points four times, including the 25-point outburst vs. North Carolina, 22 points off the bench at Michigan State and 18 points against Duke. He tied for the runner-up position in the ACC Sixth Man of the Year voting.
The 6-9 redshirt junior forward Withers is one of Louisville’s veterans with two years of playing experience at UofL under his belt.
He overcame injuries last season to start 15 games and was second on the team in rebounding (4.6 rpg) and third in steals (20 total), while averaging 5.8 points per contest.
Prior to a late injury against Virginia Tech, Withers averaged eight points and 4.7 rebounds over his last 12 games while shooting 45 percent from the field, scoring nine or more points in seven of those 12.
The Charlotte, N.C., native averaged 10 points and 7.7 rebounds as a redshirt freshman in 2020-21, shooting a team-best 55 percent from the field. He was named to the 2021 ACC All-Freshman team, becoming the first UofL freshman to receive the honor in the Cardinals’ time in the ACC, and first overall for Louisville since 2012.
Fans will have their first chance to see the captains and the rest of the Cardinals at their annual preseason basketball event, Louisville Live, on Oct. 21 at Louisville Slugger Field. Tickets are available at GoCards.com/LouisvilleLive.
UofL will also host its annual Red and White Scrimmage on Oct. 23 at the KFC Yum! Center. Tickets can be purchased here.
Cardinal fans can save on single-game pricing with season tickets, starting as low as $17 per game. Season ticket members also enjoy exclusive NEW benefits, including the opportunity to exchange tickets throughout the season and receive additional complimentary tickets for a select game. Fans interested in purchasing season tickets can visitgocards.com/mbbtickets, or email sales@gocards and call 502-852-5151 for additional information.
