David Johnson: Louisville 'could have made a really big run' in NCAA Tournament

Louisville men's basketball freshman point guard David Johnson believes his Cardinals "could have made a really big run" had the ACC & NCAA Tournaments not been cancelled.

When the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was swiftly and suddenly cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it left many to speculate who would have won the Big Dance had it actually gone on as scheduled.

Ranked at No. 14 in the last AP Top 25 Poll released this season, Louisville men's basketball freshman point guard David Johnson believes that his Cardinals were poised for something special.

"I feel like everyone could say that their team would have made it all the way," Johnson said in a teleconference with reporters Tuesday. "But I feel like my teammates and I were gelling together at the right time, and we could have made a really big run. I'm really confident in saying that."

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Louisville (24-7) was preparing for a matchup against Syracuse (18-14) in the ACC Tournament, but the remainder of the event was cancelled the day that the Cards were set to take the floor. The NCAA soon followed suit, cancelling all remaining winter and spring sport championships just hours later.

"It's been kind of a tough pill to swallow, but I guess everything happens for a reason," Johnson said in regards to having the 2020 postseason cancelled. "So we have to get over those things and look forward to next season."

In his first season, Johnson averaged 8.9 points, 4.4 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game over 27 appearances and four starts. After missing the Cardinals’ first four games due to shoulder surgery, Johnson surged in the second half of the 2019-20 season. His breakout game came on Jan. 18, where he came off the bench to score 19 points and dish out 7 assists to help defeat the Duke Blue Devils in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

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