Malik Williams "would have been able to play" in postseason

While self-admittedly he would not have been at full strength, Louisville forward/center Malik Williams believes he "would have been able to play" had the ACC & NCAA Tournaments not been cancelled.

One of the biggest storylines for the Louisville men's basketball team following the conclusion of the 2019-20 regular season was the status of forward/center Malik Williams. The junior saw limited action down the stretch due to an ankle injury he sustained late in the season, bringing his availability for the ACC & NCAA Tournament into question.

But according to Williams, he thinks he would have been able to go for the postseason had it not been unceremoniously cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Although admittedly he would have not been at full strength.

"The day that everything happened with the NBA [season getting cancelled], we had a practice and I was feeling pretty good," Williams said in a teleconference with reporters Wednesday. "I would have been able to play, just I wouldn't have been at 100%."

Williams rolled his left ankle just over a couple minutes into Louisville's 82-67 loss at Florida State on February 24th. He missed the next game against Virginia Tech, and saw just seven minutes of action in the regular season finale at Virginia and had a noticeable hobble. The Cards won 68-52 against the undersized Hokies, but his defensive prowess and rebounding abilities were sorely missed against the Cavaliers, resulting in a narrow 57-54 loss.

Louisville (24-7) was set to take on the Syracuse Orange (18-14) in the Quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament before the remainder of the tournament as well as the NCAA Tournament was cancelled due to the coronavirus.

With the de facto quarantine brought on as a result of the pandemic, it has allowed Williams the necessary time to continue rehabbing his ankle back home in Fort Wayne, IN.

"We still get a schedule and keep in contact with strength coach [Andy Kettler]. He sends us things that we should be doing," Williams said. "I'm trying to keep up with that to make sure I stay strong. I'm able to workout here and there, and I go to physical therapy to try and get my ankle back to 100%. That's really just the routine right now."

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