Curtis Williams Impresses in Louisville's Exhibition Against Simmons College

The true freshman guard/forward for the Cardinals led all players in scoring.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In the Louisville's men's basketball program's first time against an actual opponent this season, several players put forth meaningful contributions. Taking on Simmons College for their first of two exhibitions games, four Cardinals broke double figures in scoring en route to a 91-50 win at the KFC Yum! Center

But on a team with four returners from last season and three Division I transfers, Louisville's top performer on Wednesday night against the Falcons was actually a true freshman.

In his first ever outing against another college team, Curtis Williams took advantage. He finished the exhibition with a game-high 15 points, while also collecting five rebounds and three assists.

"For me, it felt amazing," Williams said. "Just not having to go out there and play the same guys we’ve been playing in practice every day, finally getting to go against somebody. Coming together as a group and going to war with my guys, I loved that tonight.”

The 6-foot-5 and 205-pound guard/forward was regarded as a four-star recruiting coming out of high school, ranking as the No. 79 prospect in the 2023 cycle. The Bloomfield Hills (Mich). Brother Rice product showcased what made his a highly-regarded prospect on Wednesday.

Williams showcased during the exhibition that he can score from multiple spots on the floor. He had a fastbreak layup, and midrange jumper, multiple three-pointers and a pair of free throws. He went 5-for-6 from the field including 3-for-4 on three-point attempts, while also going 2-for-2 at the free throw line.

Scoring wasn't the only thing he did well. He also displayed good court vision with his passing, assisting on a pair of dunks and a three-pointer. Additionally, he was a factor on the defensive end as well, finishing with a game-high defensive plus/minus of +33.

“I like the fact that Curtis learned a lesson from the Red-White game to this game," head coach Kenny Payne said. "I like that because he started the first half off playing to score. In the second half, he got a couple of buckets in the flow, playing in rhythm. He didn’t force shots. I need him to understand that is how college basketball is.

"Now, there is another piece of his offensive game that he needs to get better at and that is passing the ball. I feel like he will compete, he is learning. He is not afraid. But I need him to know exactly what he is doing – when or where.”

As Payne mentioned, Williams had a rocky start in last week's Red and White Scrimmage. While he did finish with 10 points, he missed his first eight field goal attempts before finally sinking four of his final five shots.

Williams said that the Red and White Scrimmage not only helped to ease his nerves entering the matchup with Simmons, but that also being named a starter by Payne for the exhibition vs. the Falcons gave him a boost of confidence.

“I feel like I got all my nerves out last week, as you can see," Williams said. "I started off bad but picked it up the second half. (Kenny Payne) just giving me the start today boosted my confidence and it helped me a lot, and just going hard in practice, it paid off.”

Of course, Williams and the Cardinals still have plenty to work on moving forward. While Louisville did have a 41-point victory, it also featured segments of incredibly poorly played basketball with a plethora of turnovers.

With one more exhibition against Kentucky Wesleyan coming up before the start of the regular season, Williams says that Louisville just needs to stay focused.

“We just need to come in and be like ready to play," he said. "If we came in with the right mind space, we wouldn't have that many turnovers, so we just have to come ready to play next.”

(Photo of Curtis Williams: Sam Upshaw Jr. - Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)

You can follow Louisville Report for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram:

Facebook - @LouisvilleReport
Twitter - @UofLReport
Instagram - @louisville_report

You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter