Star Louisville basketball big man will serve indefinite suspension

Louisville basketball big man Malik Williams will serve an indefinite suspension, Cardinals interim coach Mike Pegues said on his radio show. Pegues claimed that Williams “hasn’t met the Louisville’s standard” at multiple times throughout the year.

“Now that I’m the interim head coach, I feel like it’s my duty and responsibility to maintain the character and the integrity in our locker room,” Pegues said. “When and if Malik decides he wants to partake in that, he will be welcomed back with open arms.”

A fifth-year senior, Williams has started 19 of the 20 games he has played in this season at center. He leads Louisville in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 10 points and 8.7 boards per contest.

It has been a rough past week for the Cardinals, who parted ways with coach Chris Mack on Wednesday. Mack, 52, said several times over the past month that he was having trouble getting through to his team, at one point saying that “this team has been impossible for us to figure out.”

Louisville sits at 11-10 on the season, having dropped six of their past seven games. Now with the suspension of one of its top players, it’s hard to imagine the situation improving much going forward.

Louisville’s down season comes after another offseason that was highlighted by drama in the program, which featured a falling out between Mack and former Cardinals’ assistant coach Dino Gaudio that led to Mack being hit with a six-game suspension without pay to open the 2021-22 campaign.

While Williams remains out, freshman center Roosevelt Wheeler could see increased playing time. A four-star recruit, Wheeler was named one of the top 100 players in the 2021 class according to On3. He is averaging 1.9 points and 1.7 rebounds in 15 games this season.

Forwards Sydney Curry and Jae’lyn Withers could also see additional run.

The Cardinals are next set to tip off against North Carolina at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday.