How they fared: Chris Mack's first recruiting class at Louisville

Louisville’s 2019 recruiting class could have served as the foundation for a long and illustrious Chris Mack era. The six-member haul included a McDonald's All-American and four other players with four-star rankings. Of course, things didn’t go exactly as planned.

On Wednesday, Mack and the Cardinals officially parted ways after a bumpy, nearly four-season ride that included a 68-37 record and serious fan unrest. Today, Rivals.com recruiting director Rob Cassidy takes a look back at Mack’s initial recruiting class and where each touted prospect stands three years after they signed with Louisville.

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2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2023 Rankings: Rivals150

2024 Rankings: Top 40

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RANKiNG: Five-star (No. 19 overall in the nation)

HOW IT’S GOING: A McDonald's All-American, Williamson was the headliner of Mack’s initial haul and remains at Louisville to this day. He appeared in 31 games as a freshman, starting in one. And while he has become a more important part of the rotation in the year and a half that has followed he’s yet to meet the lofty expectations that came along with his high school accolades. After showing bright flashes late in his sophomore season, Williamson has started just six of 20 games as a junior this season. He’s averaged 6.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest thus far in his Louisville career.

RANKING: Four-star (No. 54)

HOW IT’S GOING: The Irish-born Igiehon came to the United States well before he started high school and burst on the national recruiting scene as a member of the Nike EYBL circuit’s New Heights Lightning. He chose Louisville and Mack’s Cardinals over offers from the likes of Virginia, Illinois and Florida. Igiehon battled injury in his two seasons under Mack and struggled to find playing time, in part, because of those injuries. He hit the transfer portal the day after Selection Sunday in 2021 after appearing in just 18 games in two season. He landed at Grand Canyon, where he remains.

RANKING: Four-star (No. 100)

HOW IT’S GOING: The second-leading all-time scorer in North Carolina high school history, Nickelberry was a top 100 recruit that landed at Louisville with serious expectations. Nickelberry, who also held scholarship offers from a long list of major programs, battled various injuries during his two-year stint at Louisville and hit the transfer portal after scoring just 37 total points in 24 appearances during his time under Mack. Nickelberry now plays for La Salle, where he’s become a starter and is currently averaging more than 12 points per game.

RANKING: Four-star (No. 108)

HOW IT’S GOING: Johnson actually committed to Louisville twice, as he backed off his initial pledge following the school’s involvement in the FBI-led NCAA corruption scandal. He eventually recommitted to Mack and the Cardinals and signed. Johnson played two seasons at the school, starting every game and scoring 12.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore. He declared for the NBA Draft following the season and was selected by the in the middle part of the second round by the Toronto Raptors. Johnson remains with the organization on a two-way deal. He’s appeared in two NBA games.

RANKING: Four-star (No. 103)

HOW IT’S GOING: Withers has found a solid amount of success at Louisville. He redshirted his first season on campus before exploding onto the scene in his second year. The four-star recruit started all 20 games as a redshirt freshman and averaged 10 points and seven rebounds per game. He was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team following the campaign. As a sophomore this year, Withers has seen his role shrink a bit but is still a contributor, averaging 4.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in 20 appearances and nine starts. And while he’s had some nice moments this year, he’s yet to recapture whatever it was that allowed him to thrive a season ago.

RANKING: Three-star (unranked)

HOW IT’S GOING: Slazinski was one of the first high school prospects Mack landed as Louisville’s head coach. But, like a good chunk of his recruiting class, Slazinski departed the program after two seasons. Slazinski’s transfer is particularly notable because he landed with famed former Cardinals coach Rick Pitino at Iona. Slazinski started eight games as a sophomore at Louisville before hitting the portal. He has started 19 of 20 games for the Gaels this season while averaging nine points per contest.