Let's Learn About: JJ Traynor
The Cardinal legacy has grown into a key piece. What's he bringing to the table?
JJ Traynor has seen a lot in his 3 years as part of the Louisville men’s basketball program. He and Jae’lyn Withers are the longest-tenured rotation players, and have had similar roller-coaster experiences. 4 games into his college career, JJ Traynor was averaging 19 minutes per game and was so intertwined with UofL’s success that I wrote this article (with a healthy amount of tongue-in-cheek):
Then JJ Traynor spent basically a year banished from UofL’s rotation. Between January 16, 2021 and February 16, 2022 Traynor played a total of 101 minutes. This season Traynor has emerged as a key piece, albeit on the worst Louisville team of all time.
It’s never been exactly clear what role JJ Traynor was supposed to be filling for Louisville. The previous coaching staff seemed to want him to bulk up and be an interior player, but this season he’s played mostly small forward with a dash of power forward. He flashes shooting ability, but may be most effective finishing around the rim. And most importantly of all, can he do these things for a Louisville team that has real ambitions? I’ll dive into all of that, for premium subscribers….
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Hoops Insight to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.