Forward Jae'Lyn Withers returning to Louisville basketball for junior season

Jae’Lyn Withers needed more information, but he liked what he saw early.

When the Louisville basketball forward first met with new Cardinals coach Kenny Payne, Withers said there were more conversations to come. He needed to know how Payne wanted to play, what role he saw Withers taking on in a new system.

If it went well, Withers said, “I’d be happy to stay.”

And now he’s back.

Withers on Friday became the most recent Louisville player to announce a return, posting on Twitter that he’ll be back for his junior season.

He’s the fourth Cardinal to announce a return to school and the third who was part of last season’s rotation, joining center Sydney Curry and center El Ellis.

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That’s arguably the most coveted trio of Cards among those with eligibility remaining. Wing Mike James, who sat out his freshman season with an Achilles injury, will join them, giving Louisville a big, tough wing to eat up some perimeter minutes vacated by players who have entered the transfer portal.

Curry was U of L’s most efficient offensive player in a disappointing 13-19 season that saw the school reach a separation agreement with head coach Chris Mack on Jan. 26.

Ellis was the team’s biggest threat off the bounce, the Cardinal with the best knack for beating a defender off the dribble and creating shot opportunities for himself and others.

And Withers is perhaps the most intriguing talent among the returning Louisville players, despite wild inconsistency in two season.

As a sophomore he had eight double-digit scoring games but went scoreless five times and over the course of two years, he’s struggled to find a regular role in the offense.

As a freshman, Withers mostly played as an undersized center and often thrived, averaging 10 points and 7.7 rebounds in 25.7 minutes.

The plan for his sophomore season was to give him more minutes as a face-up forward. But at times he seemed miscast in that role; his minutes dipped to 18.2 per game, his scoring to 5.8 points per game.

And in a position where played more facing the basket, Withers was worse as a shooter. His 3-point percentage dropped from 38.1% as a freshman to 23.4% as a sophomore.

Still, Withers showed flashes, moments where he’d back down a smaller player in the post or put the ball on the floor and go by a bigger one. A player who can do both consistently creates matchup nightmares, and Withers has looked capable of that in spurts, but never regularly.

In Payne, he’ll have a coach who’s built his coaching rep in large part on player development.

More: Duke's Nolan Smith joining Kenny Payne's Louisville basketball staff, per report

Paul Washington Sr., the father of former Kentucky player P.J. Washington — who played for UK when Payne was an assistant coach there — said Payne was “instrumental” in Washington returning for his sophomore year rather than turning pro.

“I can remember having a lot of candid conversations with (Payne) about things we needed to work on and things he was going to challenge P.J. on to help him get to the next level,” Washington Sr. said.

Payne didn’t just talk about working with P.J. Washington on those things, Washington Sr. said. He followed through — and that played a significant part in P.J. Washington being selected at No. 12 in the 2019 NBA Draft.

That doesn’t mean a year with Payne will get Withers into the lottery. But his raw skills are promising enough that he’s a candidate to make a leap.

Withers’ announcement leaves Louisville with two players whose intentions aren’t yet known.

Center Roosevelt Wheeler and forward JJ Traynor have yet to announce if they’re returning to school, and neither is known to have entered the transfer portal.

Five Cardinals — guard Noah Locke, forwards Matt Cross, Dre Davis and Samuell Williamson and center Gabe Wiznitzer — have entered the transfer portal.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Forward Jae'Lyn Withers returning to Louisville basketball team