Pitino: 7 or 8 current Cards will make the NBA

Rick Pitino expects to more than double his number of former players in the NBA, and that's not including the additions of 2015 draft-bound Montrezl Harrell and Terry Rozier.

The Louisville basketball coach told The Sporting News in an article published Tuesday that he thinks the duo of Harrell and Rozier will "stick in the NBA, and I think we are just scratching the surface. I've got a lot of guys right now, seven or eight guys on the team, who aren't one-and-dones but will play in the NBA someday."

Top returners Chinanu Onuaku and Mangok Mathiang are both gained some national team experience this summer, Onuaku with the United States and Mathiang in Australia.

Meanwhile, Quentin Snider gained significant playing time last season after Chris Jones' dismissal, and he'll be joined next season by top incoming recruits Donovan Mitchell, Deng Adel and Raymond Spalding, out of Trinity High School.

Big additions also include graduate transfers Damion Lee (Drexel) and Trey Lewis (Cleveland State).

Former Cardinals now in the NBA include Russ Smith, who just finished his rookie season with the Memphis Grizzlies, as well as Minnesota Timberwolves center Gorgui Dieng and Earl Clark, who signed mid-year with the Brooklyn Nets.

"That's good that they're in the league," Rozier said in the article, "but there should be more than that."

Francisco Garcia played 10 seasons in the league, perhaps Pitino's best success story since arriving at U of L. Reece Gaines and Terrence Williams went in the first round, Peyton Siva the second, and Samardo Samuels made rosters.

"We've had a lot of guys in the draft," Pitino told The Sporting News, "but guys that will stick have to have the total package of ability and agility."