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CARDINALS

Luke Hancock: 'I'm going to make the NBA'

Jonathan Lintner
@JonathanLintner

Back in February, after the University of Louisville's basketball team routed South Florida, coach Rick Pitino was asked about senior Luke Hancock's professional potential.

It's high, Pitino said, but not so much as Hancock's abilities in other areas.

"He is very, very good, and he can try out for the pros, but Luke will make a million dollars more in business way before he makes a million dollars in basketball," Pitino said, "and that is because he has a dynamic personality, he's great looking guy, he's a great networker, he's humble. He has got all of the ingredients."

One exception to that is if Hancock can make an NBA roster rather than head to Europe or another overseas destination to play professionally. The 2013 Final Four's Most Outstanding Player, in an interview Wednesday on ESPN 680's "Deener Show," said that's his intention.

Since the Cardinals lost to Kentucky in the Sweet 16, Hancock has participated in the 3-Point Championship in Dallas (won by U of L women's player Shoni Schimmel) and then headed to New York to start his search for an agent.

"I'm going to make the NBA," the 6-foot-6 sharpshooter told Drew Deener, the show's host.

Scouts have yet to be impressed. Hancock isn't among the 20 shooting guard or 22 small forward draft prospects listed by CBSSports.com, nor does he appear in any published NBA mock drafts.

"Offensively, I can handle my own," Hancock said. "I can play. I just need to be able to guard two guards and three men in the NBA. They're fast. They're athletic, so I've got a lot of work to do."

Hancock averaged 12.3 points as a senior and hit 40.8 percent of his shots.

The George Mason transfer's shooting hit another gear down the stretch of the season — he made 16 of 34 attempts in three NCAA tournament games — despite an injury on his shooting hand. Hancock told Deener he tore an extensor in the Cardinals' January game against Southern Methodist, which caused pain and prevented him from fully extending one of his fingers.

"It's just something I've had to play through, really," Hancock said. "… Now I can take some time off and hopefully get it back to normal."

Hancock said he hasn't dwelled on the Cardinals' defeat to Kentucky, adding, as many other players have said, that the rivalry means more to fans then them. He's instead looking back at better things — three straight conference tournament titles, a pair of Final Fours and a national championship since he's been on the U of L bench.

His departure, along with those of Russ Smith, Stephan Van Treese, Tim Henderson and possibly Montrezl Harrell (Hancock elected not talk about the sophomore's draft decision) signaled what Pitino called "the end of an era" for the Cardinals.

Deener finished the interview by asking Hancock why U of L can have success next season with a number of key players gone.

His response: "Because that's what we do at Louisville."

Jonathan Lintner can be reached at (502) 582-4199; follow him on Twitter @JonathanLintner.