Every now and then Anas Mahmoud will make an amazing play, going high for a block, sinking one of those sweeping hook shots, or breaking loose for a monster dunk. That’s between all the forgettable plays, of course.
When he makes one of those kinds of plays, there’s always the hope within the fan base, the possibility that a switch may have turned on for Mahmoud. That he may have turned some kind of corner, signaling that he is on his way.
Coach Rick Pitino has said he expects Mahmoud to be a great player before he leaves the University of Louisville basketball team. Seems confident that he will develop enough to possibly make it in the NBA.
Mahmoud had some memorable plays in UofL’s 91-58 win over William & Mary on Monday at the KFC Yum! Center. The first an in-your-face block of an attempted William & Mary layup at the 13:20 mark in the first half. The next one his picking off a pass from the other W&M guard for a steal at the 9:38 point.
A couple of plays later he comes up with another steal. He would pick up his only basket of the night, backing into his defender and turning for a layup at the 5:45 mark.
An active night for the 7-foot, 215-pound junior center from Cairo, Egypt. His stats for the game — 2 points, 3 rebounds, 4 fouls, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 1 block and 2 steals — confirm that he was integral in the rout of a good William & Mary team.
Mahmoud’s time at UofL has reached the halfway point and he has been inconsistent at best. If he’s going to make the breakthrough Pitino expects him to make, it has to start happening pretty soon.
He appears to play at a casual pace much of the time, sometimes appearing amused that some players take the game so seriously. The breakthrough will be more likely to happen if and when he decides to get serious about making basketball a career.