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Louisville lands Samford grad transfer Christen Cunningham

Samford v Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, IN - NOVEMBER 14: Christen Cunningham #10 of the Samford Bulldogs looks to pass off the ball as Vince Edwards #12 of the Purdue Boilermakers defends at Mackey Arena on November 14, 2014 in West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue defeated Samford 80-40. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

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Louisville added some stability to its program on Monday as Samford graduate transfer guard Christen Cunningham pledged to the Cardinals.

Head coach Chris Mack pulled in his first commitment at Louisville by landing a former local high school product, as Cunningham played for the Louisville Magic and hails from Georgetown, Kentucky.

The 6-foot-2 Cunningham is Samford’s all-time leader in assists and he also averaged double-figures in points in his first three seasons. Missing 23 games last year due to illness, Cunningham received the opportunity to transfer and play right away as he picked the Cardinals over other high-major interest.

In his last full season, 2016-17, Cunningham averaged 11.4 points and 6.3 assists per game. Cunningham struggled to consistently nail three-pointers during his career at Samford, so his perimeter shooting will be something to monitor at Louisville.

With Louisville expected to have a young team in Mack’s first season, Cunningham provides some veteran leadership as he should provide a steady presence in the Cardinals backcourt. If Cunningham improves his shaky perimeter shooting, then he could be a valuable plug-and-play option for the season.