Louisville’s misery from last basketball season had largely evaporated in the summer heat until Monday’s news that top recruit Trentyn Flowers will turn professional and play in Australia instead of joining the Cardinals.

After the Cardinals went 4-28 in their first season under Kenny Payne, Flowers’ commitment was a big deal for the coach as he heads into Year Two. But instead, the prospect's decision to play Down Under in the National Basketball League felt like the Cardinals just suffered their 29th loss.

Payne needs some easy wins. And until they get back on the court to play, those wins only come on paper.

They come from recruiting. They come from retaining. They come from putting the pieces together to again resemble a team that reminds people that Louisville is one of college basketball’s top 10 programs of all time.

Flowers’ commitment in March did just that. Here was a top-30 player in the nation by most recruiting services who had offers from the biggest brands in college basketball, including North Carolina, Kentucky and Kansas. U of L beat them all to sign the 6-foot-8 guard/forward.

Rewind: Jeff Brohm 'brought the love of football' back his first year at WKU. Can he do the same at Louisville?

When Flowers announced he would reclassify from the Class of 2024 to the Class of 2023, that was another victory. Not only would he help the Cards turn things around, he'd do so quickly.

He was already embedded at U of L. He spent most of the summer on campus. He attended The Basketball Tournament games in Freedom Hall and got a glimpse of how this city and this fanbase embraces its program. His family had already moved to Louisville to be with Flowers during the season.

For him to withdraw in the 11th hour, a week before classes start, erased the positive vibes from the past five months like it never even happened.

Flowers will take a spot in what the NBL terms its "Next Stars" despite name, image and likeness making it easy for him to earn potentially a sizeable income in college that could rival what he makes in Australia. He was one of the U of L athletes the 502Circle collective signed this summer.

In addition to Flowers, point guard commit Ty-Laur Johnson's arrival is still in question, which makes part of the optimism and momentum from the offseason feels a bit empty and even a bit fake.

“We’re certainly disappointed in his decision and the timing,” Payne said in a statement following Flowers' announcement.

The decision won’t doom U of L to another 4-28 record. The Cards should still have enough in their incoming class of both transfers and recruits to be an NCAA tournament team.

But Payne could also be frustrated in how the move was orchestrated.

This wasn’t a case of a kid making an ill-advised decision on his own. Quite the opposite.

This is a son following his dad’s lead.

Brown: Kenny Payne and Louisville basketball program are going to be just fine in Year 2

Travis Flowers is so intent on helping his son realize his vision and reach the NBA that he’s already well-known in agent circles for the amount of time he’s spent reaching out to them.

Trentyn Flowers didn't make the final cut this summer when he tried out for the USA Basketball Under 19 team, but his stock rose from the coaches who saw him play and scouts in the know.

That’s what paved the way for the NBL.

ESPN talent evaluator Paul Biancardi posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Flowers was “blown away” by the presentation from the NBL’s Adelaide 36ers.

From the 36ers official release, head coach C.J. Barton said Flowers could have a “similar impact as Josh Giddey and LaMelo Ball,” on the league. The team is reportedly committed to playing him exclusively at point guard. Before he deleted the post, Flowers himself posted on his X account, “I’m a point guard from now on let’s get this right….”

Injury update: M.J. Griffin, Louisville football starting safety, 'probably' out for season

Homecoming: Stanford changed Stephen Herron's worldview. Now, he's using what he learned back home

Flowers rarely played the point in any of the offseason camps he participated in, including the Jayson Tatum Elite Camp. In viewing his role for next season, he told The Courier Journal back in June that he’d be playing the 2 and 3. He's got ball handling skills and is comfortable advancing the ball, but that doesn't make him a point guard.

Maybe how he sees himself – or better yet, how his dad sees his position – played a part in his decision, too.

Flowers could go like Giddey or Ball, two budding NBA standouts who started their careers in Australia. But he's taking a risk in trying to convert to point guard of becoming the next R.J. Hampton. The 6-foot-4 guard followed the NBL’s Next Stars trek for a year before being taken as a first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Hampton played three seasons of little note in the league and is currently a free agent after being waived by the Detroit Pistons in July.

Perhaps it will prove to be the right move. College basketball isn’t the only avenue to take to get to the NBA.

It just feels wrong.

For Flowers.

For Payne.

For Louisville.

Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at clbrown1@gannett.com, follow him on Twitter at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his column

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball roster: Trentyn Flowers' departure feels wrong