Louisville big man Chinanu Onuaku spent a lot of time at the U19 World Championships in Greece working on his underhanded free throws and playing with more energy.
He also spent a lot of time with Team USA teammate Terrance Ferguson, a five-star Class of 2016 wing who is ranked as the 18th-best prospect in the nation by Scout.com and is one of the top recruits on Louisville's radar.
"He's a clown, man," Ferguson said. "That's who I probably (hung out) with the most. He was just always full of energy, all the time. It was great. He kept trying to make me go (to U of L). 'Just commit right now, commit right now.' It was funny."
Joking aside, there is serious interest between Ferguson and Louisville, his mother, Rachelle Holdman, told The Courier-Journal on Friday at the Under Armour Association finals near Atlanta.
They are already familiar with U of L's campus, and Holdman said they "definitely" plan on returning for an official visit in the coming months.
Holdman and Ferguson, a 6-foot-6 scorer from Dallas, originally stopped by U of L's campus last December after Ferguson's Prime Prep Academy team played at Seneca High. They met with the Cards' coaches and watched Louisville beat Ohio State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
That meeting still means a lot to Holdman.
"I loved the campus, loved the atmosphere of the game, loved (coach Rick) Pitino," Holdman said. "I talked to the academic advisors there. I like the way the setup there is for the athletes -- the scheduling, the tutoring, the whole total package."
That impression bodes well for Louisville, because Holdman is handling most of her son's recruiting process while he focuses on basketball.
For his part, Ferguson did say several other schools are in regular contact with him, including Kansas, North Carolina, Arizona, Texas, Baylor, Alabama and Arkansas, but also said he's just "going with the flow."
"I don't have a timetable or anything," he said.
Scout's ranking of Ferguson is actually the lowest of the four major recruiting sites, with Rivals and 247Sports both rating him 11th in the 2016 class and ESPN ranking him 14th. He can play both shooting guard and small forward.
The obvious question surrounding the strong mutual interest between Ferguson and Louisville is whether the Cards have room for a wing of his caliber.
U of L has already secured a verbal pledge from 2016 wing V.J. King, who is ranked one spot behind Ferguson in the Scout.com prospect ratings and should compete for a starting spot as soon as he arrives on campus. The Cards are also waiting on word from another top-rated 6-6 wing, Maverick Rowan, who is in the process of reclassifying to the 2015 class and is considering Louisville.
Meanwhile freshman Deng Adel, a former five-star wing, is already on campus and making waves as a special defensive talent.
But Ferguson, one of the best shooters and athletes in his class, said none of that impacts his decision, and it hasn't stopped U of L from recruiting him, either.
In fact, Ferguson said he likes playing with King, who was his teammate on the U16 and U17 USA squads.
"He's an unbelievable player," Ferguson said, "so I'd love to play with him."
If Onuaku's recruiting work in Greece was any indication, he and his Louisville teammates would love to play with Ferguson, too.
Staff writer Kyle Tucker interviewed Ferguson at the UA Finals in Atlanta. Follow U of L hoops writer Jeff Greer on Twitter (@jeffgreer_cj).
He also spent a lot of time with Team USA teammate Terrance Ferguson, a five-star Class of 2016 wing who is ranked as the 18th-best prospect in the nation by Scout.com and is one of the top recruits on Louisville's radar.
"He's a clown, man," Ferguson said. "That's who I probably (hung out) with the most. He was just always full of energy, all the time. It was great. He kept trying to make me go (to U of L). 'Just commit right now, commit right now.' It was funny."
Joking aside, there is serious interest between Ferguson and Louisville, his mother, Rachelle Holdman, told The Courier-Journal on Friday at the Under Armour Association finals near Atlanta.
They are already familiar with U of L's campus, and Holdman said they "definitely" plan on returning for an official visit in the coming months.
Holdman and Ferguson, a 6-foot-6 scorer from Dallas, originally stopped by U of L's campus last December after Ferguson's Prime Prep Academy team played at Seneca High. They met with the Cards' coaches and watched Louisville beat Ohio State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
That meeting still means a lot to Holdman.
"I loved the campus, loved the atmosphere of the game, loved (coach Rick) Pitino," Holdman said. "I talked to the academic advisors there. I like the way the setup there is for the athletes -- the scheduling, the tutoring, the whole total package."
That impression bodes well for Louisville, because Holdman is handling most of her son's recruiting process while he focuses on basketball.
For his part, Ferguson did say several other schools are in regular contact with him, including Kansas, North Carolina, Arizona, Texas, Baylor, Alabama and Arkansas, but also said he's just "going with the flow."
"I don't have a timetable or anything," he said.
Scout's ranking of Ferguson is actually the lowest of the four major recruiting sites, with Rivals and 247Sports both rating him 11th in the 2016 class and ESPN ranking him 14th. He can play both shooting guard and small forward.
The obvious question surrounding the strong mutual interest between Ferguson and Louisville is whether the Cards have room for a wing of his caliber.
U of L has already secured a verbal pledge from 2016 wing V.J. King, who is ranked one spot behind Ferguson in the Scout.com prospect ratings and should compete for a starting spot as soon as he arrives on campus. The Cards are also waiting on word from another top-rated 6-6 wing, Maverick Rowan, who is in the process of reclassifying to the 2015 class and is considering Louisville.
Meanwhile freshman Deng Adel, a former five-star wing, is already on campus and making waves as a special defensive talent.
But Ferguson, one of the best shooters and athletes in his class, said none of that impacts his decision, and it hasn't stopped U of L from recruiting him, either.
In fact, Ferguson said he likes playing with King, who was his teammate on the U16 and U17 USA squads.
"He's an unbelievable player," Ferguson said, "so I'd love to play with him."
If Onuaku's recruiting work in Greece was any indication, he and his Louisville teammates would love to play with Ferguson, too.
Staff writer Kyle Tucker interviewed Ferguson at the UA Finals in Atlanta. Follow U of L hoops writer Jeff Greer on Twitter (@jeffgreer_cj).
