He fell in love with the KFC Yum! Center and the high expectations that come with playing for Louisville, and even when he was told to sleep on his decision to commit to U of L, the former Penn star pushed ahead.
"It was just something I couldn't pass up," said Hicks, who will graduate from Penn in mid-May and enroll at U of L later that month. "I'm just excited for the opportunity to be on this stage like this. I'm willing to do anything to help them."
Hicks, a 6-foot-2 guard from Chicago who led Penn in scoring the past two seasons, said he was also considering Miami, Nevada and Oregon, but he canceled a planned unofficial visit to Oregon after visiting Louisville.
His close friendship with U of L grad transfer Damion Lee, who played at Drexel during the same time that Hicks was at Penn, played a big role in Hicks' decision to come to Louisville. Lee has become an instant star with the Cards, and he told his friend that the same path could be perfect for him.
Hicks' three seasons at Penn did have some tumultuous times. He was suspended for four games over that span, once for failing a drug test and another time for punching a Columbia player during a game.
Looking back on those issues, Hicks said he has learned a lot from experiences, and that coach Rick Pitino told him Louisville would not tolerate any of those incidents if he came there.
"First and foremost, Coach Pitino told me that if this is something that will be a problem, then don't come," Hicks said. "There has been so much going on at Louisville, so I understand that. But looking back on it, it was just being not mature. It was me not being my own man, following the wrong crowd. There was frustration with technical (fouls), and it was just me worrying about things I can't control.
"Just me growing up, especially now, looking back, it wasn't that serious. It wasn't something I should have let bother me. I can let things go now. It's just being a lot more mature."
"It was just something I couldn't pass up," said Hicks, who will graduate from Penn in mid-May and enroll at U of L later that month. "I'm just excited for the opportunity to be on this stage like this. I'm willing to do anything to help them."
Hicks, a 6-foot-2 guard from Chicago who led Penn in scoring the past two seasons, said he was also considering Miami, Nevada and Oregon, but he canceled a planned unofficial visit to Oregon after visiting Louisville.
His close friendship with U of L grad transfer Damion Lee, who played at Drexel during the same time that Hicks was at Penn, played a big role in Hicks' decision to come to Louisville. Lee has become an instant star with the Cards, and he told his friend that the same path could be perfect for him.
Hicks' three seasons at Penn did have some tumultuous times. He was suspended for four games over that span, once for failing a drug test and another time for punching a Columbia player during a game.
Looking back on those issues, Hicks said he has learned a lot from experiences, and that coach Rick Pitino told him Louisville would not tolerate any of those incidents if he came there.
"First and foremost, Coach Pitino told me that if this is something that will be a problem, then don't come," Hicks said. "There has been so much going on at Louisville, so I understand that. But looking back on it, it was just being not mature. It was me not being my own man, following the wrong crowd. There was frustration with technical (fouls), and it was just me worrying about things I can't control.
"Just me growing up, especially now, looking back, it wasn't that serious. It wasn't something I should have let bother me. I can let things go now. It's just being a lot more mature."
