Jeff Greer 12:23 p.m. EDT August 9, 2015
August is an important stretch for Louisville hoops recruiting, so this is another good time to update the big board for the Cards' 2016 prospects.
The list of players below is not in any particular order other than position, and we can now take Maverick Rowan off the board all together after his recent commitment to NC State.
First, some context ...
With highly rated wing V.J. King's commitment and a leftover scholarship from the 2015 class rolling over, Louisville still has two more scholarships open for the 2016 class. Damion Lee and Trey Lewis, two graduate transfers, move on after this season.
So, what else does Louisville need in 2016? The Cards will return four scholarship perimeter players on the roster -- Quentin Snider, Donovan Mitchell, Deng Adel and Ryan McMahon, plus walk-ons Jay Henderson and David Levitch, and have King coming in.
Judging by the players the Cards are pursuing, it's clear U of L would like to find a guard to help Snider handle the ball and perhaps another one to give the backcourt some depth. Adel and King can share the 3 spot, with Adel even occasionally sliding to play a stretch 4, so that means the other two 2016 targets are likely to be guys who fight with Snider and Mitchell for time at the 1 and 2.
In an ever-changing recruiting landscape, Louisville appears to be in good shape now with three 2016 guards -- Markelle Fultz, Brandon Robinson and Andrew Jones -- with a fourth, De'Aaron Fox, still a major target. The Cards will be set if they land two of those. (Or even one, because Rick Pitino said in late July that they may even consider another fifth-year transfer after the success they had in grabbing Trey Lewis and Damion Lee off the grad transfer wire.)
Fultz took an official visit to Louisville late last week, and he's headed to Arizona then likely Washington after that. The most recent buzz is that those three schools have the best shot at landing the D.C.-area native, though his trainer has said Kentucky is still in there, too.
As for Jones, the fast-rising Texas guard took an unofficial visit to Louisville on Thursday and is in the middle of an unofficial visit tour around the country. He has said he will still take his official visits, which are longer, paid-for trips, before making a decision.
Robinson is a scoring wing who, like Jones, has become a hot commodity this summer. He is on an official visit to Louisville this weekend, and he also has trips to FSU and Maryland set up for the next few months. North Carolina just offered Robinson (6-5, 170) in recent days and will surely play a role in his recruitment as well.
Fox just added a Kentucky offer and is one of the most sought-after guards in the 2016 class. He has spoken highly of Louisville, but he also has Texas, Kansas, Arizona and a host of other schools heavily pursuing him. Keep an eye on him in the coming days and weeks as he sorts through his list and sets up visits.
Another name, 6-6 scorer Terrance Ferguson, was high on Louisville's list last week. The Cards were working on scheduling an official visit with the Texas native, a source told The Courier-Journal, but in the past few days, the buzz surrounding the five-star Ferguson is that he is down to Alabama and Kansas.
Of course, this is recruiting, so this information will probably change again in a week or two when U of L returns from its Puerto Rico trip and schedules more official visits. But for now, here's the updated Louisville recruiting big board for the 2016 class as of Aug. 9 ...
Remember, the following listing is in no particular order, but rather by position.
THE 2016 BIG BOARD
LEAD GUARDS
DENNIS SMITH JR.
Size: 6-2, 180. Scout.com national rank: 4. Has U of L offered? Yes. Also considering: North Carolina, NC State, Duke, Kentucky, Wake Forest. AAU team: Team Loaded (adidas).
An explosive lead guard who can play both guard spots, Smith is one of the nation's most coveted prospects. He has incredible leaping ability and can create off the dribble essentially at will. Many recruiting folks believe Smith will lean toward one of the Tobacco Road schools, likely NC State with big man Edrice Adebayo.
DE'AARON FOX
Size: 6-4, 170. Scout.com national rank: 16. Has U of L offered? Yes. Also considering: Kansas, Kentucky, Texas, Arizona, Baylor, others. AAU team: Houston Hoops (Nike).
Fox is one of the top players in the nation in his class. Johnson's built a relationship with Fox after former assistant Wyking Jones made the initial contact. Louisville has made him a priority at point guard, but Fox is still assessing all of his options. Right now, this one appears to be wide open, with the Cards right in the mix.
PAYTON PRITCHARD
Size: 6-1, 175. Scout.com national rank: 52. Has U of L offered? Yes. Also considering: Baylor, Cal, Kansas, Oklahoma, others. AAU team: Team Fast Elite (adidas).
A former Oklahoma commit, Pritchard came back on Louisville's radar and has been re-offered a scholarship by U of L. An Oregon native, Pritchard was recruited by U of L assistant Kenny Johnson when he was at Indiana, so there is a preexisting relationship between Johnson and the family. Pritchard averaged 22.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and five assists a game on the adidas Uprising circuit this summer, and shot 44 percent from the field from 183 shots. He seems to be an Oregon lean at this point.
WILLIAM MCDOWELL-WHITE
Size: 6-5, 185. Has U of L offered? Yes. Also considering: Michigan State, Arizona, LSU, others. AAU team: N/A.
An Australian guard who some have compared to Derrick Rose, McDowell-White made quite an impression on American hoops coaches in July. Louisville is on a long list of schools recruiting him.
MARKELLE FULTZ
Size: 6-3, 170. Scout.com national rank: 22. Has U of L offered? Yes. Unofficial visit: Two. Also considering: Arizona, Kentucky, Maryland, Washington, others. AAU team: DC Blue Devils (Under Armour).
A wiry, long-armed guard, Fultz is not afraid to stop and pop from 25 feet, or try to blow by his man and get into the lane. He's a creative guard and is the kind of assertive player who could play a role similar to the ones Terry Rozier or Russ Smith had at U of L. He is a D.C.-area kid and Johnson is recruiting him. Fultz has a ton of big-time programs after him as he shoots up the national rankings, and U of L is right there.
ERIC HESTER
Size: 6-4, 170. Scout.com national rank: Unranked nationally. Has U of L offered? Yes. Also considering: Florida, Miami, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, USF, others. AAU team: Team Breakdown (Under Armour).
A defensive-minded talent, Hester is a very solid athlete who is a work in progress on offense. He is explosive and can get to the basket. He is strong in the open court. But his jump shot needs work, which limits his scoring ability in the halfcourt. Louisville has been on him for a while, but he may be a backup option at this point. Florida appears to be the leader.
ANDREW JONES
Size: 6-4, 175. Scout.com national rank: Unranked. Has U of L offered? Yes. Also considering: SMU, Arizona, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Texas, Miami, Virginia, others. AAU team: Pro Skills (Nike).
A fast-rising guard, Jones is a new addition to U of L's radar in late July. He already has Arizona, SMU and several Big 12 programs on him, but U of L offered him a scholarship and will enter the fight for him.
August is an important stretch for Louisville hoops recruiting, so this is another good time to update the big board for the Cards' 2016 prospects.
The list of players below is not in any particular order other than position, and we can now take Maverick Rowan off the board all together after his recent commitment to NC State.
First, some context ...
With highly rated wing V.J. King's commitment and a leftover scholarship from the 2015 class rolling over, Louisville still has two more scholarships open for the 2016 class. Damion Lee and Trey Lewis, two graduate transfers, move on after this season.
So, what else does Louisville need in 2016? The Cards will return four scholarship perimeter players on the roster -- Quentin Snider, Donovan Mitchell, Deng Adel and Ryan McMahon, plus walk-ons Jay Henderson and David Levitch, and have King coming in.
Judging by the players the Cards are pursuing, it's clear U of L would like to find a guard to help Snider handle the ball and perhaps another one to give the backcourt some depth. Adel and King can share the 3 spot, with Adel even occasionally sliding to play a stretch 4, so that means the other two 2016 targets are likely to be guys who fight with Snider and Mitchell for time at the 1 and 2.
In an ever-changing recruiting landscape, Louisville appears to be in good shape now with three 2016 guards -- Markelle Fultz, Brandon Robinson and Andrew Jones -- with a fourth, De'Aaron Fox, still a major target. The Cards will be set if they land two of those. (Or even one, because Rick Pitino said in late July that they may even consider another fifth-year transfer after the success they had in grabbing Trey Lewis and Damion Lee off the grad transfer wire.)
Fultz took an official visit to Louisville late last week, and he's headed to Arizona then likely Washington after that. The most recent buzz is that those three schools have the best shot at landing the D.C.-area native, though his trainer has said Kentucky is still in there, too.
As for Jones, the fast-rising Texas guard took an unofficial visit to Louisville on Thursday and is in the middle of an unofficial visit tour around the country. He has said he will still take his official visits, which are longer, paid-for trips, before making a decision.
Robinson is a scoring wing who, like Jones, has become a hot commodity this summer. He is on an official visit to Louisville this weekend, and he also has trips to FSU and Maryland set up for the next few months. North Carolina just offered Robinson (6-5, 170) in recent days and will surely play a role in his recruitment as well.
Fox just added a Kentucky offer and is one of the most sought-after guards in the 2016 class. He has spoken highly of Louisville, but he also has Texas, Kansas, Arizona and a host of other schools heavily pursuing him. Keep an eye on him in the coming days and weeks as he sorts through his list and sets up visits.
Another name, 6-6 scorer Terrance Ferguson, was high on Louisville's list last week. The Cards were working on scheduling an official visit with the Texas native, a source told The Courier-Journal, but in the past few days, the buzz surrounding the five-star Ferguson is that he is down to Alabama and Kansas.
Of course, this is recruiting, so this information will probably change again in a week or two when U of L returns from its Puerto Rico trip and schedules more official visits. But for now, here's the updated Louisville recruiting big board for the 2016 class as of Aug. 9 ...
Remember, the following listing is in no particular order, but rather by position.
THE 2016 BIG BOARD
LEAD GUARDS
DENNIS SMITH JR.
Size: 6-2, 180. Scout.com national rank: 4. Has U of L offered? Yes. Also considering: North Carolina, NC State, Duke, Kentucky, Wake Forest. AAU team: Team Loaded (adidas).
An explosive lead guard who can play both guard spots, Smith is one of the nation's most coveted prospects. He has incredible leaping ability and can create off the dribble essentially at will. Many recruiting folks believe Smith will lean toward one of the Tobacco Road schools, likely NC State with big man Edrice Adebayo.
DE'AARON FOX
Size: 6-4, 170. Scout.com national rank: 16. Has U of L offered? Yes. Also considering: Kansas, Kentucky, Texas, Arizona, Baylor, others. AAU team: Houston Hoops (Nike).
Fox is one of the top players in the nation in his class. Johnson's built a relationship with Fox after former assistant Wyking Jones made the initial contact. Louisville has made him a priority at point guard, but Fox is still assessing all of his options. Right now, this one appears to be wide open, with the Cards right in the mix.
PAYTON PRITCHARD
Size: 6-1, 175. Scout.com national rank: 52. Has U of L offered? Yes. Also considering: Baylor, Cal, Kansas, Oklahoma, others. AAU team: Team Fast Elite (adidas).
A former Oklahoma commit, Pritchard came back on Louisville's radar and has been re-offered a scholarship by U of L. An Oregon native, Pritchard was recruited by U of L assistant Kenny Johnson when he was at Indiana, so there is a preexisting relationship between Johnson and the family. Pritchard averaged 22.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and five assists a game on the adidas Uprising circuit this summer, and shot 44 percent from the field from 183 shots. He seems to be an Oregon lean at this point.
WILLIAM MCDOWELL-WHITE
Size: 6-5, 185. Has U of L offered? Yes. Also considering: Michigan State, Arizona, LSU, others. AAU team: N/A.
An Australian guard who some have compared to Derrick Rose, McDowell-White made quite an impression on American hoops coaches in July. Louisville is on a long list of schools recruiting him.
MARKELLE FULTZ
Size: 6-3, 170. Scout.com national rank: 22. Has U of L offered? Yes. Unofficial visit: Two. Also considering: Arizona, Kentucky, Maryland, Washington, others. AAU team: DC Blue Devils (Under Armour).
A wiry, long-armed guard, Fultz is not afraid to stop and pop from 25 feet, or try to blow by his man and get into the lane. He's a creative guard and is the kind of assertive player who could play a role similar to the ones Terry Rozier or Russ Smith had at U of L. He is a D.C.-area kid and Johnson is recruiting him. Fultz has a ton of big-time programs after him as he shoots up the national rankings, and U of L is right there.
ERIC HESTER
Size: 6-4, 170. Scout.com national rank: Unranked nationally. Has U of L offered? Yes. Also considering: Florida, Miami, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, USF, others. AAU team: Team Breakdown (Under Armour).
A defensive-minded talent, Hester is a very solid athlete who is a work in progress on offense. He is explosive and can get to the basket. He is strong in the open court. But his jump shot needs work, which limits his scoring ability in the halfcourt. Louisville has been on him for a while, but he may be a backup option at this point. Florida appears to be the leader.
ANDREW JONES
Size: 6-4, 175. Scout.com national rank: Unranked. Has U of L offered? Yes. Also considering: SMU, Arizona, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Texas, Miami, Virginia, others. AAU team: Pro Skills (Nike).
A fast-rising guard, Jones is a new addition to U of L's radar in late July. He already has Arizona, SMU and several Big 12 programs on him, but U of L offered him a scholarship and will enter the fight for him.
