2021 Basketball Recruiting: Five Candidates for Commitment No. 5
The Louisville men's basketball program might be barred from visiting & hosting recruits due to the NCAA-mandated extended dead period, but head coach Chris Mack and his coaching staff are still working wonders out on the recruiting trail.
Following the commitment of four-star forward Eric Van Der Heijden on Friday, the Cardinals are now up to four commitments in the Class of 2021. Joining him are four-star point guards Bobby Pettiford & Elbert "El" Ellis, and four-star small forward Bryce Hopkins. It's a class that currently ranks as high as No. 4 in the nation according to Rivals.
But the Cards might not be done yet. Following the conclusion of next season, Louisville is set to lose forward/center Malik Williams as well as graduate transfer guards Carlik Jones & Charles Minlend. However it's entirely possible that we could see both David Johnson & Samuell Williamson depart for the NBA depending on how their sophomore seasons pan out.
If this is the case, it would leave Louisville with five scholarship spots to fill in the 2021 class. There is still a decent amount of time between now and the Early & Regular signing periods, leaving plenty of opportunity for recruitments to trend in either direction. But as of right now, here are five of the more likely candidates to be the Cards' next commitment in the class:
Roosevelt Wheeler - Center
With the Cardinals bringing in a pair of guards and a pair of prospects who will spend a lot of time out on the wing, it only makes sense that their next primary target would be a big man. 6-foot-10 & 220-pound Roosevelt Wheeler certainly fits that bill. Louisville is in good standing with the Richmond, Va native, and it appears to be a two-horse race with NC State to land his services.
Efton Reid - Center
Another prospect down on the block to keep an eye on is Efton Reid. Like Wheeler, the 6-foot-11 & 225-pound Bradenton, Fla. native was able to squeeze in an unofficial visit to campus before the COVID-19 pandemic forced an early and extended dead period. However it appears that Louisville isn't as in the mix for Reid as they are with Wheeler.
Hunter Sallis - Point Guard
Another on ball guard? It could happen. Louisville offered him not long after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the sporting realm, and are now in good standing with the 6-foot-3 & 165-pound point guard despite having not been able to hold an official or unofficial campus visit. While Louisville has addressed backcourt needs in this class already, it also would not be shocking to see him added to the fold.
Aminu Mohammed - Small Forward/Shooting Guard
Out of all the prospects left on Louisville's 2021 big board, Mohammed is the highest-regarded as he is ranked inside the Top 10 nationally according to the 247Sports Composite. While Indiana appears to be the early favorite to land him, the 6-foot-4 & 175-pound wing has been involved with Louisville for quite some time and still has a relatively solid shot at landing him.
Dallan Coleman - Shooting Guard
After landing a pair of point guards in this class, a nice addition to that would be to land an off-ball guard to compliment them. The 6-foot-6 & 195-pound prospect can also use his versatility to play some out on the wing as well, is a fan of the facilities that Louisville has and communicates with assistant coach Luke Murray
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