LOUISVILLE RECRUITING UPDATE

VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Derrick Caracter, BF (St Patrick's, NJ)

Projected 2006-2007 Roster

Senior: Brandon Jenkins G
Juniors: Juan Palacious (F), David Padgett (F/C), Terrence Farley (C)
Sophomores: Andre McGee (PG), Bryan Harvey (SG), Chad Millard (WF), Terrence Williams (SF), Jonathon Huffman (BF), Brian Johnson (F)
Freshmen: Edgar Sosa (G), Jerry Smith (G), Clarence Holloway (C), Derrick Caracter (BF), Jarvis Walker (SF)

Previous Louisville recruiting reports: June 27 report and 7/25 Round-Up.

As expected from way back in June, Derrick Caracter has chosen the Louisville Cardinals and is another recruiting victory for Cardinals head coach Rick Pitino (NY Daily News on Caracter Commitment). Caracter has been one of the most talked about prospects since his showing at the ABCD camp as an 8th grader. Caracter is a big body with excellent hands and touch inside. Not an ideal run/jump athlete, but improved conditioning and Coach Pitino ramping up his intensity and consistency in effort could do wonders for his play. Caracter makes the Louisville roster one of the biggest in the country with his commitment.

Now, obviously, there is going to be some roster changes, because my current projected roster for the 2006-2007 season shows 15 names, two more than the NCAA limit of 13. Louisville also continues to pursue Rahway, NY product Earl Clark, a 6'9 PG, who has narrowed his choices to Louisville and Villanova and has expressed a desire in the past to play college ball with Caracter. So, that recruitment should still be watched closely as Clark is planning a visit to Louisville this fall.

One change I think is pretty obvious is that Clarence Holloway will not be part of the 2006 incoming class. Holloway had signed with Louisville as part of the 2005 class but did not qualify and has opted to attent prep school. He has stated he would enroll at Louisville next season, but that is looking doubtful, I will keep him listed until he officially opens up his recruitment, but that seems to be in only a matter of time.

Another question is the status of Jarvis Walker, the younger brother of former Pitino player Antoine Walker at Kentucky and now the NBA. Walker had announced earlier this month he will be attending Louisville this fall and will sit out this season and hope to play in 2006-2007. He was originally commited to play at the University of Mississippi, but things did not work out with his scholarship there. It is unclear as to whether Walker will be a scholarship player or a walk-on, paying his own way. I am going to guess, at this time, he is a walk-on. That gets their roster down to 13 members, so, finding room for Earl Clark would also assume there is some additional roster movement ahead. Probably too early to speculate on early NBA entries, but that is a possibility with the talent on hand at Louisville.

One thing that is not in question, and that is the recruiting ability of Rick Pitino. Now, with the added East Coast exposure of the Big East and a highly visible TV schedule ahead of him, Pitino is only going to ratchet up his recruiting. The rest of the Big East better raise their recruiting as well!