BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: LOUISVILLE

August 28, 2006

VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: George Goode, (F) Raytown (MO) South High School


Projected 2007-2008 Roster


Seniors: Juan Palacios (F), David Padgett (F/C), Terrence Farley (C)
Juniors: Andre McGee (PG), Terrence Williams (SF), Jonathon Huffman (BF)
Sophomores: Edgar Sosa (G), Jerry Smith (G), Derrick Caracter (BF), Earl Clark (G/F)
Freshmen: George Goode


With Rick Pitino as the head coach and in the Big East, it is no surprise that the Louisville Cardinals have become a recruiting powerhouse once again. Over the weekend, Cardinals Get Commitment for 2007-2008 (Louisville Courier-Journal) as George Goode pulled the trigger and pledged to Louisville after visiting the school.


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With the commitment from Goode, Rick Pitino still has two scholarships to give out for the 2007 class. A staple of the Pitino system is long, athletic players that excel from beyond the 3-pt range. One of the things missing from last year's edition of the Cardinals was the shooting prowess from beyond the arc of normal Rick Pitino teams, especially with Taquan Dean injured. On the 2007 recruiting trail, it looks like the Louisville staff is dedicated to improving that aspect of their team. Goode is one of the ideal players for the Pitino system with his length and ability to hit the 3-ball and rattle the rim with an impressive dunk. Goode will need to get stronger to battle inside in the Big East as he tips the scales at a rather slight 205 lbs currently. Goode is a player that can do just a little bit of everything and with his body filling out and using improved strength to be even more dangerous on the boards and defensively. Goode selected the Cards over Oklahoma St, Missouri, Kansas, Baylor and Marquette.


With the final two scholarships remaining this fall, it looks like Pitino and staff has zeroed in on some help at the shooting guard position and big forward position. At the guard spot, Darquavis Tucker and Blake Hoffarber seem to be getting the most attention. Tucker is a powerful 6'4 shooting guard out of Saginaw, MI who has long gotten by with his strength advantage over other players and attacking the rim. His stock has soared of late with his improved perimeter skills that continue to evolve. He seems to have narrowed his choices to UL, Indiana and DePaul. Hoffarber is, quite simply, the best shooting prospect in the class targeted by high-majors. Hoffarber is also being pursued heavily be Big East rivals such as Cincinnati, Notre Dame and Rutgers. He is expected to take a look at Louisville late in September, but he still has a LONG lists of schools and seems to be taking the entire recruiting process in at this time.

At the forward spot, Louisville looks to be targeting sweet shooting Jon Leuer from Minnesota, Tracy Smith from North Carolina and Mac Koshwal of Cnicago. Leuer is a player who saw his interest sky-rocket this summer as he consistently made shots from the perimeter. Although just under 200 lbs standing nearly 6'10, his shooting touch out past the 3-pt line has schools like Notre Dame, West Virginia and Louisville, among others, very interested. Smith and Koshwal are more traditional low-block forwards that use strength and effort to get the job done. Louisville has been a late entrant into the Koshwal sweepstakes and recently hosted him on campus. Koshwal seems to be made for the Big East and DePaul hopes to hang on to this local prospect, but a flurry of September visits to the elite of college basketball will make this tough. When Louisville and Rick Pitino comes calling, players listen, and Koshwal is definitely listening. Not as much was known about Smith entering the summer, but a solid summer has put him on the radar of many top schools and Louisville seems to be on his short list.

With the final two scholarships open and a bunch of visits in the works, we will keep you posted on Louisville's efforts.