BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: LOUISVILLE

July 29, 2008

VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Josh Langford, (2010) 6'6, Small Forward from Huntsville (AL)


Projected 2008-2009 Roster


Seniors: Andre McGee (PG), Terrence Williams (SF)
Juniors: Edgar Sosa (G), Jerry Smith (G), Earl Clark (G/F), Reginald Delk (G)
Sophomores: George Goode (F), Preston Knowles (G)
Freshmen: Melquan Bolding (G), Samardo Samuels (BF/C), Terrence Jennings (C), Kyle Kuric (G/F), Clarence Holloway (C), Jared Swopshire (SF)
2009 Commitments: Mike Marra (G), Rakeem Buckles (F), Peyton Siva (PG)
2010 Commitment: Josh Langford (SF)


Class of 2010 small forward Josh Langford has been dropping strong hints the last couple weeks that Louisville was the clear leader for his services. Once an official scholarship offer was made, Langford wasted little time in making his decision, meaning U of L Hoops Adds a Commitment (Louisville Courier-Journal), their first for 2010.

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Rick Pitino continues to stay well ahead of the game on the recruiting trail as the Louisville coach ha snow added a 2010 commitment to the three verbals already secured for the class of 2009. Josh Langford of J.O. Johnson High School of Huntsville (AL) is the latest to make the pledge to the Cardinals. Louisville staff members have been very visible at his AAU games this summer during the open evaluation periods for the Alabama Lasers. Recently, i95ballerz.com had a very good story as Hard Work, Skill Building Nettes Langford his Dream Offer from the Cards.


Back in May coach Pitino picked up his third commitment from the class of 2009 when Peyton Siva out of Seattle (WA) made the Cardinals his college choice. Siva has long been considered Louisville's to lose on the recruiting trail after a visit this past season for their game with Georgetown. In the end, Louisville did not lose and scored a very good commitment from their point guard of the future.

Siva is an extremely quick and lightning fast point guard with the ball in his hands. He is also an above-average perimeter shooter who can also explode at the rim with a dunk when the time is right. As he matures, his decision making continues to improve and he always seems to be calm and cool on the floor, a trait that is a must for the most successful point guards in the game.

Siva joins previous 2009 commitments Rakeem Buckles and Mike Marra. Buckles is a wiry and raw forward prospect who is just touching the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his potential. At 6'8, he has explosive athletic ability that you see in an NBA small forward, however his game is still transitioning from a skinny big man to the wing and is a process that is just beginning. However, Louisville head coach Rick Pitino definitely believes it is a project worth undertaking as he aggressively courted the Miami Pace junior and landed an early verbal commitment from Buckles in February. Local Miami and West Virginia were also closely monitoring his progress, but Louisville easily took the most attention in Buckles.

Buckles and Siva join Mike Marra, a 6'5 native of Smithfield (RI), as coach Pitino's 2009 commitments. Marra is an athletic shooter for Northfield (Mass.) Mount Hermon School. According to his coach, John Carroll, Marra averaged nearly 28 points per game and has hit 55% from 3-pt range over an 11 game stretch late last season. Marra was also considering Providence, Massachusetts, Gonzaga, Wake Forest and Michigan, but after coach Rick Pitino came to watch him play last winter, Marra decided to end the process early and commit to the Cards, who had been his leader for some time. Marra visited Louisville and Freedom Hall in December and they have been on his mind ever since.


Also in the class of 2009, Louisville has been making a strong push forward for Rice HS and NY Gaucho do-everything guard Durand Scott and also reportedly offered Aaron Dotson, a shooting guard from Seattle (WA) who attended the same high school as current card Terrence Williams. Noel Johnson of the Atlanta Celtics has been watched often by the UL staff and his long-range shooting ability is a strength UL is intrigued by. Another Alabama high school player has picqued U of L's interest as Bawa Muniru, an African import who is a legitimate 7-footer now playing in Madison (AL).

We will continue to monitor the UL recruiting developments as they happen.