Louisville basketball: 3 biggest questions for recruiting in 2021
By Jacob Lane
Questions for Louisville basketball recruiting.
Even in the midst of a global pandemic, recruiting is hot and heavy for Chris Mack and the Louisville basketball program.
With one commitment in the books already in four-star forward Bryce Hopkins, the focus is now on building out the rest of a class that could feature as many as six players once again. The big board for Mack and staff is filled to the brim and more offers continue to pour in each day, giving them a firm base of players to recruit from.
The elephant in the room this summer and moving forward is the punishment (or hopefully, lack thereof) waiting to be handed down to Louisville, who will be judged as a repeat offender thus likely having a big impact on how the class fills out for 2021.
There are a number of interesting storylines at play, especially when you consider how the program is learning how to recruit at a high level during a pandemic that has taken away nearly every element of the traditional recruiting calendar. Gone (for now) are the days of watching players live in action on the Nike, Under Armour, and Adidas AAU circuits or at the handful of exposure events around the country and in place of them are zoom calls, facetime, and virtual tours making things even more challenging.
Listen to the Big Red Louie Podcast: Chris Mack aspiring to find hidden gems
The landscape of recruiting has never been more tricky and Louisville’s head coach now finds himself trying to deal with that on top of the NCAA’s impending ruling. Can Mack keep the Cards competitive on the recruiting trail even at a major disadvantage? Will Louisville be able to get the guys they want or will a new recruiting strategy have to be put in place?
Those are just a few of the many questions that Louisville basketball will look to answer this summer. However, they aren’t the biggest. Let’s take a look at the three questions that will define the recruiting in the class of 2021.