Louisville Basketball: Chris Mack adds Irish Hulk to new cast of Louisville Avengers

After a much-anticipated wait, Louisville basketball gets a commitment from Aidan Igiehon, the centerpiece of its 2019 class.

Louisville basketball fans can finally celebrate. After possibly the most anticipated, high-profile recruiting battle in recent memory, center Aidan Igiehon has committed to the Cards.

Igiehon chose Louisville over St. Johns, Oregon, and Kentucky at an announcement ceremony at his high school.

Louisville was in on Igiehon later than most other teams, but Coach Chis Mack and Luke Murray had a previously-established relationship with him, dating back to their time at Xavier. Mack and staff decided to stop recruiting him last year when they realized that they could not compete with the elite programs with a player of his status.

However, Mack picked up the phone after he was hired in late March, and has been in Aidan’s ear ever since. Along the process Mack and his staff pulled out everything they could from their bag of tricks, which included flying to native Ireland to meet with his mother and stopping in to see him this morning, the day of his announcement and the same day as the Louisville Tip-Off Luncheon and local media day.

The recruitment picked up steam after Igiehon made an unofficial visit on June 28th, but many feel that the Louisville staff all but sealed the deal at “Louisville Live” on September 28th.

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Igiehon finally pulled the trigger today, giving everyone in CardNation a huge sigh of relief. After visiting Louisville Live in September many expected a quick commitment as was the case with other 2019 commitments, Jaelyn Withers and Samuell Williamson. However, that was clearly not the case. Igiehon said all throughout his recruitment that he would make his decision “when the time was right.

After Kentucky seemed to be dipping their caps back into the recruitment of the 6’10 center, the Louisville faithful became nervous that another big time player could potentially go from being a Louisville lean to a Kentucky commit, a story that we’ve seen unfold 3+ times now. But as we now know, that was not even close to the case.

Igiehon spoke to 247’s Evan Daniels about his commitment, saying:

“It’s one thing to be wanted and another thing to be needed and I kind of felt like I was needed when I went on my visit. Coach Mack showed me the roster and the blueprint he had setup. When I went on my official the city embraced me and they kind of like exploded the second I was there.”

The Cards have all but wrapped up their 2019 class, which currently sits at No. 1 in the country. Although it is unlikely to stay that way, the Cards could very well finish as a top 10 or even top 5 class in the country- Not too shabby for a program that most thought was dead to rights for the next half decade.

Chris Mack and company have done everything they can to brighten the future of the Louisville basketball program, all while not even competing in a single game yet. Mack has secured six four star or better prospects in the span of just seven months.

Now, Louisville’s staff can sit back and focus on this season, and get the future players acclimated and primed to make an instant impact in 2019-20.

If Mack and his staff can hold on to this entire class, the future is pretty bright. With Aidan Igiehon as the final piece, Louisville basketball is in good hands.

GO CARDS!