Louisville basketball: This 2019 commit is flying under radar for Cards

The 2019 class may be one of the best in Louisville basketball history, but Cardinals fans should pay more attention to Jaelyn Withers.

Chris Mack hauled in one of the best classes in Louisville basketball history in his first year with the Cards. The impressive group is rated almost as a consensus top 10 class, and will pair well with a veteran-filled team that will return for the 2019-20 Cards.

Every player in the incoming 2019 class seems to have their identity, too. There’s Aidan Igiehon, AKA the “Irish Hulk,” who made his impression with backboard-bending dunks and a loveable personality. Samuell Williamson is the star of the class and the next McDonald’s All-American for Louisville.

Josh Nickelberry was the first player to ever commit to the Cards under Mack during a time when the school was facing NCAA sanctions. And David Johnson is the local guy. An automatic fan favorite with a chance to be the next hometown hero.

Even Quinn Slazinski has become known as the “young guy.” The power forward out of Houston reclassified to come to play for the Cards.

Every member of Louisville’s Super Six has their “brand.” Except for Jaelyn Withers.

Withers, the 6’9,” 215-pound forward from Charlotte, has been quietly flying under the radar for Louisville since committing to the Cards in September. However, it’s time for the Cards’s least talked about commit receives the proper amount of hype.

Withers is a long, Kevin Durant-type of wing who projects well at the next level. Withers still has a lot of weight to add to his frame once he gets to Louisville, but he has a skill set that could let him see playing time right away for the Cards.

As a multifaceted wing, Withers could easily play the four for the Cards, but with some improved ball handling, he could be a matchup nightmare at small forward or even two-guard spot. Withers’s biggest strength is his shooting touch. He has a really solid shot from midrange and outside the arc.

“He’s a leader and he teaches the game to everybody- even me. He’s a 6’10” guard and he’s a special talent. He’s one of the most humble top recruits I’ve ever met in my life.”

As his game matures, Withers will be able to put the ball on the floor more and could draw a lot of attention from opposing defenses to free up Louisville’s big-time scorers.

Withers is only rated as the 124th-best player in the 2019 class by 247 Sports but had surged as high as 61st in May of 2018. His spot in the rankings began to drop after he made the move to Cleveland Heights, Ohio to train more in what he calls “college training in (his) senior year of high school.” He also played on a star-studded Team Loaded NC AAU team that featured multiple other top 100 players. As he became more focused on becoming college and NBA ready, the attention shifted away from Withers.

Whatever the case, Withers isn’t concerned about the rankings. He is concerned about becoming the best player that he can be, and felt that his best opportunity to do that was in Louisville- a place where he says is “an area with no distractions.”

“He’s a leader and he teaches the game to everybody- even me,” Withers’s teammate Nigel Martin said. “He’s a 6’10” guard and he’s a special talent. He’s one of the most humble top recruits I’ve ever met in my life.”

That humility could pay off in a big way for Withers in his first year at Louisville. With Louisville’s leading scorer and rebounder in 2018-19 Jordan Nwora on the fence about his decision to stay or leave for the NBA, there could be a lot of minutes opening up for the Cards’s remaining forwards.

Regardless of rankings and hype surrounding him, Withers could quietly be Louisville basketball‘s best pick up in the class of 2019. “I can’t be a step behind because I’m trying to be a one, maybe two-year player,” he told Cleveland.com.

If he stays on track, the sky is the limit for Withers. And maybe the guy who is one of the least talked about in his class could become a star for Louisville basketball in year one.