Louisville basketball: Chris Mack extends offer to former local star

Louisville basketball has been courting a former Trinity High School star in the class of 2020 and tonight Chris Mack formally extended a scholarship offer.

Louisville basketball has had plenty of success over the years when it comes to recruiting in the state of Kentucky, and more importantly in the city of Louisville.

Whether it was Darrell Griffith, Dwayne Morton, DeJuan Wheat, Boo Brewer, Larry O’Bannon, Carlos Hurt, Quentin Snider, Raymond Spalding, and now David Johnson, Louisville basketball coaches Denny Crum, Rick Pitino, and Chris Mack have all put an emphasis on recruiting the fertile city of Louisville.

The next local product who could wear the red and black for Chris Mack is former Trinity guard Jayden Scrubb. Currently playing for John A. Logan College in Carterville, Illinois, Scrubb is being talked about as the number one JUCO player in the class of 2020 and has recently seen his recruitment take off after an incredible freshman season.

Scrubb currently holds offers from Cincinnati, Alabama, Iowa State, VCU, Cincinnati, amongst a myriad of mid-major programs, and recently picked up an offer he had been “hoping for.”

That offer was from Louisville basketball, his hometown program.

https://twitter.com/jscrubb1/status/1133526367679799296

JUCO players can be hit or miss, but for Scrubb, his game seems to be different from some of the players we’ve seen in the past.

As a freshman at John Logan, Scrubb earned major acclaim being the only freshman at any level to be named an NJCAAA First Team All-American, deservedly so. The 6’6, 220-pound wing averaged 19.5 points and 8.6 rebounds while shooting 54.9 percent from the floor and 46.4 percent from three-point range.

It’s not hard to see why Mack is coveting Scrubb in the class of 2020. Though he’s playing at the JUCO level and was only a three-star player out of high school, his game is legitimately complete all-around.

First of all, Scrubb is a lefty, which in itself makes things a tad bit more difficult for opposing defenders. He’s quick and shows the ability to get to the basketball of the dribble at will and finish above the rim using his strength. He has the size to fit the prototypical NBA two guard and displays a great a shooting touch and unique craftiness that is similar to that of Samuell Williamson.

His three ball is on the mark almost half of the time, but he is crafty in the mid-range game as well. He uses superior athleticism on the defensive end to create extra possessions and displays solid patience and timing in all facets of his game.

His freshman year was so good, that it caught the attention of those in charge of putting together the Team USA U19 invites. Of the 34 total invitees, Scrubb was the only player from the Junior College level to be invited and was one of just 14 players from the class of 2020. It’s also worth mentioning that he’ll be joining incoming Cardinal Samuell Williamson.

https://twitter.com/jscrubb1/status/1106551226634813443

Louisville should have a leg up on any other program, not just because of where he’s from originally, but because they’ve been in his ear since his senior year in high school, even though it was former Interim Coach David Padgett, not Mack who was doing the recruiting.

For the John Logan standout, he’s looking for a program who can utilize his limited time remaining at the collegiate level (he’ll have just two seasons of eligibility) and his skills the right way. He told Jody Demling of Cardinal Authority last month,

"“I am looking for a coach who understands a junior college player. As a junior college player, you only have two years to make an impact, and I want to go somewhere, where that is understood.”"

Scrubb should be a top priority for the Cards, and that’s not me being a prisoner of the moment. His all-around game, college-ready body, freshman season accolades at the JUCO level, and familiarity with the program make him a perfect fit.

This recruitment will be one to watch over the coming weeks.