Louisville basketball recruiting big board: Wings, forwards, and big men
By Jacob Lane
Wing
Jay Scrubb
Former Trinity graduate Jay Scrubb has gone from a local player with a lot of potential to the top JUCO product in America with every coach banging on his door and potential NBA aspirations in a matter of a few months.
Scrubb is without question the top player on the board for Louisville at the wing position, and very well could be the number one target in the class. At 6’6 220 pounds, Scrubb dominated the JUCO level at John Logan college in 2019, catching the eyes of many Power Five coaches including Mack.
Since then, he’s tried out for team USA (the only JUCO player invited), has been talked about as the number one JUCO player in the country, received 15-plus offers, and has had discussions about jumping straight from junior college to the NBA.
Scrubb has visited campus a few times now and seems to be building a solid rapport with Chris Mack and his staff saying “Louisville is my hometown team and still at the top of my list.” Scrubb’s dad told Evan Daniels,
"“The visit was great. UofL has a crazy facility. What kid wouldn’t be wowed by the facility, and it’s home. There’s something about being home and just the love that he’s received. So many people would love to see him in that jersey with what he’s done at Trinity and with David Johnson (Scrubb’s former teammate at Trinity) being there.”"
Other programs like Memphis, Alabama, West Virginia, Oklahoma State, and plenty of others are after Scrubb and he still could hear from Duke, UNC, Arizona, Kentucky with another big season.
But honestly, it’s the NBA or Louisville to me.
Losing Scrubb to the NBA would hurt, as his college-ready game and body would be a huge addition to the 2020 class for a season that would return as many as six freshmen and several key veterans.
Can he make it to the NBA out of JUCO? Yes, absolutely, though it will be tough as no player as made that jump since Donta Smith.
At 6’6, nearly 220 pounds with a 6-9 wingspan and a 40-plus inch vertical there is nothing aside from competition at the JUCO level that would say he’s not an NBA prospect. He has lethal scoring abilities at all three levels, can get to the basket at will, is a great rebounder for his position, and still has room to improve.
For Louisville, landing Scrubb should be the top priority. Not only is he one of the most talented players in the entire class of 2020 but he is a local kid, who can be a staple of the new-look program for years to come.
Earl Timberlake
Earl Timberlake is one of my favorite players in this class and is another guy the Cards have put at the top of their board in the class of 2020.
With a mix of Darius Perry and Dwayne Sutton in him, Timberlake is a dynamite athlete with a motor that never quits. At 6’6, he’s got great size while also having the versatility to play both the two and the three on offense while also being able to guard positions one through three.
Even with his connection to coach Mike Pegues and DeMatha High School, Timberlake won’t be easy to land. He currently holds over 20 offers from programs around the country including North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgetown, Providence and plenty of others with UNC and Providence leading the way.
His game is a hand-in-glove fit for Chris Mack but with Jay Scrubb taking all the attention at the wing position momentarily, it may allow for another school to land Timberlake.
Donovan Johnson
Donovan “Puff” Johnson, the younger brother of former UNC forward Cam Johnson, is another player whose recruitment has taken off this summer. The nation’s 13 best small forward in the class of 2020 and 49th best overall has landed offers from Louisville, North Carolina, Notre Dame, and Arizona after an impressive summer on the AAU Circuit.
Johnson could very well end up reclassifying into the class of 2019 due to concerns about his eligibility for his senior season, and if that’s the case you can completely mark him off Louisville’s list unless he enrolls in January of 2020.
After Louisville offered Johnson spoke highly of Chris Mack and his staff and about the role they envisioned for him within the program. But since then the Cards have prioritized Scrubb and a few others, which means Johnson is likely to end up elsewhere.
He’s a solid shooter from outside with great length and versatility that allows him to play and guard multiple positions. His strength will need to improve, but for being at 190-pounds he displays craftiness and the ability to get to the rim as needed.
Things change daily in the recruiting world, so Johnson is definitely worth keeping an eye on if he stays in the class of 2020.
Who does Louisville land?
If he doesn’t go to the NBA I think it is a 90 percent lock that Jay Scrubb is a Card. As a program, Louisville has been after Scrubb since his days at Trinity with David Padgett serving as Interim head coach and has since carried on to Chris Mack and his staff. As his dad said “there’s something about being home and just the love that he’s received,” and his connections to David Johnson make too much sense.
Between now and signing day we’ll hear a lot of noise about other programs getting involved with Scrubb, like Memphis last week, but keep the faith. It is a two-horse race with the NBA and the Cards. Scrubb did schedule his second unofficial visit to Louisville for August, as well as an official to Cincinnati, but again – it’s Louisville’s race to lose in my opinion.
Landing a commitment and signed LOI from Scrubb will be huge, especially for the overall shape of the class, but the bigger worry will be leading up to the NBA Draft in June of 2020.