Louisville basketball: Who will be next 2020 commitment?
By Jacob Lane
![DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 21: Head coach Chris Mack of the Louisville basketball program looks on during their game in the First Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Wells Fargo Arena on March 21, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 21: Head coach Chris Mack of the Louisville basketball program looks on during their game in the First Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Wells Fargo Arena on March 21, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/08aad08724107de41f6af5be935de3a6b7a086eb79197d783751a5bbdb807549.jpg)
JJ Traynor – Power forward
Bardstown, KY
One of the biggest risers across the nation in the class of 2020 has been Bardstown native, J.J. Traynor, who has also recently caught the eye of the Louisville staff,
Though he doesn’t hold an offer (yet) from Chris Mack and the Louisville basketball program, it wouldn’t be shocking to see one come soon after he visited Louisville Live, scheduled an official visit to Louisville in the first week of October according to Evan Daniels, and played pickup ball with the team this past weekend.
For those of you not familar with Traynor, who happens to be the second-best 2020 prospect in the state of Kentucky, you may be familar with his dad, Jason Osborne, who played for Denny Crum back in the early 90s.
With his official visit slated for next weekend, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Traynor receive and offer and potentially commit to the Cards right away. Considering his father’s ties to the program, and his local roots, Traynor is the perfect under-the-radar player for Mack and the Cards. We’ve seen numerous local players get away from the city or state and go on to be big-time college players, despite flying “under the radar.” For Mack and staff, recruiting local players has been and will continue to be a priority, which makes Traynor’s commitment one to watch, despite Louisville getting involved late.
Traynor still has a ways to go with the overall development of his body but as Evan Daniels wrote “Pushing 6-foot-8, Traynor has wide shoulders, a lengthy wingspan than stretches to 7-2, a standing reach of 9-1 and a 36-inch vertical. He’s thin and needs weight, but his a physical make up is oozing with potential.”
Mack has been in to see Traynor multiple times over the last few weeks and it looks to be paying dividends in his recruitment – which means a commitment soon wouldn’t be shocking.
While Louisville may have a few other guys on the board ranked higher than Traynor, who 247 Sports ranks as the 80th best player in the country and 14th best power forward, the local ties and “oozing potential” may make Traynor too good to pass up.