Louisville basketball: Five 2021 recruits you need to know

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LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – JANUARY 25: Chris Mack the head coach of the Louisville Cardinals gives instructions to his team against the Clemson Tigers at KFC YUM! Center on January 25, 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Efton Reid – Forward/Center

Richmond, VA (Four-star)

National ranking: 20

Position ranking: 6

In a game that has become extremely perimeter-oriented, a traditional back-to-the-basket big is not something you come across often.

That’s what the Cards would be getting in center Efton Reid.

In the words of Clark Griswold’s boss’s wife, “he was a beastly, bulging man!”

Reid isn’t going to wow you with his athleticism or a super polished game. He’s just really, really big, he knows it, and he uses it really well against opponents.

No wonder nearby Virginia is after Reid extremely hard and pictures him being the future anchor down low in their system.

Reid is a David Padgett type of big. He has some post moves, he has some grittiness to him, and he is going to find ways that don’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet to help his team win.

Here’s Jerry Meyer again with his thoughts on Reid:

"Has NBA center size. Game is skill based and not athletically based. Has good footwork and touch in post. Can stretch defense to three-point line. Comfortable with the ball as a passer. Has good hands and rebounds his area. Not a big shot blocker. Positional defender inside. Needs to improve quickness to defend on perimeter."

Reid is decent on the perimeter, a la Malik Williams and Steven Enoch, but he will truly thrive as a big body in the middle. He is developing on defense, but he’s not going to be a modern big that demands shots down low in order to have an impact on the game.

To me, that makes Reid a perfect fit in Chris Mack’s four out, one in the system, and will give the Cards an opportunity until the very end.

Along with several others on this list, Reid visited Louisville this past weekend for the Virginia Tech game, doing so on an official visit. Louisville has two bigs who have developed significantly under the watch of Mack and big man specialist Mike Pegues, and while the latter could very well be a head coach next season the track record of developing bigs is what it is for a reason.

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