Three reasons top recruits should consider Louisville basketball
Louisville basketball coach Chris Mack forms close bonds with players
In the new era of Louisville basketball, its difficult to start any conversation about recruiting and program development without firm mentioning head coach Chris Mack and his staff.
Mack took over a program in 2018 that was going through difficult times. The Cardinals lost their entire coaching staff just weeks prior to the 2017-18 season, and when he arrived on the scene, Louisville only had seven scholarship players on the roster.
Less than 18 months after taking over, Mack and the Cardinals sat at No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll.
“It’s one thing to be wanted and another thing to be needed and I kind of felt like I was needed when I went on my visit.”
That sort of turn-around is not only due to Mack’s coaching ability, but the relationships that he and his assistants cultivate with players. The family culture separates Louisville from the competition.
Here is what a few of Mack’s most recent signees had to say about the Cardinals coach the day they committed to Louisville:
“He was basically the lead recruiter throughout the entire process. It was the same energy every time we talked and I was kind of observing that and I decided I wanted to play for him.”
“(The bond with Coach Mack) factored in a lot. I knew what he did at Xavier and they were at top five team. I know he’s going to transfer that to Louisville, he’s at a bigger name school and he’s going to bring the same energy and the same principles and try to make everybody better. I want to be one of the guys to help him build that program.”
“I have a video of (Coach Mack), my girlfriend recorded it. He went crazy really. I guess he was at dinner with his family and said he couldn’t wait to tell everybody. He was really excited.”
“Coach Mack has been recruiting me since he was at Xavier and I saw what he did with that program. He turned them into a top 10 program in the country, competing in the NCAA Tournament. Now that he has the job at Louisville, historically with his programs, it’s just great to see what he can do in the future when he’s getting five stars and four stars and stuff like that. I see what he has been doing with Xavier players, turning them into pros or close to it.”
“It’s one thing to be wanted and another thing to be needed and I kind of felt like I was needed when I went on my visit,” Coach Mack showed me the roster and the blueprint he had setup. When I went on my official the city embraced me and they kind of like exploded the second I was there.”
“I committed to Louisville because of their togetherness,” Davis said. “With them you hear the word family a lot and that’s something that means a lot to me. I’m a family person and I’ve grown up with a family where family is of utmost importance.”
“Coach Mack is a great coach who knows what he’s doing. He knows how to develop players and push them to reach every goal they want. The support is through the roof. They made me feel love and wanted and it’s somewhere I can see myself being for the next four years.”
Mack has built and stakes his reputation on his ability to foster relationships with recruits. It’s not a charade to try to get top talent. It’s as important for Louisville basketball players to fit and want to be in Louisville as much as you are wanted.