Big Red Louie
Fansided

Three reasons top recruits should consider Louisville basketball

By Presley Meyer

LOUISVILLE, KY - FEBRUARY 19: Jordan Nwora #33 of the Louisville Cardinals goes up for a dunk during a game against the Syracuse Orange at KFC YUM! Center on February 19, 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville defeated Syracuse 90-66. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KY - FEBRUARY 19: Jordan Nwora #33 of the Louisville Cardinals goes up for a dunk during a game against the Syracuse Orange at KFC YUM! Center on February 19, 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville defeated Syracuse 90-66. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
NEW ORLEANS, LA – MARCH 31: Louisville Cardinals fans cheer on their team before taking on the Kentucky Wildcats during the National Semifinal game of the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on March 31, 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – MARCH 31: Louisville Cardinals fans cheer on their team before taking on the Kentucky Wildcats during the National Semifinal game of the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on March 31, 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

Louisville basketball has a winning tradition and a passionate fanbase

If you’re a top recruit, playing for a program that is historically great and has a supportive fanbase is a must.

Louisville basketball is a top 10 program of all-time by any metric. Among Power Five teams, Louisville is 7th all-time in win percentage. The Cardinals have been to ten final fours, won three national titles, and 23 regular-season conference titles.

Since the 1970’s the Cardinals have been among the marquee names in the sport year in and year out. Hall of Fame head coaches Denny Crum and Rick Pitino coached the Cardinals for a combined 46 years and appeared in the NCAA Tournament 37 times.

Louisville’s fans are among the greatest in college basketball. Louisville is the no. 1 college basketball TV market, and has been for over two decades, according to an ESPN study. In fact, more than double the share of people watch college basketball in Louisville than the next-closest market.

As a prospective recruit, you’d be playing on national TV more than almost anyone. As part of contract negotiations with ESPN, the newly minted ACC Network signed a 20-year agreement, signaling a boost in national attention for Louisville basketball.

In 2019-20, Louisville basketball played 14 games on national television and 13 more were broadcast on the ACC Network. That’s 14 out of 31 games that the Cardinals played on national TV. To put that into perspective, during a season with an 82 game schedule, 19 NBA teams were scheduled to play a game on national television less than Louisville basketball.

Whether at home or in-person, more fans see Louisville basketball play than nearly anyone else.

Louisville has been in the top five in the country in attendance for over two decades. The Cardinals have been in the top 10 in the nation in average home attendance every year since 1979.

As a top recruit, leaving your legacy has to be important, and at the University of Louisville, those players who come tend to stay.

Louisville is one of the largest towns in the country without a professional sports team. When you go to Louisville, you are playing in a college town with a pro sports atmosphere, and its evident from the moment you set foot on campus.

Deep tournament runs and success on the biggest stage are not only common, but they are expected. Success at the highest level, playing against the best teams in front of the biggest crowds is a guarantee when you go to Louisville.

Home/Louisville Basketball