Louisville basketball: 5 most intriguing recruits for 2021

Roosevelt Wheeler – Center

If Efton Reid is no. 1 on the Louisville baketball recruiting big board, Roosevelt Wheeler has become no. 1A and would provide a game-changing center for Chris Mack and the Louisville basketball program to go along with their top recruiting class already.

Wheeler has been a target for the Cards for quite some time now and as we’ve seen with other recruits, their ability to build strong relationships has them in a position to win a big-time recruiting battle.

Ranked as the 55th best player in the country and the 10th best center nationally, Louisville is recruiting with the likes of North Carolina State, Miami, Texas A&M, Georgetown, and Providence for the four-star center and find themselves with as good of chances as anyone else late in the process.

The pandemic has caused a lot of challenges with recruiting as players were unable to take visits to campuses like you’d see in a normal spring and summer and while Louisville’s staff has obviously faced those issues that’s not one thing they’ll have to deal with recruiting Wheeler. In fact, the rising senior just so happened to visit for Louisville’s win over Virginia at the KFC Yum! Center in an environment that he said “I could definitely see myself playing in down the road.”

Wheeler is a man amongst boys playing at John Marshall high school in Richmond, VA and it shows in the numbers he put up as a junior. Averaging 15.8 points and 11.9 rebounds per game Wheeler dominated and it attracted plenty of major schools attention, including Louisville, and made him one of the most sought after big men.

At 6’10, 220-pounds, Wheeler has college-ready size and has the frame to add on even more muscle in a strength and conditioning program, making his potential sky-high. He’s a great athlete who moves very well for his size, and in the modern, fast-paced college basketball style of play he’s a blossoming rim runner capable of dominating games.

Scratching just the surface of his potential, Wheeler doesn’t quite have the offensive repertoire of Efton Reid and will need help from a seasoned low-post teacher like assistant coach Mike Pegues to develop his scoring potential. However, he’ll likely thrive as an offensive rebounder and guy capable of explosive put backs, alley-oops, and other scoring plays around the rim.

Where he’ll thrive right away is on the defensive side of things, where he translates as an elite rim protector thanks to his incredibly long arms as well as a solid defensive rebounder. His athleticism and quick feet make him a great fit in the packline defense, especially as a defender capable of hedging onto smaller guards in ball screen situations.

His recruitment is ongoing and no commitment seems eminent which will allow Louisville more time to chase both him and Reid.