Louisville basketball one step closer to landing top ’21 big

Louisville basketball one step closer to landing fifth commitment?

Things have been relatively quiet on the Louisville basketball recruiting front since landing a surprising commitment from four-star wing Michael James, especially with Chris Mack and the Cards finally getting on the floor in preparation of the 2020-21 season.

Mack and staff have gotten off to a solid start in the 2021 class, despite a few high profile misses. They hold commitments from no. 1 JUCO player El Ellis, four-star’s Bobby Pettiford Jr. and the aforementioned James, as well as three star combo forward, Eric Van Der Hejiden, giving them the 20th best class nationally according to 247 Sports.

With two guards, a wing, and a forward already in the fold, there’s one glaring need remaining in the class of ’21 for Mack and company, and that’s at the center position.

Since the 2021 class began to take shape there have been two names on the board for Louisville who could easily be classified as the top target, both of them at the center position. The one who Mack has clearly centered on as “his” guy has been Richmond, VA four-star, Roosevelt Wheeler.

If you’ve read any Louisville recruiting pieces at Big Red Louie over the last six months or so, you’re probably with the 6’11, 220-pound big who 247 Sports ranks as 61st best player nationally, and the 11th best center.

The Cards have been after Wheeler for quite some time offering him shortly after the shutdown following a visit to campus (yeah those actually happened in 2020). It was on that visit that Wheeler saw one of the most electric KFC Yum! Center crowds in a game where Louisville would put their Virginia demons to sleep, knocking off the Cavaliers. Following the game he was quoted as saying “I could definitely see myself playing in down the road.”

Wheeler officially released his top five schools on Saturday morning, with a list including LSU, North Carolina State, VCU, Hampton, and of course, the Louisville basketball program.

There is still plenty of work remaining in the final race for Wheeler, especially when it comes to holding off the bag man/LSU and the growing trend of playing at the HBCU ranks. While Mack and staff have made it to a good point with the four-star center, and by all accounts have put tons of work in, Louisville has to walk away the winner from this race.

This is by far the most important year when it comes to landing a big man for Mack, as he’ll lose starting center and team captain Malik Williams at the end of the 2020-21 season, leaving him with a duo that can be classified as less than experienced in Aidan Igiehon and Gabe Wiznitzer.

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What Louisville would be getting is simple – a dynamic, athletic big man who would match the recruiting class to a t. Here’s what I wrote about his game back in July when I classified him as one of the most intriguing recruits on the board for Louisville:

"“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.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 pack line defense, especially as a defender capable of hedging onto smaller guards in ball screen situations.”"

There is no timetable or expectation of when a decision from Wheeler may come, but it seems Louisville basketball will have as good a chance as any.