Louisville basketball fans are locked in for a few recruits at the moment, but the glaring No. 1 priority for the fans is the nation's No. 1 overall recruit and Louisville native, Tyran Stokes. The 6-foot-7, 225-pound forward is a dominant player who has already won three gold medals with Team USA and has been the consensus No. 1 overall recruit in the cycle for a long time now.
Louisville was once the dominant favorite after earning the first visit, but since Kentucky and Kansas have joined the party, it seems like Louisville may have fallen behind. Well, with all eyes on Stokes after he announced his final five, the Cardinals fans are hoping to regain the lead, but 247Sports just logged a Crystal Ball prediction, and Louisville fans are bracing for the worst now.
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247 Sports logged their first Crystal Ball prediction
Recently, Stokes signed a deal with Nike, giving Oregon and Kentucky a slight edge over Louisville and Kansas. The Wildcats and Ducks are Nike-sponsored schools, while the Cardinals and Jayhawks are Adidas-sponsored schools.
Well, the news gets worse for Louisville fans, as 247Sports logged a Crystal Ball prediction for Stokes, and it is the worst-case scenario. The recruiting website predicts that the Kentucky Wildcats will steal the No. 1 recruit right from Louisville's backyard, making Cardinals fans outraged if this truly happens.
Throughout Stokes' entire recruiting process, Louisville fans have made it clear that they want him to be a hometown hero and the face of Louisville, but Stokes might play the villain card instead and commit to the Cards' biggest rival. This isn't the first prediction the Wildcats have earned, as On3 Sports' Jamie Shaw also predicted Kentucky to land Stokes over Louisville, making the Cardinals' face grow more anxious.
Many believe Stokes' commitment date will be sooner rather than later, and with experts starting to log predictions, all signs point to him committing to Kentucky. Cardinals fans are beginning to accept the reality that the Louisville native might not commit to the Cardinals, but instead will commit to their in-state rival, the Kentucky Wildcats.
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For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.