Louisville Report

Class of 2021 forward Eric Van Der Heijden commits to Louisville

The Millbrook HS wing becomes the fourth commitment for the Louisville men's basketball program in the 2021 recruiting cycle.

Matthew McGavic

The University of Louisville men's basketball program continues to remain hot out on the recruiting trail, as four-star Class of 2021 forward Eric Van Der Heijden announced Friday that he has committed to the Cardinals.

The Raleigh, NC native had recently included Louisville in his Top 10 schools, and chose them over Iowa, Wake Forest, Texas, Providence, Ole Miss, Maryland, Marquette, Clemson and Cincinnati.

This was a recruitment that escalated extraordinarily quickly. Van Der Heijden was only extended an offer by Louisville back on June 18, and named the Cards in his top schools less than two weeks later.

A 6-foot-9 and 205-pound prospect, he is the No. 3 player in the state of North Carolina and the No. 72 player in the Class of 2021 according to 247Sports' in-house rankings.

Calling Van Der Heijden versatile would be an understatement. He passes incredibly well, has solid agility and also shoots the ball at a high caliber. Of course with his frame, he also nabs his fair share of rebounds and is a good finisher down low in the post.

In his junior year for Millbrook, he averaged 12.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists. 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game over 24 games played. He also shot 46% from the field, 45% from three-point range and 75% from the free throw line.

Following Van Der Heijden's commitment, the Cardinals now sport a four-man '21 recruiting class. He joins point guards Bobby Pettiford Jr. & El Ellis and small forward Bryce Hopkins. It's a class that ranks as high as No. 4 in the nation according to Rivals.

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Matthew McGavic
MATTHEW MCGAVIC

McGavic is a 2016 Sport Administration graduate of the University of Louisville, and a native of the Derby City. He has been covering the Cardinals in various capacities since 2017, with a brief stop in Atlanta, Ga. on the Georgia Tech beat. He is also a co-host of the 'From The Pink Seats' podcast on the State of Louisville network. Video gamer, bourbon drinker and dog lover. Find him on Twitter at @Matt_McGavic

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