An Early Look at Louisville's 2024 Big Board
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - June 16 marked a big day in the men's college basketball recruiting world. It was the first day in which coaches could reach out to prospects in the Class of 2024, as previously, prospects could reach out to coaches, but not the other way around.
Louisville head coach Kenny Payne and the rest of the Cardinals coaching staff certainly took advantage of the change in the recruiting calendar. Over the last few weeks, the program has reached out to several prospects in the class, and even extended a couple scholarship offers.
The staff's activity since mid-June gives us a look as to what juniors-to-be Louisville is currently targeting and putting a priority on. Most of these recruits will not be giving verbal commits to a school for quite some time, and there are plenty of other targets Louisville is keeping tabs on, but let's take a lot at the Cardinals' top targets thus far in the Class of 2024:
*mobile users can scroll left and right on the table*
^Holds scholarship offer
Point Guard | Shooting Guard | Small Forward | Power Forward | Center |
---|---|---|---|---|
Robert Wright III^ | Isaiah Elohim^ | Amier Ali | Ayden Evans | None |
Jamari Phillips^ | Carter Bryant | |||
Cam Scott | Trentyn Flowers | |||
Karter Knox^ |
Point Guard
In the few months he has been on the job, Payne has shown that he is incredibly choosy in who he decides to extend a scholarship to. His most recent offer went out to point guard Robert Wright III in late June. He might be unranked, but the Philadelphia (Pa.) Neumann Goretti guard was a standout at the Pangos All-American Camp, and was named Pennsylvania 4A Player of the Year.
Shooting Guard
Payne has been a little more active when recruiting two guards. Both Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon's Isaiah Elohim and Modesto (Calif.) Christian's Jamari Phillips hold offers from the Cardinals, which shouldn't be a shock considering they are both top-15 prospects in the 247Sports Composite. Someone who could be on offer watch is Lexington (S.C.) HS shooting guard Cam Scott, a top-25 prospect that Louisville reached out to on the first day of the 2024 contact period.
Small Forward
Over on the wing is where the Cardinals have seemingly been the most proactive in the class. Tampa (Fla.) Catholic's Karter Knox, a top-10 prospect, is the lone small forward to hold a Louisville offer, but there are a trio of other wings who UofL is also involved in. Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon's Trentyn Flowers and Montverde (Fla.) Academy's Amier Ali - the No. 8 and No. 35 prospects, respectively - both heard from the Cardinals on the first day of the 2024 contact period, and unranked Fountain Valley (Calif.) HS prospect Carter Bryant also heard from Louisville while at the NBA PA Top 100 Camp.
Power Forward
Payne and Co. have been moreso focusing on guards and wings, but there is a big man on their radar. Top-70 Elizabethtown (Ky.) HS prospect Ayden Evans was a big target of the previous staff, and the current staff reached out to him on the first week of the contact period. Time will tell how involved this staff gets.
(Photo of Isaiah Elohim via Twitter)
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