Trey Lyles is Louisville’s top frontcourt target
Today marks the beginning of the July live evaluation period for college coaches and Louisville’s Rick Pitino will be hitting the ground running. Coaches are only allowed a few small windows each year in which they can travel and watch players in person on the AAU circuit. Even then their contact is basically non-existent as it becomes more about showing your face and being present during certain players’ games. Really, it’s all a big game within a game, but it’s critical and those who play it the best often end up with top-ten recruiting classes. At this point we know that Pitino and his assistants will be traveling first to Philadelphia today for the Reebok Classic and then on to Indianapolis where he’ll take in the annual Adidas Invitational. Following that he’ll conclude things down in North Augusta (GA.) for the Finals of the Nike EYBL Tournament at the Peach Jam. Yesterday at a press conference, Pitino told reporters that he’s targeting two big men to round out his 2014 class. Here’s a breakdown of the top targets and all the names you need to familiarize yourself with as the recruiting season kicks into high gear.
Trey Lyles
If JaQuan Lyle was Louisville’s top backcourt target, Trey Lyles is certainly the team’s top frontcourt target. Lyle and Lyles play on the same Indy Spiece AAU team and will be participating in the EYBL Finals at the Peach Jam. Lyles injured his right ankle while practicing for Team Canada in the U-19 FIBA World Championships two weeks ago but he’s reportedly on the mend and should be back on the court starting Friday. Lyles, 6’9, 225 lbs, is a consensus 5-star player according to Rivals, Scout and 247 Sports and is rated as the first or second best power forward by all three scouting services. A supreme athlete who can post up on the blocks or step out and handle the ball and knock down 20-footers, Lyles will instantly bring an NBA-caliber skillset to whichever school lands his services. Since de-committing from Indiana last year many analysts have pegged him as a Kentucky lean, but after JaQuan Lyle’s commitment to Louisville and the fact the Cards are reigning National Champions, Rick Pitino appears to be gaining big time momentum. His final list right now includes Louisville, Kentucky, Florida, Butler and Duke.
Leron Black
If Trey Lyles is the top consensus target for the frontcourt, you have to figure that Memphis native Leron Black isn’t far behind. At 6’7 and 215 lbs, Black is a hybrid forward capable of playing both the 3 and 4. Though, according to reports from last month and those that saw him play at the NBPA camp in Charlottesville, Black did most of his damage in the paint and is more comparable to a Montrezl Harrell (though with a slightly advanced 15-foot game). And speaking of the NBPA Camp, that’s where Black made his name and really raised the eyebrows of several coaching staffs, including Louisville. Like Chane Behanan three years ago, Black made a name for himself by showing a relentless motor and a physical toughness unmatched by most of his competition. Black told Steve Jones of the Courier Journal this past weekend that Indiana and Louisville are recruiting him the hardest. He’s currently rated as a 4-star PF by 247 Sports (#35 overall), a 5-star PF by Scout (#22 overall) and Rivals (#22) and holds offers from Louisville, Indiana, Illinois, UConn, Memphis, Tennessee, Baylor and others.
Cliff Alexander
Two days ago we relayed news that Cliff Alexander will be taking an official visit to Louisville at some point during the end of the summer / early fall. While no specific date has been set, he’s made it crystal clear that Rick Pitino’s program is near the top of his list and that he’s serious about potentially playing for the Cardinals. A dominant force on the l0w blocks, Alexander cemented his status last week at the LeBron James skills academy as one of the absolute best prospects in the 2014 class. A physical bruiser with a high motor, he has a variety of post moves to throw at defenders but can also display a soft touch from 10-feet while facing the basket. Alexander is currently listed as the 4th overall player in the 2014 class according to Rivals, #2 according to ESPN’s Top 100, #6 according to Scout.com and #4 according to 247 Sports’ composite rankings.
Myles Turner
While Turner still has a long list of about 26 schools he’s currently considering, he told Jones this past weekend that he plans to trim that list to about 10 by the end of the month and Louisville is squarely in the mix. Probably the biggest mover of the 2014 class, Turner went from being ranked near the bottom of the top-100 all the way into the top-10 according to Scout (#6 overall) and 247 Sports (also #6 overall). The reasons are two-fold: one, he suffered from a severe ankle injury that kept him off the AAU circuit all of last summer which made it hard for coaches and scouts to properly evaluate him. Second, he’s just flat-out worked hard on his game and has shown rapid improvement. That improvement culminated last month when he was named by numerous scouts as the best overall prospect in attendance at the NBPA Camp in Charlottesville. His unique skillset allows him to score down low with his back to the basket as well as step out and drain three-pointers with consistency. The 6’11, 230 lb Euless, Tx. native holds offers from Louisville, Indiana, Illinois, Texas, Kansas, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, UCLA, Duke and many, many others.
Goodluck Okonoboh
A virtual lock for the annual “All-Name” team in high school or college basketball, Goodluck Okonoboh is certainly a player to keep an eye on over the next few months. At 6’10, 213 lbs, Okonoboh needs to add some bulk to his frame but his raw offensive game and already-adept defensive prowess have schools across the nation drooling. Attending the Tilton school in New Hampshire, Okonoboh played alongside recent lottery pick Nerlens Noel two years ago to form one of the best shot-blocking duos in high school basketball history. His improved play last month at the NBPA Camp and Adidas Nations helped raise his national rankings by all three major scouting services and now he’s listed as the 26th overall player by 247 Sports, 32nd by Rivals and 37th by Scout. Louisville just recently began turning up the heat on Okonoboh and he also holds offers from Duke, Syracuse, UConn, Indiana, Maryland, NC State, Cincinnati and many others. He’ll be participating in the Hoop Group event in Philly and the Adidas Invitational in Indianapolis this week.
* All photos courtesy of 247 Sports