Kenny Payne, Louisville active on the recruiting trail
Louisville's season is over. The roster turnover has begun, and the talent acquisition is in motion.
Let's recap what has transpired since last Friday:
Louisville's 2022 class exits program
Louisville brought in three 2022 recruits from the high-school ranks in Kamari Lands, Devin Ree, and Fabio Basili.
All three announced their intent of leaving Louisville on Friday, and now that the portal is open, the trio will start the process of finding new schools.
In the cases of Ree and Basili, the writing was certainly on the wall. Neither could get on the floor for a four-win team, and their departures were very much expected.
Kamari Lands showed flashes, and at times, he looked like a player who could be a building block for Kenny Payne, but both sides determined that going in different directions was the best route to go.
Lands, Ree, and Basili won't be the only players off of the 2022-2023 roster to enter the transfer portal, and I would bank on those developments to come out over the next couple of days.
Five-star Dennis Evans commits to Louisville
The first domino to fall on the side of new players coming in came on Sunday when 2023 five-star big man Dennis Evans committed to Louisville.
Our services at Rivals rank Evans as the No. 11 overall player in the 2023 class, giving Louisville its highest commitment since Samardo Samuels.
The 2023 haul featuring Dennis Evans, Kaleb Glenn, and Curtis Williams now sits at No. 10 in the Rivals team rankings.
Evans brings a shot-blocking presence that Louisville hasn't had since, probably, Gorgui Dieng.
"Evans is the best rim protector in the 2023 class and arguably the best in high school basketball regardless of class," said Travis Graf.
Having a guy like Evans around the basket will allow Louisville to pressure the ball, and will give perimeter defenders the ability to take chances.
Pair of 2024 prospects have Louisville among finalists
It feels like the fruits of Louisville's labor on the recruiting trail are here.
Trentyn Flowers is set to announce where he is going to college on Friday. The top-25 prospect in the 2024 class will choose between Alabama, Arkansas, Creighton, Kansas, Louisville, and North Carolina.
This seemed to be trending towards Creighton or North Carolina, but Louisville has surged down the stretch, and is the favorite to land the 6-foot-9 combo guard.
If Flowers does go with Louisville, the reclassification option is on the table. Flowers is 18 years old already, and is eligible to make the jump.
The other 2024 recruit that Louisville is very much in the mix for is Carter Bryant, who is down to two schools.
Bryant, following an official visit to Arizona, has narrowed his list of finalists to Arizona and Louisville. While the west-coast recruit has been linked to the Wildcats for some time, Louisville assistant Nolan Smith has a very close relationship with Bryant, and Louisville has a live shot at landing him.
For more on Louisville's chances with Bryant, click here.
Illinois transfer Skyy Clark will visit Louisville
The one-time Kentucky commit, and former Illinois guard entered the transfer portal on Monday, and has quickly scheduled a trip to the Derby City.
Clark will be in Louisville tomorrow, Tuesday, for a visit, and the anticipation is for the 6-foor-3 guard to make a decision shortly there after.
Arkansas has been in contact with Clark, but as it stands at this moment, Louisville is the likely landing spot.
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