Louisville women set to sign elite class

After making the program's second run to the NCAA title game, Louisville women's basketball coach Jeff Walz is set to sign one of the highest-rated classes in school history.

Wednesday kicks off the early signing period for future NCAA basketball student-athletes, and Walz hopes to sign all five of his current commitments.

"We expect to sign five this week," he said. "We are excited about the talent coming into the program."

ESPN rates Louisville's class No. 7 in the nation.

"Jeff Walz and Louisville took the momentum from a trip to the NCAA Tournament finals onto the recruiting trail and scored five top-100 prospects with major promise," ESPN noted.

The Cardinals' top-rated recruit is Myisha Hines-Allen, a 6-foot-1 wing from Montclair, N.J. Hines-Allen is a five-star recruit according to ESPN.com and is rated the No. 10 wing in the country. She is rated No. 34 overall in the ESPN Top 100 and No. 24 overall by Fullcourt.com. She picked Louisville over West Virginia and Georgia Tech.

Sydney Brackemyre, a 6-0 wing from Harveysburg, Ohio, is the No. 11 wing in the country. She is also a five-star recruit who is rated No. 36 overall by ESPN and No. 48 overall by FullCourt.com.

"All of us are ranked in the top 100 nationally so that is exciting," Brackemyre said. "I know from talking with the coaches that they are all really hard workers. And I know from keeping in contact with them that they all have great personalities.

Louisville recruits good people, and that was one of the things that drew me to commit to Louisville is that I knew I would have teammates that are going to be good for me to be around, both on the court and off."

She was the first UofL recruit to commit back in February, picking Louisville over Michigan, Dayton and many others.

"I was the first to commit," she said. "I committed in February before they beat Baylor. I committed before the tournament even started. Once they did so well, then more people wanted to come, which was great. I know that every year there are going to be great players added to our roster, so I am looking forward to the competition."

Louisville's other five-star recruit according to ESPN.com is 6-0 forward Mariya Moore from Salesian, Calif. The No. 14 wing in the nation, Moore is rated No. 43 overall in the nation by ESPN.com and No. 25 in the nation by FullCourt.com.

"A strong, athletic perimeter performer with an emerging perimeter game," ESPN analysts wrote. "(She) slashes, drives and finishes vs. contact. A workhorse on the glass, she handles and distributes in transition."

Long Beach, Calif., guard Arica Carter (5-8) is rated No. 78 overall in ESPN's top 100. A four-star recruit, she is the No. 15 guard and is described by ESPN as a "smooth, athletic combo guard" who has a "soft touch on her jumper with a confident demeanor."

UofL's other four-star recruit is 5-11 wing Ariana Freeman from Paul VI High School in Manassas, Va. The No. 23 wing in the nation, Freeman is rated No. 99 overall. She picked Louisville over Colorado, Virginia and West Virginia.

"Outside of the coaching staff being one that I immediately felt comfortable with, the fan base and atmosphere walking around campus and going to a game was out of this world," Freeman told CardinalSports.com.

Walz and the Louisville coaches will be able to officially comment on their recruits once they are signed. They are expected to sign on Wednesday, the first day of the signing period.