Coach Chris Mack has some very talented 2019 and 2020 players visiting UofL this week. He’s working hard to rebuild the brand and continue the tradition of UofL bringing in high level talent.
Louisville is in the midst of a huge recruiting week. Their unofficial visitors include Aiden Igiehon, Isaiah Jackson, Rocket Watts, Samuel Williamson, Patrick Williams & Kobe Brown.
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) June 27, 2018
A 5 Star and a bunch of 4 Star players will be paying or have paid visits to campus to see what UofL and Coach Mack have to offer.
Here’s a rundown of each of these players.
QUDUS WAHAB
2019 4 Star C
- Height – 6’10
- Weight – 230 lbs
- High School – Flint Hill School (Ashburn, VA) originally from Nigeria
- Offer Date – 6/23/18
- Visit Date – 6/23/18
Wahab visited UofL on June 23 and left with an offer in hand. Mike Pegues is the lead recruiter for UofL. Other schools recruiting Wahab include Syracuse, UConn, Virginia Tech, and Clemson, among others per 247sports.
A visitor to #Louisville over the weekend, Four-star big man Qudus Wahab making big strides https://t.co/ovnd44WZZr pic.twitter.com/maVO6jYpv8
— Eric Bossi (@ebosshoops) June 24, 2018
Wahab is a big body, with really good rebounding skills, and offensive skills that will translate to the Mack system.
Offensively, Wahab has good hands in the post, a nice little baby hook, and a spin move. He can bully his way to the basket and finish through contact with his strength. Wahab can get up. He can dunk standing right under the rim. Wahab appears to have a nice 10-15 foot jumper as well. He could possibly extend his range beyond the three-point line with his stroke. Already possessing good offensive capabilities, if Wahab develops a couple more post moves to go with the spin and extends that range to three-point territory, he can be near unstoppable.
However, his shot blocking prowess and rebounding make him a very valuable asset…especially in Coach Chris Mack’s system. He has a knack for finding the ball and his wingspan makes him really, really difficult to shoot over. When shot blocking, he has excellent timing, which should keep him out of foul trouble.
Wahab’s overall recruiting has picked up after a solid summer of basketball so far.
Stats:
Flint Hill School (2 Year Average):
- PPG – 8.6
- RPG – 5.8
- BPG – 1.2
2018 Under Armour AAU U17 Circuit:
- PPG – 8.4
- RPG – 9.0
- BPG – 2.6
- PPG – 8.3
- RPG – 5.4
- BPG – 0.78
- PER – 25.0
Coach Mack covets Wahab’s size, physicality, and his abilities as a rebounder and defender. With Wahab improving his offense, I’m sure Coach Mack sees the potential for him to develop into an excellent player.
MARK “ROCKET” WATTS JR.
2019 4 Star G
- Height – 6’2
- Weight -180 lbs
- High School – Old Redford Academy (Detroit, MI)
- Offer Date – 3/27/18
- Visit Date – 6/26/18
Watts was one of the players Coach Mack immediately offered after he was hired on at UofL. That should tell you how much he thinks of Watts and how much he wants him in Cardinal Red.
Watts visited UofL Tuesday, June 26th. Luke Murray is the primary recruiter of Watts for UofL. He holds offers from Michigan State, Michigan, Alabama, and UConn, among others per 247sports.
Louisville ðŸ“
— Rocket Watts (@RocketWatts) June 26, 2018
Watts is a G who can play PG or SG. He has the tools to become a great collegiate player. He is a sure-handed ball handler, an excellent passer, a really good shooter, and an athletic quick player that can get to the rim and finish.
The range on his shot extends easily into three-point territory. It’s a smooth shot, with good arc. He can hit it off the dribble or off the catch. He shows some midrange skills with his shot as well. He uses one-handed floaters as well as pull up jumpers.
Watts has good court vision and his passing skills are good. He is not afraid to pass up a shot and make the extra pass to get a better shot.
The handles Watts possesses make him a dangerous open court player. He possesses a wicked crossover and a variety of other moves to get to the bucket. When he gets to the bucket, he has good touch and is a strong finisher.
Stats:
Old Redford Academy (2 Year Average):
- PPG – 25.9
- RPG – 5.6
- APG – 5.6
- SPG – 2.5
- PPG – 25.3
- RPG – 3.8
- APG – 2.8
- SPG – 1.6
2018 USA U18 Men’s National Team :
- PPG – 6.8
- APG – 2.5
Watts is a tough CG that fits exactly the mold of player Mack wants. He can shoot, score, pass, defend, and he’s tough. It’s safe to say, Mack will be recruiting him hard til the end.
ISAIAH JACKSON
2020 4 Star F
- Height – 6’9
- Weight – 190 lbs
- High School – Old Redford Academy (Detroit, MI)
- Offer Date – 6/26/18
- Visit Date – 6/26/18
Jackson is a 2020 prospect and teammate of Watts. He’s a CF meaning he can play SF or PF. Mack will like this versatility in his 1 in, 4 out offensive philosophy.
Jackson visited UofL Tuesday, June 26th with his teammate Watts. Luke Murray is the primary recruiter for Jackson. Offers for Jackson include UConn, Florida State, and Xavier, among others per 247sports. Jackson did not have an offer from UofL, but left with one after the visit.
Blessed to say I’ve received an offer from University Of LouisvilleðŸ™ðŸ¾ðŸ™ðŸ¾ #GoCardinals🔴 pic.twitter.com/MAkQ4BrmG5
— Isaiah Jackson🌴Black Chaldean👳ðŸ½â€â™‚ï¸ (@IJackson22) June 27, 2018
It’s easy to see why Jackson was offered by UofL. He’s long, bouncy, and athletic; a proven shot blocker, a finisher around the rim, and a guy who can even handle the ball in the open court when need be.
The first thing that stands out is his wingspan and timing of his blocks. Jackson is a naturally gifted shot blocker. He can block when defending a guy one on one or by coming in from the weak side.
His length and leaping allows him to be a pretty good rebounder too. Though he’s not the biggest guy, he still loves to mix it up down low.
That leaping ability also makes him an excellent finisher around the rim. The kid loves to dunk and will dunk any chance he gets. He reminds me of Trez in that regard.
He does have a few low post moves; a spin and an up and under to name a couple. He’s patient as well, lulling a defender to sleep then hitting a move.
The last thing I noticed in his highlight was his ball handling. He possesses excellent hands which allow him to catch the ball in the post. After grabbing a rebound, he brought the ball up himself and essentially went coast to coast to dunk the ball.
Stats:
Old Redfield Academy (2017-2018 Season):
- PPG – 13.8
- RPG – 12.5
- APG – 2.3
- BPG – 8.4
- PPG – 6.8
- RPG – 5.8
- BPG – 2.2
- PPG – 5.9
- RPG – 3.4
- APG – 1.1
- BPG – 2.0
- PER – 20.4
Jackson is obviously still young, but the talent is obvious. With some of the ball handling ability he displayed, it’s easy to see him playing the PF in Mack’s system offensively and defensively. If he adds more weight to his frame, he could even play C. It’s easy to understand UofL entering the fray for Jackson. He could easily be a 5 Star and may end up there.
SAMUELL WILLIAMSON
2019 4 Star G/F
- Height – 6’6
- Weight – 180 lbs
- High School – Rockwall (Rockwall, TX)
- Offer Date – 5/1/18
- Visit Date – 6/27/18
Williamson was actually offered by UofL on May 1st, but after the offer nothing much was heard. However, Williamson visited UofL Wednesday, June 27th.
Louisville‼ï¸ðŸ“
— Samuell Williamson (@Samuell) June 27, 2018
Williamson will cut his list soon after the visits he is taking wind down per Corey Evans. He also has offers from all the Texas schools in the Power 5, Kansas, Oregon, Oklahoma, and Baylor, among others per 247sports.
Rivals150 junior Samuell Williamson schedules three visits with a cut list in mind https://t.co/Soymt1Dv0X pic.twitter.com/Hzszmmw4Qe
— Corey Evans (@coreyevans_10) June 23, 2018
Williamson would be a welcome addition. He has a great pull up midrange jumper. He handles the ball like a 6’2 G not a 6’6 G/F. His length allows him to get rebounds and be unstoppable once he gets to the rim. He’s tough and he has a good feel for the game.
His shot is sweet. His highlights seem to show he prefers to shoot off the dribble though I’m sure he’s not adverse to catching and shooting. He can hit threes, but the midrange and slashing to the basket appear to be his biggest strengths.
Williamson’s ball handling is amazing. He uses crossovers and hesitation dribbles to confound defenders and allow him to get to his spot for a jumper or get to the hoop and finish.
The athleticism he has makes him an elite finisher at the rim. If he doesn’t finish, it’s usually because he gets fouled. He can dunk or hang in the air for a lay up. This and his length let him be a good rebounder.
The passing Williamson displays is really good. To be honest, I think he could be an elite passer at the next level because of his height and ability to get in the lane and collapse defenses.
Stats:
- PPG – 12.6
- RPG – 6.4
- APG – 2.4
- PPG – 6.6
- RPG – 4.4
- APG – 1.0
- PER – 27.2
Williamson is so good, he could easily play three positions on the floor. Mack would absolutely love his versatility. He would also enjoy his savvy as a player as well as his skill. Make no mistake using the term elite to describe Williamson’s talent is not hyperbole.
KOBE BROWN
2019 4 Star SF
- Height – 6’7
- Weight – 220 lbs
- High School – Lee (Huntsville, AL)
- Offer Date – 6/11/18
- Visit Date – 6/27/18
Brown was offered by UofL back on June 11th.
Blessed to recieve an offer from the University of Louisvilleâ—ï¸ #Louisville #l1c4 #GoCards @LouisvilleMBB pic.twitter.com/OmxnlVEVIz
— Kobe Brown (@TheKobe24Brown) June 11, 2018
Brown currently holds offers from Kansas, Baylor, Florida State, Oklahoma, Auburn, and Virginia Tech, among many others per 247sports.
As you can see, it didn’t take long for him to visit the campus as he was here on Wednesday, June 27th. What’s unique about Brown’s visit is that he posted a video to his Twitter with some highlights of the visit. It’s pretty cool.
Louisville Visit Was Litty â•â—ï¸ #cardnation #louisville #l1c4 @LouisvilleMBB @VideoBoostt pic.twitter.com/jNN16iAbBH
— Kobe Brown (@TheKobe24Brown) June 28, 2018
So, what can Brown do for U…ofL? Simply put, like many of UofL’s other visitors that are similar type players, everything. He can shoot it, pass it, finish at the rim, and play some tough defense.
First thing that jumps out at me about Kobe is his strength and motor. He’s strong with the ball, able to bully his way to the basket and finish through all kinds of contact. He’s just relentless on the floor, always seems to be in attack mode. And when he attacks, it’s usually bad news for the opponent.
At 6’7, he handles the ball like a 6’2 PG; able to deftly maneuver through defenses and get where he wants to go. To pair with his ball handling, he has excellent court vision and great passing skills. It makes him dangerous on the drive because a defender can’t just play him to either pass or score.
Speaking of the ability to do both, Brown is very savvy. He knows exactly when to dish or go for the bucket. He seems to possess a high basketball IQ.
When Brown decides to go in to score, he is dang near unstoppable. He can post up smaller players and use post moves or bully moves to score. He can use his quickness and athleticism to blow by bigger players and put the ball in the hoop. He’ll dunk, he’ll use a variety of reverse layups, but he will get the ball in the basket.
His shot is a nice smooth stroke. He range easily extends to the three-point line. He can catch and shoot, he can hit nice pull up fadeaways, he can hit pull up midrange, he can use tear drop jumpers over shot blockers.
Stats:
- PPG – 9.2
- RPG – 4.1
- APG – 1.1
Kobe Brown is a prototype Chris Mack player. Versatile, big, strong, tough, and not afraid to do anything on the court. He can do a little of everything and he plays with a fire and ferocity not unlike current Cardinal Dwayne Sutton. Once again, it’s easy to see why he’s on Chris Mack’s radar.
AIDAN IGIEHON
2019 5 Star C
- Height – 6’10
- Weight – 215
- High School – Lawrence Woodmere Academy (Woodmere, NY)
- Offer Date – 3/28/18
- Visit Date – 6/28/18
Igiehon was, like Rocket Watts, one of the first offers made by Coach Mack and staff back on March 28th. Igiehon has constantly mentioned UofL in interviews. He visited Thursday, June 28th.
Igiehon is one of the top big men in the country. He is being primarily recruited to UofL by Luke Murray. Igiehon holds offers from many other schools; among them, Oklahoma, USC, IU, St Johns, and Villanova per 247sports. He just released a list of Top 10 schools and, as you guessed, UofL made the cut.
Thank you to all the schools that have put in energy, time and effort in recruiting me thus far. However from now on I will be focusing on these 10 schools. I WILL BE COMMITTING TO… #Blessed pic.twitter.com/yJl3jQh8m9
— Aidan Harris Igiehon (@aidanigiehon) June 26, 2018
Igiehon is definitely a 5 Star talent. 6’10, already has a college ready physique, a finisher extraordinaire anywhere within 5-10 feet of the rim, and is developing a nice stroke on his jumper that may extend his range to 15-19 feet. He blocks shots, he rebounds like a beast, and he likes to intimidate opponents.
Igiehon is just a man beast. Once he gets the ball down low on offense, he’s going to use a vicious spin move to get to the basket. However, he may decide to use a nice little jump hook or even a turnaround jumper. In the end, he wants to take souls with powerful dunks.
If Igiehon gets position, you aren’t getting a rebound from him. He will likely be a double-double machine once he gets solid college coaching.
An opponent that dares to bring a ball into Igiehon’s lane will often find embarrassing rejection. He loves to block the heck out of someone and let them know about it.
Stats:
2018 Under Armour AAU U17 Circuit:
- PPG – 10.4
- RPG – 6.8
- BPG – 1.2
- PPG – 3.7
- RPG – 2.2
- BPG – 0.5
Coach Mack would love to have this guy protecting the rim on defense, cleaning up the glass on both ends of the floor, and dunking on opponents. Igiehon is a potential one and done that, under Mack’s tutelage could have a very good NBA career. It appears there is a bit of a surge for the Igiehon to the Cards in 247sports Crystal Ball department.
PATRICK WILLIAMS
2019 4 Star G/F
- Height – 6’6
- Weight – 170 lbs
- High School – West Charlotte (Charlotte, NC)
- Offer Date – 4/30/18
- Visit Date – 6/29/18
Williams was offered by UofL at the end of April. The recruitment between he and UofL was quiet after the offer, but with a visit set for Friday, June 29th, the recruitment is obviously heating up.
4-star wing, top-60 prospect Patrick Williams (out of Charlotte, NC) will visit Louisville later this week https://t.co/G9PUKBF5e8
— ACCSports.com (@ACCSports) June 27, 2018
Williams is receiving a lot of interest with offers from Arizona, Florida State, NC State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and many others in addition to UofL per 247sports. Mike Pegues is UofL’s primary recruiter for Williams.
Like almost every other player UofL is in on, Williams is a 6’6 player with the versatility to play possibly three spots on the floor. He can handle the ball, he can shoot it from midrange and three-point range, and he can also pass it a little.
To me, from the highlights I have seen, Williams best attribute is his shooting. His stroke is pure and easy. He can shoot pull ups off the dribble or hit shots off the catch. He has nice arc on his shot and nice touch.
Ball handling is something you can entrust Williams with. He can maneuver through traffic well in the open floor and he can drive to the rim or get to any spot he wants for a pull up jumper.
When Williams decides to go to the rim, he can get there more often than not and he can finish. His athleticism makes him a really good in-game dunker.
Williams is an offensive force, but also has real potential defensively. He’s long, strong, and can leap. He can likely be a really good weak side shot blocker for his size and should develop into a good rebounder.
Stats:
West Charlotte High School (Career stats through last season):
- PPG – 14.5
- RPG – 6.2
- APG – 2.8
- SPG – 1.5
- BPG – 1.2
- PPG – 13.3
- RPG – 5.3
- APG – 1.5
- SPG – 0.7
- BPG – 1.1
- PPG – 7.3
- RPG – 1.6
- APG – 0.4
- PER – 21.6
Williams is a versatile, athletic, shooter. He’s strong, he’s long, he can leap, and he doesn’t give up on plays. He has the potential to be a special player under Coach Mack’s tutelage if he decides to commit to UofL in the future.
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