Louisville Men’s Basketball lost the most highly touted commit of its 2021 class this afternoon. 4 Star F Bryce Hopkins chose to de-commit from the Cards, as first reported by 247sports Brian Snow.
Here is more on Bryce Hopkins re-opening his recruitment. Hopkins is a top 40 talent https://t.co/G63XSmFQPj pic.twitter.com/gA3GdDfURd
— Brian Snow (@BSnowND) August 9, 2020
The Chicago product was the first commit of the 2021 class for Louisville. He had committed back in November of 2019, choosing UofL over Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin.
Now, he’s back on the market and I’m sure the list of suitors will be long for the athletic and versatile player. When he spoke with Snow about why he de-committed, he made no bones about the fact the NCAA issue that has plagued Louisville for the better part of two years played into his decision. With the uncertainty of what sanctions could be levied and how long the process could be, it’s not shocking Hopkins chose to reopen his recruitment.
UofL’s 2021 class is not wrecked, however. They still have a 3-man class headlined by the number 1 JUCO player in the country El Ellis. Joining him are fast rising high school seniors G Bobby Pettiford Jr and 6’9 F Eric Van Der Heidjen. Even with the loss of Hopkins, Louisville’s class ranks 10th nationally and 2nd in the ACC according to 247sports. It’s quite remarkable the job the staff has done recruiting considering how the deck is truly stacked against them.
The coaching staff is still looking to fill out the class and they now have another spot open. It’ll be interesting to see who they target and how they close during the pandemic. Patience is going to be needed because the storm clouds over the program will definitely continue to hamper recruiting efforts.
