One of UofL’s prized recruits from former coach Chris Mack’s last class before he and the university parted ways is officially a Card. Class of 22 4 Star prospect Kamari Lands inked his Letter of Intent with the program.
✍️ It’s 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟! Welcome to 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲 @iso_marii!
— Louisville Basketball (@LouisvilleMBB) April 29, 2022
📝: https://t.co/8s0YA498lO#GoCards pic.twitter.com/HofAwHVsRH
The 6’8 195 lbs guard/forward originally committed to UofL on New Year’s Day of this year. Once Mack had left the program, people wondered if he would stay committed as he had offers from national champ Kansas, Texas Tech, Syracuse, and home state university Arizona State, among others. He stayed committed throughout the coaching search and after Coach Kenny Payne was hired, he reaffirmed his commitment. Today, he made it official and he will become a key player on Coach Payne’s first squad.
Lands had a monster year for his high school Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix, AZ. In 14 games, he averaged 33.5 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 2.8 apg, 2.5 apg, and 2.3 bpg. He shot 55-percent from the field, 57-percent from the arc, and 80-percent from the foul line.
Lands will bring high level athleticism and shooting to the Cards. He’s a good ball handler for his size so he likely can play the 2 or 3 for Coach Payne. As a shooter, he’s deadly from beyond the arc. Behind the arc, he utilizes a variety of step back shots, rhythm dribble pull ups, and pull ups in transition. He can also be a spot up shooter from three as well.
In the mid-range, he can get to his spot via dribble and hit nice pull ups and fadeaways. Lands can also get to the bucket and he will finish with dunks quite a lot. He’s also got a nice little baby hook when forced to post.
As a defender, he is long and versatile and should be able to guard multiple positions. His length and athleticism should allow him to get blocks as a help defender and he should be able to be a terror in passing lanes. His high school stats bear some of this out.
A lot of what Kamari Lands brings is what was missing on last year’s team: shooting, potential as an elite defender, and the ability to slash to the rim. He will likely need to continue to improve his ball handling, but his skill and size make him a true blue chip talent that could become special under Coach Payne. Lands is now one of the cornerstones of Coach Payne’s first recruiting class and squad. If he develops as many think he will, he has true NBA potential.
Below is the press release from UofL announcing Kamari Lands’ signing:
Press Release From Louisville Athletics:
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kamari Lands, a 6-8, 195-pound forward from Indianapolis, Ind. who played last season at Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix, Ariz., has signed a national letter-of-intent to continue his playing career and education at the University of Louisville.
“Kamari is a very talented forward who has a gift of putting the ball in the basket,” said UofL Head Men’s Basketball Coach Kenny Payne. “While he can score, he is a complete player who can also really rebound and pass as well. He’s a high character young man who is all about winning.”
Lands averaged 33.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.5 steals per game and shot 55 percent from the field as a senior in 2021-22 for Hillcrest Prep, which posted a 31-3 record and was ranked No. 20 in the final 2022 USA Today Sports Super 25 high school basketball rankings.
Lands is ranked as the No. 39 player in the nation the 2022 ESPN 100, No. 47 in the 247Sports Composite rankings, and No. 81 by Rivals.com. Lands will participate in the 2022 Iverson Classic All-American Game on April 30in Memphis, Tenn.
He averaged 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists during his junior year at Prolific Prep in Napa Valley, Calif., which posted a 30-7 record in 2020-21. He played his freshman and sophomore seasons at La Lumiere School in La Pointe, Ind.
Lands chose to attend Louisville after also considering Arizona State, Syracuse, Kansas and DePaul. He announced his verbal commitment to Louisville on Jan. 1. He becomes the second new addition to the Cardinals this year, joining Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, a 6-10, 245-pound forward from Clarksville, Tenn. who played as a freshman last season at the University of Tennessee.
*stats courtesy of MaxPreps
