Big Board: U of L's top 2016 recruiting targets
The second live recruiting period in April is over, and Louisville's list of prospect targets for the Class of 2016 has taken shape.
First, let's run through the 15 or so Class of 2016 prospects who Louisville is chasing, then we'll get to each story you missed from this past weekend's coverage of AAU events in Indianapolis, Lexington and Louisville.
The list of players below is not in any particular order other than position, though we've listed Maverick Rowan first because he is clearly Louisville's top recruiting priority, and he is still working on reclassifying to the 2015 class. See the "Maverick Rowan" section down in our related links area at the bottom of this post for more on his story.
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Louisville will have two scholarships open back up for the 2016 class once Damion Lee and Trey Lewis, two graduate transfers, move on after this season. There is still an open scholarship for the 2015-16 season, which is what Louisville is trying to fill with Rowan. If Rowan doesn't reclassify and sign with Louisville, the Cardinals will likely sit on the scholarship and instead have three slots for the 2016 class.
What does Louisville need in 2016? The Cards will have four perimeter players on the roster -- Quentin Snider, Donovan Mitchell, Deng Adel and Ryan McMahon. If they do get Rowan, the strategy could change. That would give them a fifth wing, and a really good one at that, and it would mean that the two open 'ships could go to simply the best players available. If they don't get Rowan in this class, they'll want to fill at least one with a perimeter scorer.
THE 2016 BIG BOARD
MAVERICK ROWAN
Position: Wing. Size: 6-6, 190. Scout.com national rank: 30. Has U of L offered? Yes. Official visit: March 7. Also considering: Wisconsin, North Carolina, Florida, NC State.
Like we said above, Rowan is the top priority right now for Louisville, and the Cardinals are closely monitoring the Florida native's push toward reclassifying. He is a top-level scorer from the wing, with good shooting range and a soft touch. The biggest knock on his game is his lack of quickness and athleticism, but recruiting analysts say Rowan makes up for that in several other ways. He averaged 15 points and made 7 of 11 3-pointers in four games at the adidas Uprising event in Dallas, then averaged 21.5 points a game in four contests at the Nike EYBL event in Lexington.
More on Rowan:Rowans exploring one final avenue toward reclassifying
LEAD GUARDS
DENNIS SMITH JR.
Size: 6-2, 180. Scout.com national rank: 5. Has U of L offered? No. Also considering: North Carolina, Florida, NC State, Duke, Kansas, others.
An explosive lead guard who can play both guard spots, Smith is one of the nation's most coveted prospects. He has incredible leaping ability and can create off the dribble essentially at will. He is a streaky shooter and can be prone to shooting droughts, as we saw on Saturday in Indianapolis, and he sometimes trusts his athleticism too much, which leads to turnovers, but make no mistake about it: Smith is an electric prospect. Many recruiting folks believe Smith will lean toward one of the Tobacco Road schools, though U of L's Kenny Johnson has made in-roads there. Smith is friends with former U of L guard Terry Rozier.
More:Top 2016 PG Dennis Smith Jr. talks friendship with Terry Rozier
MARKELLE FULTZ
Size: 6-3, 170. Scout.com national rank: 34. Has U of L offered? Yes. Unofficial visit: Oct. 13. Also considering: Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Penn State, Virginia and many others.
A wiry, long-armed guard, Fultz is not afraid to stop and pop from 25 feet, or try to blow by his man and get into the lane. He's a creative guard and is the kind of assertive player who, like Dennis Smith Jr. and Quentin Goodin, could play a role similar to the ones Terry Rozier or Russ Smith had at U of L. He is a D.C.-area kid. Johnson is recruiting him.
More:From JV to must-see, Fultz is a rising star
QUENTIN GOODIN
Size: 6-3, 175. Scout.com national rank: 74. Has U of L offered? Yes. Unofficial visit: Several. Also considering: Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State, Texas, Xavier and Western Kentucky.
An athletic guard from Taylor County High, Goodin is a defensive force. He is considered the best player in the state in the Class of 2016 for good reason. On offense, Goodin is at his best driving the lane and creating off the dribble.
More:Goodin taking wait-and-see approach to recruiting
ERIC HESTER
Size: 6-3, 170. Scout.com national rank: Unranked nationally, but 24th-ranked shooting guard. Also considering: Florida, Virginia Tech, among others.
An AAU teammate of top-25 prospect Dewan Huell, Hester is a really quick, aggressive and effective defender on the perimeter. He is comfortable picking up fullcourt or meeting his man at halfcourt and defending him the whole way. He is another really impressive athlete with long arms. His inconsistent shooting is an issue that could keep him from rising up U of L's board, though he has met with Rick Pitino and Mike Balado.
ALTERIQUE GILBERT
Size: 6-1, 170. Scout.com national rank: 47. Has U of L offered? Yes. Also considering: Connecticut, Illinois, Miami and many others.
A really quick guard from Georgia who impressed this weekend in Lexington, Gilbert just recently picked up a U of L offer. He's been an electric scorer on the EYBL circuit, averaging 14.5 points a game, and he's seemingly limited his turnovers (12 in eight AAU games), which is typically considered his biggest flaw.
More:4-star PG Alterique Gilbert draws comparisons to U of L guards
WINGS
TYUS BATTLE
Size: 6-6, 195. Scout.com national rank: 10. Has U of L offered? Yes. Official visit: April 19. Also considering: Connecticut, Duke, Notre Dame, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio State and Syracuse.
Great athleticism and versatility make Battle one of the top prospects in the nation. He can shoot it from anywhere. Battle took official visits to Duke and Louisville just before the second live period, and held an in-home meeting with Syracuse, too.
VJ KING
Size: 6-7, 190. Scout.com national rank: 12. Has U of L offered? Yes. Official visit: Planned for May 19. Also considering: Connecticut, Georgetown, Ohio State and others.
King moved from Ohio to the D.C. area and plays for U of L assistant Kenny Johnson's old AAU program, Team Takeover, and at Paul VI High, where Johnson was an assistant coach. So, there are two connections. He is a scoring wing who averaged 15 points over his first five games on the EYBL circuit this month. He's shooting 48 percent, which is strong for a perimeter player. His first official visit is set, and it's to Louisville. That's a big deal for the Cardinals.
More:5-star wing VJ King sets Louisville official visit
TERRANCE FERGUSON
Size: 6-6, 185. Scout.com national rank: 6. Has U of L offered? Yes. Unofficial visit: Dec. 2. Also considering: Baylor, Kansas, Arizona, Arkansas, Texas, Texas A&M, Alabama, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and many others.
Only two other prospects on this list are rated higher than Ferguson -- Dennis Smith Jr. and Josh Jackson -- but the Dallas native may be Louisville's best shot at signing a top-10 recruit. The Cards are in good position with Tyus Battle, too, and both players (or their parents) have raved about their visits to Louisville. Ferguson is a big-time shooter, with nice athleticism and size to match, but he's working this summer on improving his ball-handling and driving, which will help him expand his offensive game.
More:2016 wing Terrance Ferguson raves about U of L visit
JOSH JACKSON
Size: 6-7, 185. Scout.com national rank: 2. Has U of L offered? Yes. Also considering: Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky and many others.
Landing Jackson would be a big-time accomplishment for Louisville because he may end up being the top prospect in the 2016 class. He has tantalizing athleticism and has great size for a small forward, wing-type. He is a streaky shooter, but that doesn't come close to weighing down his potential, which is obviously through the roof.
RAWLE ALKINS
Size: 6-5, 200. Scout.com national rank: 33. Has U of L offered? Yes. Also considering: St. John's, Villanova, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Texas and many others.
A physical, confident wing, Alkins is at his best with the ball in his hands, creating off the dribble. He goes right at defenders and looks to create. He has a fun personality, which fits him well as a New York City kid. Alkins doesn't expect to make any decisions before the spring of his senior year, which means this will be one of the longer processes in this class. He is an AAU teammate of another top 2016 guard, Mustapha Heron.
STRETCH FOURS
ARIC HOLMAN
Size: 6-10, 198. Scout.com national rank: 94. Has U of L offered? Yes. Unofficial visit: Several. Also considering: Auburn, Cincinnati, South Carolina, Texas and Xavier.
A long, wiry forward who spends a lot of time on the perimeter, Holman is another kid with tantalizing potential. He is planning to spend the 2015-16 year at Hargrave Military Academy with the goal of adding 10-15 pounds to his frame, though South Carolina is pushing hard for him to enroll this summer.
More:Owensboro big man Aric Holman talks recruiting, prep school
DEWAN HUELL
Size: 6-9, 200. Scout.com national rank: 21. Has U of L offered? Yes. Also considering: Florida, FSU, LSU, Maryland, Miami, Notre Dame, South Carolina, UNC and USF.
Huell is an intriguing prospect as a 4. He can hit a mid-range jumper. He is really fun to watch in transition. He blocks shots and dunks with power. He wants to get stronger and add some skills to his game, particularly handling and passing, but Huell clearly has a ton of potential.
More:2016 big man Dewan Huell impresses in final game
POST MEN
ABDUL ADO
Size: 6-10, 215. Scout.com national rank: 23. Has U of L offered? Yes. Unofficial visit: March 7. Also considering: Memphis, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, among others.
Ado called Louisville a "dream school" and came up for the Virginia regular-season finale. The Tennessee resident is considered one of the best -- if not the best -- shot blockers in the class, and he is a proficient rebounder. The knock on Ado is that he is extremely raw on offense.
EDRICE ADEBAYO
Size: 6-9, 230. Scout.com national rank: 17. Has U of L offered? No. Also considering: East Carolina, Kansas, Maryland, Memphis, NC State, UNC, Wake Forest and West Virginia, among others.
Adebayo's nickname, Bam, couldn't be more fitting. The guy can be a monster inside. He is a force on both ends of the floor. He won't consistently score from post-ups, but he'll do just about everything else in and around the paint. He is AAU teammates with Dennis Smith Jr., which makes for a fun duo to watch.
LINKS
Here are all the Louisville-related links from this live period weekend in Indianapolis, Lexington and Louisville, with a few more to come in the next few days.
Maverick Rowan
2016 wing Maverick Rowan: Reclassifying efforts 'aren't going too well'
Rowan's move to Nike nothing to do with recruiting, his dad says
Rowans exploring one final avenue toward reclassifying
Friday
Taylor County's Quentin Goodin feeling out process, trusts U of L
Owensboro big man Aric Holman talks recruiting, prep school
Saturday
5-star wing VJ King sets Louisville official visit
Top 2016 PG Dennis Smith Jr. talks friendship with Terry Rozier
Sunday
2016 wing Terrance Ferguson raves about U of L visit
4-star PG Alterique Gilbert draws comparisons to U of L guards
2016 big man Dewan Huell impresses in final game
Video interviews
Full video clips of The C-J's interviews with U of L prospects