Louisville basketball has been in the mix for three of the top prospects in the transfer portal – Emoni Bates, Tyrese Hunter, and Isiaih Mosely. According to 247Sports, Emoni Bates is the No. 1 prospect in the portal and Tyrese Hunter is the No. 2 prospect. Bates and Hunter have both released Top 6 lists that include Louisville. Mosely, the No. 10 prospect in the portal, has been contacted by Louisville but it appears has moved forward without the Cards as a contender. It’s no secret that Louisville is in desperate need of help at the guard position. Bates, a 6’ 9” point-forward, is more natural as a secondary ball-handler. Hunter and Mosely are primary ball handlers who, along with El Ellis, would share minutes at the point guard position.
Louisville appeared to be in great position with all three of their “top” targets, but, over the last week, things have shifted. On Monday, it was reported that Tyrese Hunter would not visit Louisville but instead, visit Texas. That news was surprising to not only us but, I would think, also to the Louisville staff. Hunter’s decision to officially visit Texas [there are reports that Hunter’s visit to Texas is his “final” visit but that may not be true – we are looking into it] does not mean he is no longer considering Louisville. But it is not a good sign, especially late on in recruitment.
Despite the negative vibes with Hunter, Louisville basketball is still in a good position with Emoni Bates. On Tuesday, May 10, it was reported that Bates intends to wait to make a decision until mid-June; however, all of the momentum is still in Louisville’s favor.
Also trending: The Risk Is Worth The Reward With Emoni Bates
One thing we have learned over the last two months is that Kenny Payne has a plan. He is very patient and quiet in recruiting. That said, the list of available players is shrinking, and Louisville still needs to add multiple impact guards.
Here are a few to keep an eye on:
Tyrese Hunter
As discussed, Louisville’s hopes of landing Tyrese Hunter were negatively impacted yesterday when it was reported that Hunter would take his “last” official visit to Texas. However, Hunter has not yet ruled out Louisville, so he is still worth examining. Hunter, a Wisconsin native, and rising sophomore, is listed at 6’ 0” 178lbs. He averaged 11 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.9 assists during his freshman year and was named the Big 12 freshman of the year. Hunter led Iowa State to the Sweet 16 last season and, during the NCAA Tournament, he averaged 13 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds. Out of high school, Hunter was a consensus 4-star recruit and ranked #37 overall in the 247Sports composite rankings. Jerry Meyer, 247Sports director of scouting, provided the following evaluation of Hunter:
“Slight of build but extremely athletic. Is a dynamic scorer but also has a feel for involving teammates. Adept at using screen both with and without the ball. Shifty on the drive and a creative and acrobatic finisher, especially with the right hand. Has adequate shooting range and is a threat to shoot from behind the ball screen. Needs to become a more consistent shooter and better off the catch. Is engaged as a defender and rebounder. Size and strength are the main questions regarding his ceiling. “
Interestingly, Louisville was one of Hunter’s first offers but, despite mutual interest, Chris Mack and company were unable to get him on campus for a visit (Hunter’s recruitment took place during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic). Hunter received a number of other power 5 offers, including Miami, Georgia, UConn, Texas Tech, Arizona State, Florida, and others. Hunter ultimately committed to Iowa State and new coach, T.J. Otzelberger.
Hunter entered the Transfer Portal on April 18, 2022, and immediately drew interest from most major programs. On April 25, 2022, he released his top 6 schools: Gonzaga, Kansas, Louisville, Purdue, Tennessee, and Texas. According to reports, Louisville had an in-home visit with Hunter on April 28. Since then, Hunter has visited Tennessee and Gonzaga, and as mentioned Hunter reportedly will visit Texas this weekend. Louisville was a favorite to land Hunter, but it looks as though the Cards may be out of the running.
Isiaih Mosely
Outside of Tyrese Hunter, Isiaih Mosely may be the best guard in the portal. Mosely, a 6’ 5” 194-pound senior guard, from Missouri State, entered the Transfer Portal on April 28. Mosely has great size and is a proven scorer. Last season, Mosely averaged 20.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. In doing so, Mosely shot 50.4% from the floor, 42.7% from three, and 90.2% from the free-throw line. He’s received interest from Duke, Florida, Kansas, Louisville, Texas, and Texas Tech, amongst others. As with most non-power 5 transfers, there are legitimate questions about the level of competition against which Mosley got his numbers. Louisville has had both good and bad experiences with non-power 5 grad transfers.
On May 10, it was reported that Mosely was receiving the most interest from Kansas State, Texas Tech, Kansas, and Mississippi State.
Mosley has declared for the NBA draft and will go through the draft process before he commits. The NBA’s early-entry deadline is on May 30 and the NCAA withdrawal deadline is on July 7. If he decides to return to school, Mosley has said that he is most interested in “really, just a school that deals with pros.” That likely means he’ll end up at Kansas, where he’ll get the chance to follow in the footsteps of NCAA Champion and likely first-rounder, Ochai Abaji.
Malachi Smith, Chattanooga
A less talked about name is Malachi Smith. Smith, who started his career at Wright State, is a two-time, first-team All-SoCon selection and the reigning Southern Conference Player of the Year. Last season, Smith averaged 19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3 assists per game for the Mocs, and shot 40.7% from three. Smith’s coach, Lamont Paris, left Chattanooga after last season and took the South Carolina job. It is the prevailing view that Smith will follow his coach and join the Gamecocks. However, given the current landscape, Smith may become more of a priority target for Louisville.
Elijah Fisher – High School
Another name to follow is Elijah Fisher. Fisher, a 6’ 6” 195-pound Canadian, is a five-star shooting guard prospect in the 2023 class. Fisher is expected to reclassify to the 2022 class and has drawn interest from Louisville. In fact, Kenny Payne spent the majority of the first weekend of the live recruiting period watching Fisher, who plays for Grassroots Canada on the Adidas 3SSB circuit.
Fisher is an athletic wing who can flat-out score. Fisher has been a dominant force on the Adidas 3SSB circuit. If Louisville wants Fisher, it will have to fight off programs like Kentucky, Kansas, Texas Tech, and the pros. Many believe Fisher will skip college altogether and head to the G-League Ignite or Overtime Elite. Fisher took an official visit to Texas Tech in January but has yet to schedule any other visits.
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