Louisville Live at Fourth Street Live! a 'showcase event' for U of L hoops
It's time for Louisville Live.
The University of Louisville basketball program will be hosting its second annual outdoor event to kick off the season on Fourth Street Live! in downtown Louisville. It will be a chance for the U of L fanbase to meet the current team.
And it will also be a chance for the U of L staff to show off the program.
U of L coach Chris Mack said recently in an interview that last year’s event was “big for recruiting,” noting that freshman Aidan Igiehon made his unofficial visit that weekend and soon after the visit made a commitment to the Cardinals.
“It’s a great chance for us to show just how much people love Louisville basketball,” Mack said. “It’s a showcase event.”
Louisville Live is expected to be packed with the fans and will have as many as 11 men’s recruits.
JUCO All-American wing Jay Scrubb, Huntington Prep forward Jaemyn Brakefield and elite 2021 point guard Khristian Lander will be making official visits to U of L this weekend and will be in attendance.
Scrubb is making his first official visit and has also visits scheduled to Memphis and Cincinnati. He has around 20 scholarship offers and is also entertaining the notion of going into the NBA Draft after his sophomore year at JUCO.
The 6-foot-8 Brakefield had more than 30 scholarship offers before narrowing his list to 10 schools. He made a recent visit to Auburn and also has visits scheduled to Ole Miss and Michigan but said he was unsure when he would make a decision.
Lander is a five-star point guard from Evansville Reitz. Lander is ranked as the No. 17 player in the ’21 class and has a host of scholarship offers, including Indiana, Louisville, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State, Michigan, Ohio State, Purdue, Ole Miss, Tennessee and others.
He will make a visit to Indiana next weekend.
U of L will also host recent Class of 2020 offer Gethro Muscadin, who attends Aspire Academy in Louisville. U of L was the20th offer for Muscadin, who added an offer from Memphis on Monday. The 6-foot-10, 215-pound center has taken official visits to Kansas, Kansas State, and Minnesota. He also has a visit set up to Texas Tech for next weekend.
The Cardinals are also expected to host at least four elite players from each of the ’21 and ’22 classes on unofficial visits.
Silver Creek, Ind., forward Trey Kaufmann, Marshall County point guard Zion Harmon, Oak Park, Ill., Fenwick forward Bryce Hopkins and Akron, Ohio, guard Malaki Branham are all Class of 2021 visitors expected.
All four have been offered by U of L.
Kaufman is the No. 29 player in the ’21 class and is the No. 2 player in Indiana behind Lander. Harmon is considered the No. 1 player in the state of Kentucky and checks in as the No. 57 player in the class. Hopkins has a dozen offers and is ranked No. 77 in the class, while Branham is the No. 20 player in the ’21 class.
Antioch, Tenn., Cane Ridge forward Brandon Miller is the No. 14 player in the Class of 2022 and is expected to be at the event. U of L assistant coach Luke Murray was recently in to see Miller in an open gym.
Cincinnati Woodward guard Paul McMillan and Chicago Simeon forward AJ Casey are other ’22 prospects also expected to attend. Casey is the No. 26 prospect in the ’22 class, while McMillan ranks as the No. 34 overall prospect in the class.
The free, outdoor event will include team activities on a portable court placed on the covered area of Fourth Street Live! and will be held from 7-9 p.m.