U of L signee bios: Adel, Mitchell, Spalding
A look at the University of Louisville basketball team's three verbal commitments leading into the fall signing period. Each of them is rated five stars by at least one major recruiting website, and the class is generally regarded as the third-best in the country, behind Arizona and Texas A&M.
DENG ADEL
Position: Small forward
Height: 6-7 Weight: 190
School: Victory Rock Prep, Bradenton, Fla.
Club team: Florida Elite
Rankings: ESPN – 30, Scout – 18, Rivals – 50, 247Sports – 33
Commmitment date: July 14, 2014
Lowdown: Adel is a native of Sudan who moved to Australia as a young boy, then moved to the United States as a high school junior to learn the American game and become a recruiting prospect. He has the same coach and mentor, Loren Jackson, as U of L sophomore Mangok Mathiang, who took the same three-continent route to play college basketball, and the previous relationships of all those parties helped the Cards become an early player for Adel. He showed great versatility as an athlete, defender and open-court player during the spring AAU season and shot up recruiting rankings.
Analyst's take: "I don't know if there's anything that he's great at, but he's good at everything. I think he'll be a great piece for Louisville on the wing. I like the way he passes, handles the ball, scores in transition. … He's that kind of glue type player." – Jerry Meyer, 247Sports.com
DONOVAN MITCHELL
Position: Guard
Height: 6-3 Weight: 200
School: Brewster Acad., Wolfeboro, N.H.
Club team: The City
Rankings: ESPN – 38, Scout – 21, Rivals – 31, 247Sports - 29
Commitment date: Aug. 7, 2014
Lowdown: Mitchell was considered a fringe top-100 player until the July evaluation period, when he showcased improved shooting and dynamite offensive skill to complement a powerful, athletic body that could belong to an NFL running back. U of L and a host of other major schools began recruiting him hard as he ascended to five-star territory, and the Cards' style of play was attractive to Mitchell immediately. U of L got him just a few weeks after offering a scholarship.
Analyst's take: "Donovan Mitchell is a strong, tough, athletic guard who can fill a variety of roles. He excels off the ball as a driver. He's an improved shooter, a terrific on-the-ball defender, but he's also a guy who really passes the ball, and I think they may tinker with him on the ball at times." – Evan Daniels, Scout.com
RAYMOND SPALDING
Position: Power forward
Height: 6-10 Weight: 200
School: Trinity, Louisville
Club team: The Ville
Rankings: ESPN – 52, Scout – 40, Rivals – 39, 247Sports – 22
Commitment date: July 20, 2014
Lowdown: Spalding blossomed as a game-changing, above-the-rim player on both ends of the court as a junior at Trinity, where he helped the Shamrocks to the state semifinals. He has nice, improving skills on offense to go with exceptional length, foot speed and leaping ability. He helped The Ville to the AAU national championship at Freedom Hall just days after his commitment and surged in the recruiting rankings. Spalding is a top contender for 2015 Mr. Basketball honors.
Analyst's take: "I just love his upside. I think he could turn out to be a tremendous player, an NBA-caliber player down the line. … He does need to get stronger and maybe a little tougher, but I just love what he could become." – Jerry Meyer, 247Sports.com