Trinity's Ray Spalding gets offer from Cards

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Trinity High School power forward Raymond Spalding received a scholarship offer from the University of Louisville on Wednesday during a 30-minute meeting with coach Rick Pitino while on a campus visit.

Spalding, who at 6 feet 10 is ranked No.65 in the Class of 2015 by Scout.com and a top contender for Kentucky Mr. Basketball next year, said before Wednesday night's Kentucky Junior-Senior All-Star scrimmage that he grew up a UofL fan and considers the scholarship offer a blessing, one that took him by surprise.

"Coming to me, a hometown kid, it's just great to have that under my belt," Spalding said. "… (Pitino) mentioned to me that I'm a great player and that I get better every game, and having him as my coach, he could develop me into a player that could be great and be an NBA player. He let me know that I have a scholarship from Louisville. ... He added: 'It's great, and it's also exciting.'"

Spalding was one of four high-profile recruits at UofL on Wednesday, joining 2015 prospects Deng Adel, a five-star wing from Bradenton, Fla., and Bryant Crawford, a four-star point guard from Washington, D.C., and 2016 Apollo High shooting guard Eli Wright.

UofL's offer placed the Cardinals firmly in Spalding's top five college choices, along with Indiana, Xavier, Clemson and Vanderbilt.

He plans to visit IU on June 21.

Wednesday's meeting was Spalding's longest conversation with Pitino.

"He's a great guy, a great coach, and he really loves what he's doing at that program," Spalding said. "He's one of the best coaches out there."

Spalding, who was accompanied on his visit by Trinity coach Mike Szabo, said he gave no consideration to making an immediate commitment to UofL, and Pitino didn't push for one. He said he would like to wait until after his senior season to make a college decision.

Spalding, an explosive player who can finish above the rim and block shots but also has the skill to drive the ball, sees UofL as a good fit.

"They're starting to recruit a lot of long, athletic big guys who not only play the small forward, power forward or the center position (solely), but they do a little bit of inside and outside work," he said.

Jax Levitch, Spalding's teammate at Trinity and a Junior All-Star and brother of UofL walk-on guard David Levitch, said he thinks the the Cardinals' offer impressed his friend.

"I really think he wants to go there," Levitch said. "That's who he always talks about, and he's a home boy, a momma's boy. I think he likes that a lot."

Indiana is strongly pursuing Spalding, and he said his relationship with coach Tom Crean is strong. They spoke before Wednesday's game.

"I can honestly say that's one of my best friends now," Spalding said. "… He tells me what I need to do each game and how I should play and how intense I should be."

Wright, the Apollo junior-to-be, said his trip to UofL was a good one, and he was able to play pickup games with some of UofL's current players.

"(Pitino) told me that he was interested and that I stood my own playing with his players," Wright said.

Pitino invited Wright to rejoin the Cards for more pickup games on another visit, and he plans to be back in a couple weeks.

Wright doesn't have an offer from UofL, but said "it would mean a lot to me" if one comes.

"It's such a great program, and the environment is just comfortable," he said. "The visit today made me like them that much more."

Loren Jackson, Adel's guardian and coach at Victory Rock Prep in Bradenton, Fla., confirmed that Adel would visit UofL. A 6-7 Sudanese native who grew up in Australia before coming to Victory Rock last season, Adel has emerged as an elite prospect in his one year in the U.S. Adel, who also has a UofL offer, went from unheralded to the No.18 ranking nationally by Scout after a strong spring.

As for Crawford, he didn't have an offer from the Cardinals oentering the visit, but it would be no surprise if he gets one soon.

Steve Jones can be reached at (502) 582-7176 and on Twitter at @SteveJones_CJ.