Louisville Basketball: Both top-50 recruits de-commit from the Cardinals
September 27, 2017 will go down as a turning point in Louisville basketball history. One that will alter the direction of the program for years to come.
After the FBI came out with allegations of corruption within the Louisville basketball program, things have changed in a hurry. It’s the second high-profile scandal in just a few years, prompting a “clean the house” effort by the administration. Both head coach Rick Pitino and athletic director Tom Jurich will not be with the program anymore. Unfortunately for Cardinal fans, they weren’t the only ones to leave.
In a not-so-surprising move, both of the school’s 2018 commits, Courtney Ramey and Anfernee Simons have left within hours of the double dismissals. Combine this with likely Brian Bowen’s banishment from the program and Louisville is back to the drawing board.
Ramey was the No. 37 ranked prospect in 2018 and considered one of the top point guards in the class. He originally chose Louisville over Florida, Creighton and Iowa State. Each team has a need for a point guard in 2018, so this will be welcomed news for those programs.
Five-star PG Courtney Ramey just decommitted from Louisville, his father, Terrell Ramey, tells Scout | Story: https://t.co/l7K2wnLV2b pic.twitter.com/xtUGSS1Udb
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) September 27, 2017
The big one though is Simons, the No. 12 recruit via 247Sports. The 6’3″ guard is an elite scorer and would’ve given Louisville a scorer the likes they haven’t seen in a while. He chose Louisville over Florida, LSU, and Memphis, so the Gators may be the biggest winners from this ordeal. Florida could easily become the favorite as the top program remaining from his original recruitment. Simons announced his decision via his Twitter page:
A couple of other targets for 2018, Romeo Langford and Moses Brown, haven’t officially dropped Louisville from consideration but likely will choose other options.
Right now, Louisville needs to worry about finding a new coach, deal with the players on the roster who may transfer, and brave for the worst in impending sanctions from the NCAA. This may not be rock bottom just yet, but it’s sure getting close.
Next: Rick Pitino out at Louisville
This is a major developing situation for the entire college basketball landscape, so be sure to keep up with the latest news here. Even if your favorite school isn’t in the conversation, maybe they can swoop in and add some new recruits.