NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing 2021 4-Star G Jalen Warley 10 teams
By Ian Mumm
NCAA Basketball option for Jaylen Warley – Louisville Cardinals
The commitment of Bobby Pettiford Jr. to the Cardinals 2021 class has shored up a glaring need at the point guard spot. With the continued recruitment of breakout Tallahassee CC guard El Ellis, Warley’s natural fit with Louisville will likely be as an off-ball creator. Depending on future commitments for this class, as the Cardinals are still high on the list of seven top-40 guards and wings, Chris Mack is in a position to comfortably trot out a three-guard lineup in 2021.
Nonetheless, Warley will thrive in Louisville’s half-court offense. His on-court IQ makes up for a lack of elite speed and enables production off of defensive mistakes. While his ability to rebound and facilitate is unlikely to pop off the page for a program that preaches these concepts, his ability to create turnovers and extra possessions for his team is going to improve his draft stock considerably. The Cardinals ranked in the bottom 3 for steals in the ACC and the bottom 50 nationally in 2019.
Outstanding offers to top-20 prospects Harrison Ingram, Hunter Sallis, Aminu Mohammed, Matthew Cleveland, and JD Davison could complicate the lineup if a couple of these players decide to join the program as well. The benefit for Warley is Mack’s propensity to use a large rotation of guards in every game. Last season 5 backcourt players on Louisville’s roster averaged more than 20 MPG confirming Warley’s stylistic fit with the program is equaled by his chance of playing early and often.