Rick Pitino got an early start last August in the Class of 2014 when Snider picked the hometown Cardinals and this could be just the beginning for the Cardinals landing local talent. Snider’s travelling team is the Louisville Magic They are coached by former Card Ellis Myles who was coach Pitino’s outstanding project. Snider’s early commitment, from a team with other highly regarded developing prospects is good for the Cardinals. The Magic have a great bunch of young talent on their roster and Snider, while being a contributor isn’t the best player on the team. That honor belongs to potential Top 25 prospect DeAngelo Russell. When the time comes the line for Russell’s services will be deep and it’s likely that the Snider commit and Magic connections will help put Louisville right in the middle of that race.
Snider exhibit signs of being a high-level point guard prospect. He’s quick and makes good decisions on the break, and does show some shooting range.

Shaqquan Aaron (RAINIER BEACH H.S. – SEATTLE, WA)

Aaron a 6-foot-5 point guard that can handle the ball and can shot light outs. People are already comparing him to a young Kevin Durant with his size and length and his ability to shot and drive to the hole. Aaron has all the physical gifts to be a high-level player. If he is willing to work hard on developing his game at both ends of the floor and stay humble as he grows as a player, his potential is immense.

Top Targets:

DeAngelo Russell (MONTVERDE ACADEMY – LOUISVILLE, KY)

There is no doubt in my mind that Russell is the biggest target for Pitino and staff for the 2014 class. As mentioned above Russell is a local guy who plays on the AAU squad Louisville Magic. He is teammates with Snider and I believe this will go a long way in helping the staff get him in a Louisville uniform. He is one of the elite wings in the 2014 class. The 6-3 combo guard has made a big name for himself and he is on the radar of many schools. Some have mentioned that he may be the best prospect the city of Louisville has seen since Rajon Rondo. He is a solid overall athlete, has exceptional vision, a strong basketball IQ and is an impressive passer. He also possesses a very quick release and deep range on his jump shot. Russell had an unofficial visit with Snider to the campus but nothing official. Russell is expected to cut his list at the end of summer and I think he will be receiving several visits from Coach Pitino before then.

Trey Lyles (ARSENAL TECHNICAL H.S. – INDIANAPOLIS, IND)

Lyles is another top-level priority for Coach Pitino and his staff. So much so that Rick himself has taken on the role as Lyle’s primary recruiter and just moments after winning his second national title he whipped out his cell phone and sent a text to Trey in hopes of giving the Cards some recruiting momentum for the five-star prospect. Trey and his father have mentioned that they are in no hurry to make a decision and will visit several schools in the next several months. He had a terrific junior season and Lyles has all the ingredients for stardom. He is skilled and productive for a young player. He has to be considered amongst the top 5 players in the 2014 class nationally right now. Lyles is good now but according to most recruiting sites has an even better upside.

Jalen Lindsey (CHRIST PRESBYTERIAN ACADEMY – FRANKLIN, TENN.)

Jalen like D’Angelo and Trey is another recruit that seems to be of top priority to the Louisville coaching staff and Coach Pitino. Lindsey has been compared to a former Pitino player Ron Mercer. According to those close to Lindsey he is on that track, but he’s just a sliver behind. He continues to impress scouts with his work ethic and his willingness to be great, not just good. He’s always played in the post, so now he’s working diligently on his ball handling and getting comfortable on the perimeter. He’s learning to guard on the perimeter, getting through ball screens and doing the types of things to take his game to the next level. Jalen has great form on his outside shot, but reportedly has to work on his consistency. His biggest area to work on going forward is adding muscle/weight, which many elite prospects have to do at this stage of their careers. Scouts also note that he needs to work on his ball handling, but these “weaknesses” are all relative since his talent level is so high.

Isaiah Whitehead (LINCOLN H.S. – BROOKLYN, N.Y.)

Perhaps coach Pitino will go back through his New York pipeline to get the inside track on this prize recruit in 2014. Whitehead plays for the same high school that Sebastian Telfair played. Cardinal fans surely remember him. Coach Pitino extended an offer to Isaiah back in March and the coaching staff went to watch him play. Whitehead can stroke it from long range, but he does most of his damage by slashing to the hoop. He is a tough and competitive scoring guard with great size that can help at the point. He has a terrific mid range game and can make plays for himself or others with the ball in his hands. He must continue to build his game but his upside is tremendous. With his ability to put it on the floor and shoot the ball, it will allow him to fit at multiple schools. He isn’t particularly looking for a program that is locked into one specific style of playing.

JaQuan Lyle (BOSSE H.S. – EVANSVILLE, IN)

He is a steady and consistent combo guard who is seeing his stock rise everyday. Although he does not display blinding speed and quickness, he has good size for his position, and is able to play both guard spots in the backcourt. Lyle creates opportunities for himself and teammates by getting into the lane, and he has good vision to dump it off or kick it out. His smooth demeanor on the court is also an asset. At the NBPA Top 100 camp, Lyle roomed with Quentin Snider and Anton Gill. They were both on record saying they were trying to help get him in a Louisville uniform.
Lyle had a visit to the Louisville campus the first weekend in September.

Cliff Alexander (CHICAGO CURIE H.S. – CHICAGO, IL)

His hands and defensive skills are elite. Alexander is a strong and physical post that can rebound, block shots and finish. He plays hard and competes on both ends. He must work to stay in shape and build his offensive scoring package but this big man has tremendous upside. This kid has previously mentioned Michigan St as his leader and said that UK was his dream school at the NBPA Top 100 camp. But we all know that with recruiting it’s usually fly by the seat of your pants. He still seems to be a top target for Louisville and things are always changing.

Theo Pinson (WESLEYAN CHRISTIAN ACADEMY – GREENSBORO, NC)

Theo is one of the elite Small Forwards in the country and he was one of 24 players named to the USA Basketball men’s developmental national team in March. And before heading to training camp, he was named the No. 1 prospect in his class by ESPN. Recruiting websites tout Pinson’s length and confidence, his unselfish passing and scoring proficiency, his excellent mid-range shot and ability to both power and finesse his way to the rim.
“His upside is tremendous,” Theo’s AAU coach, Tony Edwards, told basketball-recruiting reporter Adam Zagoria in July at the Peach Jam, a major AAU tournament in Georgia. “I mean, he has a lot of improving to do in all areas. His court awareness, defensively, his body, his shot, communicating, just a lot of detail stuff. … Right now he’s just playing off all athleticism, just all natural instincts.”
This guy has the Louisville staff’s full attention heading into the 2014 rush, and is a top target.

Kevin Looney (MILWAUKEE HAMILTON H.S. – MILWAUKEE, WI)

Looney exploded onto the national stage last summer with a flurry of big time performances and looks to add to that going into this summer. The game looks easy for him at times. He is always in the right spot and uses his length, instincts, and skill to completely dominate almost every time he’s on the floor. Kevon is an excellent prospect at his position and perhaps all of this is the reason he is high on the Louisville wish list for 2014.