Rick Pitino Discusses Recruiting Class Of 2013

For a second I thought he was wearing the hooded warm-up, and I got more excited than I'd care to admit.

A few highlights:

--They really needed to bring in a talented offensive class, and they believe they've done that.

--Terry Rozier is a top 20 player in the country, regardless of what the rankings say. Anyone who can score 50 points in a game is a special player.

--Akoy Agau is an extremely talented big man with a terrific attitude. Once he saw him play he could understand why Georgetown wanted him so badly.

--Anton Gill will be relied on right away. He's a great combination of skill and attitude and he should fit in terrifically here.

--He believes Chris Jones is the best backcourt recruit in the country. He's different than any guard I've coached. He's a prolific scorer, a Bulldog defender and he's built like Taquan Dean. He's one of the best point guards I've ever recruited.

--Our backcourt is pretty much set for the next few years.

All Four Class Of 2013 Commits Have Signed With Louisville

U of L has confirmed that all four basketball commitments for the class of 2013 have faxed in their signed letters of intent.

The class addresses all of Louisville's primary needs for next season, regardless of whether or not a player or multiple players decide to leave early for the NBA Draft.

Priority No. 1 for the staff this offseason was finding a replacement for Peyton Siva, and they did so by landing Chris Jones. Jones won't do much for Louisville's class in terms of national perception because of his status as a JuCo player, but Rick Pitino is as excited about Jones as he would be a consensus top five McDonald's All-American. I think people are going to be blown away by how good he is.

The other major void to fill was U of L's oft-mentioned lack of outside shooters. Enter Hargrave's Anton Gill and Terry Rozier.

Many people, including myself, doubted that Rozier would ever play for Louisville when he wasn't able to qualify academically to join the team this season. It appears that group will be proven wrong, as U of L's interest in Rozier never wavered, and the shooting guard expressed no desire to look at other schools. His only season at Hargrave is off to a tremendous start, as he recently dropped 50 points in a game.

Gill has been committed to Louisville for nearly a full year, and has risen up the recruiting ranks in the months since pledging his allegiance. The lefty two-guard has a smooth outside stroke and a knack for finding other ways to put the ball in the basket. He consistently impressed at camps over the summer, as national writer after national writer praised both his talent and attitude. He'll fit right in here from day one.

Akoy Agau is one of the top prospects to come out of Nebraska in a long time. The four-star prospect was pursued by Nebraska coach Tim Miles even after his commitment, at which point he showcased his loyalty to Louisville by telling the staff immediately. Like Montrezl Harrell, Agau has the potential to play the five should he need to so.

Louisville has also announced that North Oldham standout David Levitch will be walking onto the team next season. We'll have more on him a little bit later.

Akoy Agau Officially A Cardinal

Four-star forward Akoy Agau is the latest member of Rick Pitino's 2013 class to sign his letter of intent.

Though still a bit raw offensively, the 6'9, 240-pound Agau has a remarkable skill set for someone his size. As a junior he led Omaha Central High to the Nebraska Boys Class A state championship, recording 16 points, 13 boards and 14 blocks in the championship game. He is considered one of the top prospects to come out of Nebraska in quite some time.

Like current Cards Gorgui Dieng and Mangok Mathiang, Agau has African roots. He was born in the Sudan and lived there until he and his family were displaced by the war and moved to Cairo, Egypt. He then made a move to the United States in 2002. You can read more about Agau's story right here.

Chris Jones Officially Signs With Louisville

The nation's top-rated JuCo player will be at Louisville next season.