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Anas Osama Mahmoud, a 7'1 native of Egypt who is currently a member of the class of 2014 playing West Oaks Academy in Florida, has committed to Louisville. The big man had also been considering Kentucky, Kansas, Florida, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech and Minnesota.
Though he's only a teenager, Osama Mahmoud has been recognized as one of the most promising Egyptian hoops prospects for years. He began playing for a club at age 12, and has been a member of Egyptian national team since 2009. Last summer, he helped the national team qualify for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup by finishing second at the 2013 AfroBasket tournament.
For more on Osama Mahmoud's backstory, check out this recent feature piece from the Orlando Sentinel.
Osama Mahmoud becomes the sixth Cardinal commitment from the class of 2014 (joining Chinanu Onuaku, Matz Stockman, Jaylen Johnson, Shaqquan Aaron and Quentin Snider), and the fourth who stands 6'9 or taller. Clearly, Rick Pitino is laying the foundation for the controversial, but effective "hold the ball over your head and pass it to the other 7-footer closer to the goal" offense. Should be fun.
In all seriousness, most folks who have seen Osama Mahmoud in person have raved about the skill-set he already has in place as well as his room for potential.
Most don't comprehend just how good Anas Osama Mahmoud can be. Only a handful with more long-term potential in 2014 than the Egyptian.
— Corey Evans (@coreyevans_10) March 3, 2014
Don't be surprised if we look back and view this as a very important day.
