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For what feels like about two decades, U of L fans have complained about the city of Louisville's inability to produce a big-time player who would go on to star for Rick Pitino. Now, for the second time in as many years, Pitino has been able to take advantage of having a big-time recruit right in his backyard.
Trinity High star Raymond Spalding, the No. 35 player in the class of 2015 according to 247 Sports, will play for the U of L program he grew up a fan of. The explosive 6'10 power told Scout.com's Evan Daniels of his commitment Sunday afternoon. Spalding had offers from Duke, Indiana, Tennessee and Xavier, among others.
Spalding, whose mother and grandmother are also diehard Cardinal fans, told the Courier-Journal recently that one of the best parts of staying in town would be the increased likelihood of his mom being able to attend his games.
"That's very important because growing up my mom hasn't been able to come to very many of my games, just having to work and stuff, and it's been pretty tough on her," he said. "It'll be a blessing for her to come watch me play ball."
Despite standing 6'10, Spalding has the range of a shooting guard and the athleticism of a small forward, but he'll need to pack on some additional weight if he wants to make an impact in the post for the Cards right away.
Spalding joins five-star wing Deng Adel as members of the class of 2015 who have committed to U of L this month.
There's been a buzz around town for a little more than a year that this kid's potential is off-the-charts, and the fact that he's a Louisville native who grew up cheering for the Cards only adds to the excitement of this news. Rick Pitino's got it rolling right now. Watch out, world.
