Card Game: Louisville Likely #1 Preseason Pick Because of High School Reunion
Louisville, supplementing its already overstocked roster, likely assured itself a consensus preseason No. 1 national ranking after forward Montrezl Harrell hooked up with the Cardinals after de-committing from Virginia Tech following coach Seth Greenberg's dismissal by the Hokies. Harrell had played at Hargrave Military Academy (VA) under Kevin Keatts, who joined coach Rick Pitino's staff last year. Another Hargrave product at The Ville is guard Luke Hancock, who will be eligible the coming campaign after transferring from George Mason.
Oddly, new Virginia Tech coach James Johnson is one of six active Division I mentors who got their start in college coaching tagging along with a prep phenom. Keatts could become the next head coach in this category; especially since Pitino already has eight former assistants currently serving as a DI bench boss.
Will Harrell become another Louisville All-American after being part of a high school reunion? The school's top two career scorers - Darrell Griffith (Wade Houston) and DeJuan Wheat (Scott Davenport) - rejoined their high school coaches who became assistants under Denny Crum.
Pitino is well acquainted with this tried-and-true recruiting technique. Simeon Mars joined Pitino's Kentucky staff in 1996 directly with Jamaal Magloire, who went on to become the Wildcats' all-time leader in blocked shots. Pitino's initial exposure to the ploy probably was at his alma mater where all-time great Julius "Dr. J" Erving joined his high school coach with the Minutemen in the early 1970s just before Pitino arrived on Massachusetts' campus.
Ethical questions are always raised anytime the coach of a prize prospect is hired. But package deals are a longstanding practice. In 1989, Michigan was the 10th different school in a 20-year span to reach the Final Four with the help of a "coattail" franchise (assistant coach Perry Watson/starting guard Jalen Rose). There also were a total of 10 first- and second-team consensus All-Americans in that stretch stemming from such quid pro quo activity.