The Floyd Street Tribune: A clearer recruiting big board forms after busy July evaluation period

Inside: Which players caught Louisville's attention the most? Let's sift through a busy summer AAU schedule and evaluate where things stand in U of L's 2023 efforts.

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First, a word on the IARP …

The busiest evaluation period for college coaches is now over, and the real filtering out of the recruiting process is about to begin. Players are already dropping their lists of finalists and setting up visits. Based on which players received the most attention from Louisville’s coaching staff over the three weekends of July evaluation, we can drum up at least most of the Cards’ big board. But first ...

I said this on a radio segment with the fellas guest-hosting The V Show on ESPN 680, and I’ll repeat it here: Industry sources who attended Nike’s Peach Jam shared what was a well-traveled, word-of-mouth nugget about Louisville’s roster plans. That info: Once the Cards add Fabio Basili as expected, Louisville plans to keep the other three scholarships open in anticipation of potential punishment from the IARP.

Now, this is something that makes sense if it is true. And it’s also something I think most Louisville fans would expect. Any reasonable person can assume — if the IARP does side with the NCAA investigators and punishes Louisville in any way for its involvement in the infractions stemming from the FBI investigation into college basketball recruiting — scholarships will likely be docked and other recruiting sanctions imposed. I would also think there’d be financial penalties and possibly more probation. Just speculating on those.

What I also said on the radio is a note I’ve written repeatedly in these newsletters: The NCAA this year changed the language in its constitution to discourage conferences and divisions from punishing member schools with postseason bans. The IARP will strictly adhere to the policies it is given in evaluating each case, so I have to believe this change in the rules for punishments could be a significant factor. Me mentioning that constitutional language change somehow got misconstrued on at least one message board. I have never said, nor will I ever say, that this language change for sure means no postseason ban for Louisville, nor did I say I had “IARP sources” — because I don’t have them, and I don’t know that too many reporters, if any, do. But I do think this is all important context for Louisville’s case. Or at least it could be, if the IARP agrees with NCAA investigators and punishes U of L.

Now let’s get into the recruiting board!