Louisville City Wire

The prospects look good for the Louisville Cardinals men’s basketball team next year with the addition of a strong recruiting class.

The website 247 Sports has ranked the Cardinals' 2021 recruiting class second in the ACC. Rivals ranks them at No. 3 on its website.

The Cardinals have received verbal commitments from five players, including Roosevelt Wheeler of Richmond, Virginia, a 6-foot-10-inch center and Bobby Pettiford, a 6-foot-1-inch point guard from Creedmore, North Carolina.

Wheeler is ranked 82nd in the ESPN list of top 100 recruits and Pettiford 96th.

Wheeler, “brings front court power to a class that rocketed up the rankings with his commitment,” the Louisville Courier Journal reported. He chose Louisville over LSU, NC State, VCU and Hampton.

In his junior year at John Marshal High School, Wheeler averaged 15.8 points, 11.9 rebounds and 4.3 points, helping to lead the team to a state championship, the Courier Journal reported.

However, he recently tore his Achilles during a club basketball game and will miss his senior year, 247 Sports reported.

“With this injury, I am going to take it slow but once I get to a place where I can put that much more effort out then I am definitely going to do that,” Wheeler told 247 Sports. “ I’m just going to keep pushing and keep working and that’s how I get through tough times. I just want to work hard and make sure I get back right.”

Wheeler said he has a great relationship with Louisville Head Basketball Coach Chris Mack.

“It wasn't just basketball with coach Mack,” he told 247 Sports. “We talk about a lot of stuff other than basketball, beyond basketball. We talk about things like school and just how I am doing and I like that about him. Not saying other coaches didn’t do that but I don’t know, just with coach Mack I really felt like he wanted to get to know me. It was different with him than it was with other coaches. He’s a great guy.”