Louisville gets three-star commit despite scandal
On a day when sex scandal allegations continued to engulf Louisville, Rick Pitino and the Cardinals managed to get some good news.
Frankie Hughes, a 6-foot-5 senior shooting guard at Cleveland (Ohio) Garfield Heights, announced that he has committed to Pitino and the Cardinals.
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The three-star shooting guard's coach, Sonny Johnson, said that the allegations against Pitino's program were something that his player and the coach discussed in the process and when Hughes visited officially two weeks ago.
"He truly believes in coach Pitino," Johnson told Rivals.com "Coach Pitino was straight up with him and told him that he had no knowledge of the scandal and Frankie believes him."
Hughes is a slender wing with long arms and good athleticism. His strongest trait is his ability to shoot the ball and that's what caught Pitino's eye.
"Pitino really needs a shooter who fits the system," Johnson said. "(Frankie) really wanted to be loyal to coach Pitino and he really enjoyed his visit and time with the players."
Hughes has acquitted himself well on the grassroots travel circuit with the Ohio Basketball Club but hasn't yet developed a huge reputation. Johnson feels strongly that Louisville is landing a steal.
"To me he's a top 100 recruit," Johnson said. "He has a great skill set and he can shoot off the catch or off of screens. He's 6-foot-5 now, not 6-foot-4, and he has a big upside.
"I think he can play in any system because he can shoot the ball. He has to get stronger. That will really help him. Being able to take more bumps when he gets to the hole and being stronger so that he can get more explosive."
Hughes is Louisville's second commitment from the class of 2016. He joins five-star small forward V.J. King as an early commitment.
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