Justin Coleman Commits to Louisville

Evan Daniels of Scout.com (subscription required) and Jody Demling of the Courier-Journal are both reporting that five star West Virginia wing player Justin Coleman has committed to play next year for Rick Pitino and the Louisville Cardinals.

Needless to say, this is a big deal for the Cards. This kid can finish at the rim and stroke it from deep. Scout has him listed as the number four small forward and number 16 player overall in the class of 2010. He fills a major need for the Cards and figures to contribute immediately.

I’ll leave it to Miller or Rohrer to comment at length, but this is reason to be excited for UofL fans.

Update from Miller – From the UofL perspective, this is a very big deal for Louisville. Their 2010 class now has a highly athletic player that figures to contribute immediately. Coleman is 6-4, 215 lbs and gives the Cards a legit threat from the small forward position, something Rick Pitino stressed as a priority.

Coleman still needs to get himself eligible, which is the main reason why more schools have not persued him as much. In his interview with the great Jody Demling, Coleman said he is not qualified yet, but is “really close.” We shall see.

Also, Coleman’s high school teammate, 6-10 Gorgui Dieng, is also heavily considering Louisville. While Dieng is not the most athletic player, he has a nice mid-range game, a smooth shot, and is a very good shot blocker. But for now, the good news is the Cards have filled a need for 2010 with a legit prospect in Justin Coleman. Here’s a video of Coleman doing his Vince Carter impersonation by putting his arm through the rim after dunking it: