It's been long awaited, hyped up and discussed endlessly throughout the message boards, sports talks shows, etc. of Louisville Sports.
Now the moment is finally here.
The highly-touted Freshman, Kevin Ware, a 6'5 guard from Georgia, has officially joined the Louisville Cardinals Basketball team; participating in his first practice Wednesday afternoon.
Back in September, this moment looked bleak for Ware, as he failed to qualify for the fall semester at Louisville. However, he was later granted NCAA eligibility and they ruled that he would join the squad in December.
"Kevin did very well. I was actually shocked," said Head Coach Rick Pitino, Wednesday, at a charity event for his Daniel Pitino Foundation. "Shocked that he was able physically to stay with double sessions, mentally pick up all the things. We're starting him out as a back-up point guard."
Although Ware didn't play point guard for Rockdale County High School- where he averaged 19 points & 9 assist- he is used to handling the ball, and distributing it effectively (see high school assist average).
"We're going to try and work him into the 2-3 spot, so he can play multiple positions, and I was actually astonished that he was able to pick it up." Pitino added, "He's not coming off an injury, so it's a lot different than the other guys."
Ware was a 4 star and Top 100 ranked player coming out of high school. He will add much needed depth to the guard position, a position that has been hampered by injuries for the Cardinals. Along with Freshman Wanye Blacksher nursing a broken arm, Point Guard Elisha Justice is still out with a broken nose.
Ware is a very athletic player and his capable of doing many great things on the court. Rivals calls him this:
"Ware is one of the most explosive shooting guards in the class. He is capable of a highlight reel dunk at any point in time and has a motor that is always going. The problem is Ware has a tendency to turn the ball over when he is a primary ball handler. He has to play off the ball where he can react instead of having to make the decisions and set up teammates."
However, it's hard to say exactly what he will produce for the Cardinals this season. He may be able to come in and contribute right away; due to his pure athleticism. Nevertheless, according to Pitino, fans won't have to wait long to see the prized recruit. Pitino expects to give the guard some minutes, when the Cardinals take on Memphis this Saturday at 4pm at the KFC YUM! Center.
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