Five-Star Hoops Prospect Trentyn Flowers Backs Out Of Louisville In Favor of Australian Team
A top college hoops prospect is abandoning his commitment to join the Louisville Cardinals next season. Five-star forward Trentyn Flowers announced on Monday that he will opt to join Kenny Payne's Cards to explore opportunities overseas in Australia.
Sadly, this video will be the only thing Flowers is remembered by at Louisville.
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Flowers posted the news on his social media on Monday, much to the chagrin of Cardinals faithful looking forward to Payne's incoming class of recruits.
Additional names in the new class included four-star center Dennis Evans, a pair of four-star forwards with Kaleb Glenn and Curtis Williams Jr. and guard Koron Davis
After a disastrous 4-28 under head coach Payne's first year, Lousiville aimed to bounce back with its incoming class, spearheaded by Flowers. Flowers reclassified from the Class of 2024 to 2023 to join Louisville a year earlier. Now the freshman will play pro ball in Australia as he braces for a career in the NBA.
In his post, Trentyn Flowers wrote:
Those that know me know my biggest dream has always been to play in the NBA. Recently, I have been blessed with the opportunity of a lifetime - to plav professional basketball in Australia and take another big step towards my NBA dreams.
This was not an easy decision, because playing for Louisville was also a dream of mine. While my time in Louisville has been short, it has been an amazing experience and I can't thank you all enough. The coaching staff has been very supportive and has helped me tremendously this summer, and playing alongside such tremendous players was really inspiring. The love and support the entire city has shown me is something I'll never forget.
I make this transition knowing that it will grant me the ability to pour all of my focus and commitment directly into the game, and further develop my skills as I continue to pursue the NBA.
Thank you Card Nation! Louisville will always have a special place in my heart!
Flowers' decision follows the increasingly popular trend behind more high school hoopers joining professional leagues in lieu of the traditional college route. Creighton and the University of Kentucky gave Flowers serious interest before joining Louisville. Cardinals head coach Kenny Payne said he was "disappointed" by Flowers' decision.
The latest NBA draft saw four of the first five picks come from alternative leagues such as the G-League and the European system.
Flowers included a statement from Adelaide 36ers head coach CJ Bruton. He previously coached the ascending Josh Giddey, small forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
LaMelo Ball is a former No. 2 overall pick that chose Australian hoops over college.
@FlowersTrentyn
Flowers is a talented and lengthy guard at 6-foot-8. His ability to get a shot based on his length made him one of the best incoming scorers. In his junior year at the Combine Academy (Charlotte, NC), Flowers averaged 16 points and six rebounds.
Louisville is down bad as Flowers heads down unda.