Looking Back at Louisville Men's, Women's Basketball's 2021 Recruiting Classes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - For the Louisville men's and women's basketball programs, the 2021 recruiting cycle can be best described as "what if?" to varying degrees.

On the men's side of things, then-head coach Chris Mack secured a four-man high school/JUCO class that ranked as the No. 17 class in the nation, and added a couple transfers to the fold. However, he, and the program, would not get to see this class come to full fruition, as Mack and UofL opted to part ways during the season.

As for the women, head coach Jeff Walz brought in five newcomers during this offseason: two transfers and three high schoolers. While none of the three high schoolers finished their careers at UofL, the two transfers played crucial roles to the Cardinals' run to the 2022 Final Four.

So, how well did Mack and Walz do out on the recruiting trail in 2021? Below is every scholarship enrollee from the class in alphabetical order, their career stats at Louisville, coupled with a brief summary on their tenure:

Men's Basketball

Matt Cross

Position: Small Forward
UofL Career Stats: 162 points, 108 rebounds, 13 assists, 38.4 field goal percentage, 28.4 three-point percentage (28 games, 9 starts)

Cross came to Louisville by way of the transfer portal, spending the first half of his true freshman season at Miami before being kicked off the Canes. The wing had a solid first half of the 2021-22 season, eventually working his way into the starting lineup. However, he struggled mightily in the second half of year, resulting in him not only being benched, but barely having any role at all. He ended the season averaging 5.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, and hit the transfer portal after just one season with UofL. He spent two seasons close to home at UMass, then ended his collegiate career by playing his fifth and final season back in the ACC at SMU.

Sydney Curry

Position: Power Forward/Center
UofL Career Stats: 355 points, 261 rebounds, 30 assists, 60.6 field goal percentage, 0.0 three-point percentage (60 games, 37 starts)

Landing Curry out of the JUCO ranks was a big-time recruiting win at the time. He was ranked as the No. 7 JUCO prospect in the cycle after being named the 2020-21 GRAC Player of the Year as a sophomore at John A. Logan College. He showed real promise towards the end of his first season at UofL, averaging 17.6 points and 9.0 rebounds in the final five games of the year, and putting up 7.1 points and 4.4 rebounds for the season in 28 games and 12 starts. However, he struggled immensely in year two and was not nearly the same player, averaging only 4.9 points and 4.3 rebounds in 32 games and 25 starts. Curry entered the portal following the end of the 2022-23 season, playing his final season at Grand Canyon.

El Ellis

Position: Point Guard
UofL Career Stats: 843 points, 145 rebounds, 191 assists, 40.5 field goal percentage, 33.4 three-point percentage (64 games, 41 starts)

For as big of a JUCO recruiting win that Curry was, Ellis was an even bigger one. He was a two-time JUCO All-American at Tallahassee Community College, and the top-ranked JUCO prospect in the 2021 cycle. He was an immediate impact in year one, averaging 8.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 32 games and nine starts. In year two, he was one of the best players in the conference, earning an All-ACC honorable mention as a result. His 17.7 points per game finished third in the ACC, his 4.4 assists per game came in at eighth (although he also led the ACC in turnovers), and he also posted a shooting split of 41.0/31.9/81.0. He opted to test the NBA Draft waters following that season, but after initially saying he would return to Louisville if he did withdraw from the draft, he instead entered the portal and transferred to Arkansas for the 2023-24 season.

Mike James

Position: Guard/Forward
UofL Career Stats: 724 points, 263 rebounds, 81 assists, 42.1 field goal percentage, 34.8 three-point percentage (64 games, 64 starts)

Coming out of high school, James was a four-star prospect who ranked at the No. 81 recruit in the 2021 cycle. He was expected to be an impact guy right out of the gates for Louisville, but a preseason Achilles injury robbed him of his true freshman campaign. Afterwards, he then went on to start all 64 games of the Kenny Payne era, and was of the few bright spots during this time. In year one under Payne, he was UofL's second-leading scorer at 10.1 points per game, while also securing 3.3 rebounds. For year two, he was third in points and rebounds per game at 12.6 and 5.0, respectively, and also dished out 1.5 assists per game. He hit the portal after Payne was fired, transferred to NC State, but did not play a single game for the Wolfpack due to a preseason knee injury. He transferred again after one season in Raleigh, was a reserve piece at Vanderbilt this past season, hit the portal again, and is set to play his final season in college at USF - which will be a reunion with Mack.

Noah Locke

Position: Shooting Guard
UofL Career Stats: 308 points, 75 rebounds, 31 assists, 35.8 field goal percentage, 34.2 three-point percentage (32 games, 25 starts)

At the time, Locke was viewed as a big time transfer portal recruiting win for Louisville. He was nearly a 1,000-point scorer after spending the first three years of his collegiate career at Florida, and was coming off of a junior campaign where he averaged 10.6 points per game and shot 40.4 percent on threes. However, he wasn't as efficient during his lone season as a Cardinal as many expected. While he was their leading scorer at 9.6 points per game, along with 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists, he only shot 35.8 percent from the field and 34.2 percent on threes - both of which were career-lows. He then hit the portal again following the season, playing his final year in college at Providence.

Roosevelt Wheeler

Position: Center
UofL Career Stats: 63 points, 85 rebounds, 5 assists, 47.1 field goal percentage, 0.0 three-point percentage (46 games, 0 starts)

Wheeler was Louisville's highest-ranked high school commitment in the Class of 2021, coming in as the No. 79 prospect and a four-star recruit. However, he wasn't able to realize his full potential with the Cardinals - or at his next two stops in college, either. He played in 21 games as a true freshman, but only averaged 1.6 points and 1.7 rebounds. The next season, he saw action in 25 games off the bench, but put up just 1.2 points and 2.0 rebounds per game - and saw his field goal percentage drop from 63.2 percent to 37.5. He entered the transfer portal and spent the 2023-24 season at VCU, then transferred again and played his final year in college at East Tennessee State.

Women's Basketball

Emily Engstler

Position: Power Forward
UofL Career Stats: 406 points, 318 rebounds, 77 assists, 46.1 field goal percentage, 37.2 three-point percentage (34 games, 34 starts)

Engstler started her career at Syracuse, playing her first three seasons in college with the Orange. After averaging 10.5 points and 9.1 rebounds as a junior, earning ACC Co-Sixth Player of the Year honors as a result, she opted to transfer and player her final year in college with Louisville. Not only did Engstler have a career year in her lone season as a Card, she played a key role in helping them reach the 2022 Final Four, and was one of the top defensive players in the nation. She was named an All-ACC First Team and ACC All-Defensive Team selection, averaging 11.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 1.8 blocks in 34 starts. She was drafted with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, becoming the third-highest Cardinal ever drafted. Engstler is set to play her fifth season in the WNBA, and her first with the Portland Fire.

Chelsie Hall

Position: Point Guard
UofL Career Stats: 232 points, 105 rebounds, 70 assists, 43.3 field goal percentage, 33.3 three-point percentage (34 games, 34 starts)

Hall was the second of two transfers brought in during the offseason, opting to play her final season in college after previously spending four years at Vanderbilt. With the Commodores, she was a former SEC All-Freshman Team selection, a 1,000-point scorer, and was coming off of a career year where she averaged 15.4 points, 3.8 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game. Hall was overshadowed by players like Engstler, Hailey Van Lith and Kianna Smith during the 2021-22 season, but she still was a positive asset. Starting all 34 games, she averaged 6.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists, while shooting 43.3 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent on threes.

Alexia (Mobley) Gassett

Position: Power Forward
UofL Career Stats: 41 points, 42 rebounds, 6 assists, 61.5 field goal percentage, 0.0 three-point percentage (31 games, 0 starts)

Originally the No. 31 high school player in the Class of 2022, Gassett reclassified to the 2021 cycle, and opted to redshirt her first season in college so that she could get adjusted to this level. She saw minimal time during her first on-court season in 2022-23, playing only seven games and totaling seven points, a rebound and a block. The next season, she made 24 bench appearances, but only averaged 1.6 points and 1.7 rebounds. She entered the portal and played the 2024-25 season at Florida, putting up 5.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 37 games - all off the bench. Gassett then stepped away from basketball, opting instead to help raise her baby with her fiancé after getting pregnant towards the end of the 2024-25 season.

Sydni Schetnan

Position: Forward/Center
UofL Career Stats: Two points, six rebounds, zero assists, 50.0 field goal percentage, 0.0 three-point percentage (10 games, 0 starts)

A three-star prospect coming out of high school, Schetnan wound up playing just one season for the program, and only played in 10 games. A dual-spot athlete, she also played for Louisville's volleyball team, and made the transition to this sport full-time after her first season. Following two seasons with the volleyball program, she transferred back home to South Dakota State, where she played her final three years in college.

Payton Verhulst

Position: Guard/Forward
UofL Career Stats: 155 points, 73 rebounds, 31 assists, 41.1 field goal percentage, 32.2 three-point percentage (40 games, 0 starts)

Verhulst was the crown jewel of Louisville's 2021 high school recruiting class. A five-star prospect, she was ranked as high as No. 8 overall by PASS and No. 9 by Collegiate Girls Basketball Report. As a true freshman, she averaged 3.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game, getting named to the ACC All-Freshman Team as a result. However, after averaging just 15.1 minutes per game over the first eight games of the season, she made the surprising move to enter transfer portal midway through the season. Verhulst wound up at Oklahoma, and became a 1,000-point scorer during her three years with the Sooners. She was a First-Team All-Big 12 selection in 2023-24, and a Second-Team All-SEC pick in 2024-25.

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