Cards' Sign Highly-Ranked Basketball Trio
November 15, 2019 | Men's Basketball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Three impressive individuals, including a pair of high school products and the top junior college player in the nation, have signed national letters-of-intent to continue their basketball playing careers at the University of Louisville, ranking this Cardinal recruiting class among the nation's top ten recruiting classes.
The trio of outstanding signees includes D'Andre Davis, a 6-5, 170-pound guard/forward from Lawrence Central High School in Indianapolis, Ind.; Jay Scrubb, 6-6, 220-pound guard/forward from Louisville who is a sophomore at John A. Logan College in Carterville, Ill.; and JJ Traynor, a 6-8, 190-pound forward from Bardstown (Ky.) High School.
Louisville's class is ranked among the best in the nation, ranking ninth by 247sports.com and 16th by Rivals.com. The three individuals are each ranked among the nation's top prospects. It is the second-straight highly-regarded class, as UofL's 2019 class was ranked ninth in the nation by ESPN.com, 10th by Rivals.com and 11th by 247sports.com.
"We are excited to announce the signing of three special young men to the Louisville basketball program," said UofL head coach Chris Mack. "Jay Scrubb, D'Andre Davis and JJ Traynor will be joining us sometime over the summer and the Cardinal Basketball program will be better because of their additions. Cardinal fans should be excited about this future class."
D'Andre Davis
Davis averaged 16.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 blocked shots per game as a junior at Lawrence Central, which achieved a 22-4 record and advanced to the Class 4A Sectional 10 championship.
"D'Andre is a winner," said Mack. "He's a complete player on both ends of the floor. He reminds me of a young Dwayne Sutton. Whatever the coach needs, Dre is going to do his best to get it done. Offensively he's very versatile, showing the ability to score both inside and out. Defensively, he has the same type of ability, being able to guard multiple positions using his length, athleticism and toughness."
Honored on the 2019 ICBA/Subway Underclass All-State Supreme 15 team, Davis is ranked No. 95 in the nation by 247Sports.com and No. 110 by Rivals.com. He is the No. 20 rated small forward in the 247Sports composite rankings.
"Louisville is getting the most complete basketball player I have ever coached," said Al Gooden, his high school coach at Lawrence Central. "Dre plays defense, he can score on all three levels, he can rebound, he can handle the ball, he can make the correct pass, he is a great team leader, and he is a great student. Dre Davis will do great things at Louisville."
During the summer of 2019, Davis averaged 17.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists while playing for the Indy Heat on the Nike EYBL circuit. As a sophomore, he averaged a team-leading 13.3 points and 5.0 rebounds for Lawrence Central, which posted a 16-7 record and reached the sectional finals.
He participated in the Kentucky-Indiana Junior All-Star game in Jeffersonville, Ind. on June 3, scoring 19 points in an Indiana victory. He had 18 points and eight rebounds in Louisville on June 2 in a Kentucky win.
Davis also considered Purdue, Nebraska and Xavier among others when making his collegiate choice.
Jay Scrubb
As a freshman last season at John A. Logan College in Carterville, Ill., Scrubb averaged 20.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots as Logan posted a 27-5 record and was ranked fifth in the nation and claimed a share of the Great Rivers Athletic Conference Championship for a record third straight year. He shot 54.9 percent from the field, including 46.4 percent from three-point range (51-of-110), and made 7.1 percent of his free throws. He had 48 blocks, 46 assists and 34 steals and was a double-figure scorer in all but one game as a freshman.
"Jay is one of the best players in the country at the junior college level," said Mack. "He's fearless, athletic and can score in bunches. Defensively he has the makings of a stopper. Being a native of Louisville, he's excited to put on that Cardinal jersey next season."
The top junior college prospect in the nation by 247Sports.com, Scrubb was a first team 2019 NJCAA Division I All-American, the NJCAA Region 24 Player of the Year and GRAC Freshman of the Year. He is the top-ranked junior college player entering the season and was honored as the Street & Smith's preseason national player of the year.
"I am extremely proud and excited for Jay," said Logan College Coach Kyle Smithpeters. "He has worked very hard for the opportunity to represent his home town team. He is going to be part of a great program with excellent coaches."
His scoring high as a freshman at Logan was 40 points against Rend Lake College, adding 13 rebounds in the game, and had 27 points and a season-best 20 rebounds against Southeastern Illinois College. He scored 30 points and grabbed seven rebounds in a Nov. 6 victory this season over Southwest Tennessee Community College. He followed that outing with 34 points and seven rebounds two nights later against Columbia State College on Nov. 9.
In the summer of 2019, he was the only junior college player invited to the US Men's U19 World Cup team training camp.
Scrubb, who turned 19 in September, played with current Cardinal freshman David Johnson at Trinity High School in Louisville. He played two seasons at Trinity, averaging 17.8 points and 7.1 rebounds a game as a senior in 2017-18 when he was selected as the Seventh Region Player of the Year and was a finalist for Kentucky's Mr. Basketball. He was also the Seventh Region Player of the Year as a junior when he averaged 16.1 points at Trinity.
Scrubb, who has a 6-9 wingspan, also considered Cincinnati, Memphis and Alabama before signing with the Cardinals.
JJ Traynor
Traynor averaged 11.2 points and 8.6 rebounds last season for Bardstown (15-16), which won its sixth straight 19th District championship before falling in the 5th Region quarterfinals.
"JJ has his best basketball way ahead of him," said Mack. "The growth our staff has seen in JJ from last year to this year doesn't happen often. He is beginning to really take off as a multi-faceted athletic forward. He can face you, he can post and his ability to play above the rim is impressive. As he makes changes to his body via the weight room, JJ's unlimited potential will be realized."
Traynor, who has a 7-2 wingspan, is ranked No. 79 nationally by 247Sports.com, No. 88 by Rivals.com and No. 96 in the ESPN100. He is the No. 14 rated power forward in the nation in the 247Sports composite rankings and is the only Kentucky basketball player ranked among the nation's top 100 players.
"JJ has worked extremely hard over the past couple of months and years, and I feel very blessed for him to have the opportunity for that hard work to pay off and to take his talents to UofL," said James "Boo" Brewer, Traynor's coach at Bardstown High School who played basketball for the Cardinals from 1988-93, scoring 885 career points for the Cardinals. "He brings a 'refuse to lose' attitude, he's very coachable, and is really good in the open court where he is able to use his length and athleticism. He a really good shooter, shot-blocker, and passer. He can play on the perimeter and inside. I know there is a lot more potential inside of him and JJ has committed to continue to work hard and continue to become the very best player and teammate he can become."
The versatile Traynor participated in the Kentucky-Indiana Junior All-Star game in Jeffersonville, Ind. on June 3, scoring 13 points for Kentucky. He had eight points and nine rebounds in a Kentucky win on June 2 in Louisville.
Traynor's father Jason Osborne, who was a McDonald's All-American at Louisville Male High School where he was Kentucky's Mr. Basketball in 1993, played two years at UofL (1993-95).
Cincinnati, Missouri and DePaul were among the schools Traynor considered before choosing to sign with the Cardinals.
The trio of outstanding signees includes D'Andre Davis, a 6-5, 170-pound guard/forward from Lawrence Central High School in Indianapolis, Ind.; Jay Scrubb, 6-6, 220-pound guard/forward from Louisville who is a sophomore at John A. Logan College in Carterville, Ill.; and JJ Traynor, a 6-8, 190-pound forward from Bardstown (Ky.) High School.
Louisville's class is ranked among the best in the nation, ranking ninth by 247sports.com and 16th by Rivals.com. The three individuals are each ranked among the nation's top prospects. It is the second-straight highly-regarded class, as UofL's 2019 class was ranked ninth in the nation by ESPN.com, 10th by Rivals.com and 11th by 247sports.com.
"We are excited to announce the signing of three special young men to the Louisville basketball program," said UofL head coach Chris Mack. "Jay Scrubb, D'Andre Davis and JJ Traynor will be joining us sometime over the summer and the Cardinal Basketball program will be better because of their additions. Cardinal fans should be excited about this future class."
D'Andre Davis
Davis averaged 16.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 blocked shots per game as a junior at Lawrence Central, which achieved a 22-4 record and advanced to the Class 4A Sectional 10 championship.
"D'Andre is a winner," said Mack. "He's a complete player on both ends of the floor. He reminds me of a young Dwayne Sutton. Whatever the coach needs, Dre is going to do his best to get it done. Offensively he's very versatile, showing the ability to score both inside and out. Defensively, he has the same type of ability, being able to guard multiple positions using his length, athleticism and toughness."
Honored on the 2019 ICBA/Subway Underclass All-State Supreme 15 team, Davis is ranked No. 95 in the nation by 247Sports.com and No. 110 by Rivals.com. He is the No. 20 rated small forward in the 247Sports composite rankings.
"Louisville is getting the most complete basketball player I have ever coached," said Al Gooden, his high school coach at Lawrence Central. "Dre plays defense, he can score on all three levels, he can rebound, he can handle the ball, he can make the correct pass, he is a great team leader, and he is a great student. Dre Davis will do great things at Louisville."
During the summer of 2019, Davis averaged 17.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists while playing for the Indy Heat on the Nike EYBL circuit. As a sophomore, he averaged a team-leading 13.3 points and 5.0 rebounds for Lawrence Central, which posted a 16-7 record and reached the sectional finals.
He participated in the Kentucky-Indiana Junior All-Star game in Jeffersonville, Ind. on June 3, scoring 19 points in an Indiana victory. He had 18 points and eight rebounds in Louisville on June 2 in a Kentucky win.
Davis also considered Purdue, Nebraska and Xavier among others when making his collegiate choice.
Jay Scrubb
As a freshman last season at John A. Logan College in Carterville, Ill., Scrubb averaged 20.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots as Logan posted a 27-5 record and was ranked fifth in the nation and claimed a share of the Great Rivers Athletic Conference Championship for a record third straight year. He shot 54.9 percent from the field, including 46.4 percent from three-point range (51-of-110), and made 7.1 percent of his free throws. He had 48 blocks, 46 assists and 34 steals and was a double-figure scorer in all but one game as a freshman.
"Jay is one of the best players in the country at the junior college level," said Mack. "He's fearless, athletic and can score in bunches. Defensively he has the makings of a stopper. Being a native of Louisville, he's excited to put on that Cardinal jersey next season."
The top junior college prospect in the nation by 247Sports.com, Scrubb was a first team 2019 NJCAA Division I All-American, the NJCAA Region 24 Player of the Year and GRAC Freshman of the Year. He is the top-ranked junior college player entering the season and was honored as the Street & Smith's preseason national player of the year.
"I am extremely proud and excited for Jay," said Logan College Coach Kyle Smithpeters. "He has worked very hard for the opportunity to represent his home town team. He is going to be part of a great program with excellent coaches."
His scoring high as a freshman at Logan was 40 points against Rend Lake College, adding 13 rebounds in the game, and had 27 points and a season-best 20 rebounds against Southeastern Illinois College. He scored 30 points and grabbed seven rebounds in a Nov. 6 victory this season over Southwest Tennessee Community College. He followed that outing with 34 points and seven rebounds two nights later against Columbia State College on Nov. 9.
In the summer of 2019, he was the only junior college player invited to the US Men's U19 World Cup team training camp.
Scrubb, who turned 19 in September, played with current Cardinal freshman David Johnson at Trinity High School in Louisville. He played two seasons at Trinity, averaging 17.8 points and 7.1 rebounds a game as a senior in 2017-18 when he was selected as the Seventh Region Player of the Year and was a finalist for Kentucky's Mr. Basketball. He was also the Seventh Region Player of the Year as a junior when he averaged 16.1 points at Trinity.
Scrubb, who has a 6-9 wingspan, also considered Cincinnati, Memphis and Alabama before signing with the Cardinals.
JJ Traynor
Traynor averaged 11.2 points and 8.6 rebounds last season for Bardstown (15-16), which won its sixth straight 19th District championship before falling in the 5th Region quarterfinals.
"JJ has his best basketball way ahead of him," said Mack. "The growth our staff has seen in JJ from last year to this year doesn't happen often. He is beginning to really take off as a multi-faceted athletic forward. He can face you, he can post and his ability to play above the rim is impressive. As he makes changes to his body via the weight room, JJ's unlimited potential will be realized."
Traynor, who has a 7-2 wingspan, is ranked No. 79 nationally by 247Sports.com, No. 88 by Rivals.com and No. 96 in the ESPN100. He is the No. 14 rated power forward in the nation in the 247Sports composite rankings and is the only Kentucky basketball player ranked among the nation's top 100 players.
"JJ has worked extremely hard over the past couple of months and years, and I feel very blessed for him to have the opportunity for that hard work to pay off and to take his talents to UofL," said James "Boo" Brewer, Traynor's coach at Bardstown High School who played basketball for the Cardinals from 1988-93, scoring 885 career points for the Cardinals. "He brings a 'refuse to lose' attitude, he's very coachable, and is really good in the open court where he is able to use his length and athleticism. He a really good shooter, shot-blocker, and passer. He can play on the perimeter and inside. I know there is a lot more potential inside of him and JJ has committed to continue to work hard and continue to become the very best player and teammate he can become."
The versatile Traynor participated in the Kentucky-Indiana Junior All-Star game in Jeffersonville, Ind. on June 3, scoring 13 points for Kentucky. He had eight points and nine rebounds in a Kentucky win on June 2 in Louisville.
Traynor's father Jason Osborne, who was a McDonald's All-American at Louisville Male High School where he was Kentucky's Mr. Basketball in 1993, played two years at UofL (1993-95).
Cincinnati, Missouri and DePaul were among the schools Traynor considered before choosing to sign with the Cardinals.
