By Matt Bradshaw —

Men’s basketball received its sixth commitment for the upcoming 2019 class this past Friday. Aidan Igiehon (pronounced “E-gay-hon”), a center out of Woodmere Academy in New York, announced he would sign with U of L.

The big man is a top-50 recruit and pledged to Louisville over Kentucky, Oregon and St. John’s. Head coach Chris Mack’s 2019 recruiting class is now ranked second in the nation.

Although other schools will likely overtake the No. 2 ranking, Mack’s recruiting is an impressive achievement by any standard. Most fans anticipated a slow rebuild after the penalties imposed on the program in the past couple of years.

Despite the odds, Mack and his staff worked hard from the moment they stepped foot on campus. Progress took place slowly, but Cardinal fans had their faith rewarded with an elite upcoming recruiting class dubbed the “super six.”

The class includes top-100 prospects in guard Josh Nickelberry, forwards Samuell Williamson, Quinn Slazinski, Jaelyn Withers and Louisville native guard David Johnson. 

Igiehon remained the most heavily anticipated recruit after visiting campus and attending Louisville Live.

The center moved from his native Ireland four years ago for stiffer basketball competition in New York. Nicknamed the “Irish Hulk,” Igiehon averaged 18 points, 15 rebounds and reached the state semifinals with his team this past season.

Mack demonstrated his devotion to the recruit by flying to Ireland last month and visiting Igiehon’s mother.

After his announcement on Friday, Igiehon tweeted out a graphic that named himself and fellow recruits the “super six.” We won’t see the group play for another year, but the promise of young talent on the horizon paints an exciting future for U of L basketball.

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Photo courtesy / 247Sports