By Whitney Spencer

The University of Louisville has found itself excelling in every sport in the past few seasons so who would expect anything less than the best for the athletes entering in the Fall of 2009. Here is the some of top prospects sure to keep our winning tradition alive.
Peyton Siva was spectacular at Franklin High School in Seattle, Washington and established himself as the No. 1 point guard prospect in the West for the Class of 2009. His athleticism is off the charts and he is a remarkable leaper as well at 5’11” and 180 pounds he is a solid point guard. Siva has been known as a prolific scorer, but can showcase his skillful passing at will just like another Seattle native and recent U of L star Terrence Williams. Siva does a great job of running the offense and directing teammates. He is an excellent ball handler that weaves and slashes through the defense, and get into the lane to score or creates a shot for a teammate with a kick out. Siva goes hard on the defensive end by hounding the ball and keeping constant pressure on the ball handler with his quick feet and active hands which will fit in well with the defensive pressure the Cards like to bring out onto the court.
Joining the University of Louisville football team next year is talented inside linebacker Mike Privott from Norfolk, Virginia. At 5’11” and 233 pounds, Privott may lack the ideal size as an inside linebacker prospect, but he is extremely productive between the tackles. He has been known to do a lot of little things right to make up for his small size. Privott is known for being very active between the tackles and shows good lateral quickness redirecting and slipping under blocks. He possesses a good nose for the football and plays with a high-motor on his pursuit.  Many have said that it is hard to argue with Privott’s production when you watch him on the field; he never stops on his pursuit and is consistently around the football.
Nikki Burton from Charlotte, North Carolina at 5’11” is the definition of quickness and explosiveness and will no doubt contribute immediately to the women’s basketball team. She is a point guard that makes things happen constantly and will punish any defender for taking a possession off. She can clean the glass with her great leaping ability and strong hands. Controlling her team and getting the ball to the right person in the half court, being more a floor leader, is where she needs to improve but this won’t be a struggle for her as her talent already proves. On the defensive end, Burton’s quickness comes in handy as she becomes a pesky defender and causes turnovers.
Jarred Clarkson is a Kentucky product out of Shelby County High School in Shelbyville, Kentucky. At 6’1″ and 180 pounds, Clarkson is the top rated player in the state of Kentucky and earned a spot as one of Kentucky’s Preseason Top 50 Players. Excellent in centerfield as a defensive stopper, he is a very talented athlete. In 15 games during the 2009 season, he batted .500 with a .700 batting percentage and a .643 on-base percentage. During that time he hit eight doubles and scored 16 runs.
Emily Cardell, a 5’5″ forward from Cincinnati, Ohio will be joining the women’s soccer team this coming season. Cardell demonstrates good vision and passing ability on the field. She is excellent at creating opportunities for not only herself but others as well. She is dangerous when she gets around the goal because she is such a fantastic finisher when given the opportunity.

Other notables

Amber Thomas a forward from Duncan, British Columbia, Canada will join the women’s field hockey team next season. She was a four year starter in high school.
As a junior and senior in high school she led her team to national tournaments while leading them in goals and assists to help them to a silver medal.

Joey Haught is a midfielder from Brecksville, Ohio who will play soccer at the University of Louisville next season. He led his team in scoring during the three seasons he played with 39 goals and 33 assists in 64 career games. Haught led his St. Edward team to its first ever top-ten ranking in state and national ranks.

Lena Amalfitano is a midfielder from East Islip, New York who will play women’s lacrosse next season. She was a four year varsity letter winner. She will be bringing speed and awareness to the field and will be sure to challenge the team to work harder everyday.

Kasey Heckelman is a 6’1″ outside hitter from Bloomington, Illinois who will join the Cardinal volleyball team next season. She is a big time player with good size who can play all around while providing excellent blocking and strong hitting.

Rakeem Buckles is a power forward out of Miami, Florida who will play for the men’s basketball team next season. He is a hard worker who constantly sprints the floor beating the defense to the rim.
Buckles’ ability to make plays off the dribble and confuse a defender before exploding to the rim or pulling up for a jumper make him a high major player for the Cards.