On Saturday evening, one of the nation's elite head coaches and one of the most respected coaches, at any level, ventured to the state of Arizona for an opportunity to watch one of the state's hottest prospects take the floor. NCAA defending national champion and University of Louisville head coach Rick Pitino flew to the state of Arizona just hours after his team defeated Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon to evaluate Westwind Prep Academy 6-foot-3, 180-pound senior guard Lyrik Shreiner.
Shreiner recently took his first official recruiting visit to Louisville just weeks ago after the top-rated program had already offered a scholarship to Shreiner. This was an opportunity for Pitino to observe Shreiner playing in a high school state playoff game in this year's Charter School tournament playoffs. Shreiner and his Westwind team would defeat their opponent by ore n 60+ points in the game and post more than 100 points in the contest - making it very difficult for Pitinio to evaluate Shreiner's performance in the game.
Pitino would fly back to Louisville after the game on his private jet airplane, and after giving greetings to the many startled fans in the Camelback High School gymnasium.
The past month has been a whirlwind in the college recruitment of Shreiner. After numerous recent strong performances at Westwind Prep, Shreiner saw his recruiting stock soar – reeling in college recruiting interest from numerous high-major division-I programs. After a recent scoring outburst where Shreiner exploded for 65 points – breaking the Arizona high school state scoring record on 26 for 27 shooting, college coaches have been ringing the phone off the hook for the Westwind Prep coaching staff and Lyrik Shreiner. Shreiner aslo recorded a team-high 24 points in a narrow road loss to top-ranked Findlay Prep (NV) - a game in which he also held nationally top-ranked senior prospect Kelly Oubre (University of Kansas signee) to 7 points in the contest.
After receiving a tremendous scholarship offer from the University of Louisville, Shreiner would also receive offers from Baylor, Washington, Washington State, UTEP, San Diego and Grand Canyon. He has also received strong interest from Kansas, UCONN, Missouri and Memphis.
Shreiner is still mulling over options of choosing a college program this spring, or heading to another year of post-graduate play - making him a 2015 college prospect. Currently a 2014 prospect and still only being 17 years of age, Shreiner could benefit a great deal from another year of preparation before entering the collegiate ranks. Shreiner would have time to get stronger physically, while having another club season to compete against the nation’s top prospects. As a 2015 college prospect, Shreiner becomes a much more valuable asset to a college program, and would become one of the nation's elite college prospects - already possessing numerous high-major division-I scholarship offers.
Shreiner’s best asset as a student-athlete is his tremendous work ethic on and off the floor. Shreiner is an excellent student and carries 3.4 CUM GPA and achieved a 28 on his ACT College Entrance Examination.
Shreiner advised me that he is still unsure as to what he will decide at this point, but that he would like to be recruited as a point guard for the collegiate level.
Arizona Hoop Review Scouting Report: Shreiner is a very athletic talent with excellent promise as a college prospect physically. He has excellent lift off the floor and a quick jump, which allows him to finish plays often inside the paint and in transition. Shreiner plays well above the rim. He is at his best as a slasher and in the open floor where he thrives. He possesses an excellent motor and loves the game of basketball. Shreiner’s high level of confidence in his play and an ability to create his own shot are glaring and nice attributes for Shreiner. His sheer athleticism and ability to create and finish plays has him among the very best players at his position among the 2014 class. Shreiner is an excellent ballhandler, which allows him to play both guard positions on the floor. He is a strong defender and is capable of becoming a lock-down defender over time, as a result of his long wingspan and quick hands and feet. Shreiner also absolutely loves the game of basketball and is a gym rat that works hard with a personal trainer almost daily. He is always around the game and will do whatever it takes for him to reach his potential as a player – a valuable attribute as a college prospect.
