He is already as advanced a scorer that Jeff was at 18, at 16. So there is no doubt in my mind that the next two years Marques will only get better at distributing the ball, especially running the pick-n-roll with childhood running-mate, Chandler Thomas.

And I think I should know, Pike High School class of '07

He is already as advanced a scorer that Jeff was at 18, at 16. So there is no doubt in my mind that the next two years Marques will only get better at distributing the ball, especially running the pick-n-roll with childhood running-mate, Chandler Thomas.

And I think I should know, Pike High School class of '07

He is already as advanced a scorer that Jeff was at 18, at 16. So there is no doubt in my mind that the next two years Marques will only get better at distributing the ball, especially running the pick-n-roll with childhood running-mate, Chandler Thomas.

And I think I should know, Pike High School class of '07

I didn't research this, but just from watching games it seems like the other major conferences (in both basketball and football) are much more athletic and fast-paced. The scoring seems higher and they seem to be less methodical on offense. I know I'm making very broad statements, but they're just my observations, and this is coming from a Big Ten fan.

The issue is those are the things that draw recruits.

I didn't research this, but just from watching games it seems like the other major conferences (in both basketball and football) are much more athletic and fast-paced. The scoring seems higher and they seem to be less methodical on offense. I know I'm making very broad statements, but they're just my observations, and this is coming from a Big Ten fan.

The issue is those are the things that draw recruits.

We have to be a national recruiting team, which we are, but at the same time we need it set up where Indiana kids want to come to IU again. Whether Crean takes them or not is up to him, but we need that back.

We have to be a national recruiting team, which we are, but at the same time we need it set up where Indiana kids want to come to IU again. Whether Crean takes them or not is up to him, but we need that back.

I can tell all of you this….Teague is NOT a pure point guard….a la Jordan Hulls…..more of a combo guard.

I can tell all of you this….Teague is NOT a pure point guard….a la Jordan Hulls…..more of a combo guard.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino isn't a champagne kind of guy, but the word was he was popping the cork Sunday night.

Not only did Pitino watch his Cardinals defeat rival Kentucky 74-71, but he landed commitments from two top prospects from the Class of 2011.

Lawrence North sophomores Ryan Taylor and Michael Chandler gave Pitino the news just minutes after the win.

“We told (assistant coach Richard Pitino) and he said there couldn't be a better day than this,” Taylor said. “And then when we told coach Pitino. He told us he didn't like champagne, but that he was going to get a bottle tonight.”

Taylor, a 6-6 forward, picked Louisville over Cincinnati, Illinois, Purdue, Indiana and Kentucky. The 6-11 Chandler picked the Cardinals over Ohio State, Kentucky, Indiana and Florida. They can sign national letters of intent in November 2010.

Louisville already has two commitments from Lawrence North in Stephan Van Treese, who signed with the Cardinals in November and will be a freshman next fall, and junior Justin Martin, who can sign next fall.

“What a great day,” Van Treese said. “Watching the game and then also after the game. (Chandler and Taylor) had already been texting me on the way down there, saying they were going to commit. I didn't know if they were fooling around.

“It was funny how it happened, because after the game we just all (including Martin) huddled up and then walked down to coach Pitino.”

The Cardinals had another top player from Indiana — Pike sophomore Marques Teague — visiting for the game. The 6-1 Teague is considered one of the top 10 players in the Class of 2011 and Louisville is high on his list.

Most scouting services only rank the top 10 players out of a sophomore class, but Taylor and Chandler have shined on AAU stages.

“These are two very good gets early on,” Scout.com national analyst Evan Daniels said. “Both of these guys had a lot of good offers already. Ryan Taylor right now is an undersized post (at Lawrence North), but he's really athletic and tough.

“Chandler is a guy who is 6-11 and doesn't get a lot of playing time (in high school), but from what I have seen in the AAU circuit, the kid has loads of potential.”

Taylor said a lot of the same schools were recruiting both players and he's glad they can continue playing for the same team.

“We are good buddies,” Taylor said. “Just watching Louisville play, I felt like it was a good fit for me. I want to play in the NBA and I felt like the best coach to get me there was Rick Pitino.”

Chandler called the entire day “crazy” and said knowing the two will join Van Treese and Martin “only makes it better.”

“It makes it easier because we'll know somebody already there,” Chandler said. “At the same time, it's not that far from home. It's a really good school, the coaches are great and it just fits my style of play.”