Pitino Visiting Marra; What's Next for Louisville?

Everywhere you look right now, Louisville seems to be turning up in recruiting news. Cardinals head coach Rick Pitino will visit Mike Marra, a 6-4 shooting guard at Northfield (Ma.) Mount Hermon, on Wednesday. At the same time, Louisville is involved with Peyton Siva and appears to have backed off of commit Melquan Bolding and another commit, Lamont "Momo" Jones," either de-committed or Pitino bailed on him, depending on whom you believe. Through it all, the world awaits a Tyreke Evans decision.

Let's look at these developments one by one.

First, Mount Hermon coach John Carroll, one of the best men in the business, said Pitino will arrive on campus for Wednesday's game and that there's a chance Marra could commit then or soon thereafter.

"It's not out of the realm of possibility that (Marra) makes his decision (Wednesday) but it may take a couple days for him to think about it," Carroll said.

Marra is averaging 27 points over his last 10 games, including a 36-point performance in which he went 10-of-11 from 3-point land against Devin Ebanks and St. Thomas More.

"He's an elite offensive player," Carroll said. "He's no longer limited to being a 3-point shooter. He's wildly athletic and he's been putting up big numbers against everybody in New England."

Carroll said Wake Forest, Florida, Miami and Michigan are also involved.

**As for the 6-4, 200-pound Bolding out of Notre Dame Prep, the official word is that he's still committed to Louisville even though he has yet to sign a Letter of Intent despite committing in the fall of 2006.

"I would tell them I'm still committed, so I guess I'm still going there," Bolding told Jeff Wafford of CardinalSports.com.

"(Louisville) was just wanting for me to get my grades together, but I'm still signing with them," Bolding added.

Still, sources around New York City indicate Pitino may no longer be interested in Bolding's services, and that's why the commitment hasn't come to fruition with a signing yet.

Bolding is averaging 23 points per game since Christmas and is tearing it up, according to Notre Dame Prep coach Ryan Hurd.

"He's hands down the best player around here," Hurd said. "Melquan and (Louisville commit) Terrence (Jennings) have started to take over. There isn't anybody better about getting to the rim."

**Louisville is also involved with Peyton Siva, a 5-11 PG from Seattle (Wash.), who is friendly with Jennings and is also considering Washington, Arizona and Kansas. Tom Wyrwich of the Seattle Times spoke with Siva after his recent visit to Louisville for the Georgetown game.

"It was far out," Siva told Wyrwich. "It was so loud."

"I like it a lot now ... They play just like Franklin. They get out and run. They play hard-nosed defense."

**As for Evans, who is considering Villanova, Louisville, Memphis, Texas, UConn and Seton Hall, many think he will end up at Memphis and that Pitino is reconciled to this.

Evans will be in New Jersey at St. Peter's College Thursday for a game against Bob Hurley's St. Anthony team that will be broadcast on ESPN. The game is part of a doubleheader that also includes St. Benedict's against Benedictine.

Evans and his brothers and assistant coach, Lamont Peterson, will fly Friday to Memphis for Saturday's game featuring No. 1 Memphis against No. 2 Tennessee game, and then make his college decision sometime thereafter.

"I can't wait to be in that building for that game," Evans told the Philly Daily News, adding that he wished to play for a team that has Final Four potential.

"But nothing is certain," said Doc Evans, Tyreke's brother. "Villanova is as much in the picture as Memphis and Louisville, maybe more so, because of the relationship our family has with coach [Jay] Wright. I can't speak for Tyreke. Our family will have some say in it, but it's ultimately Tyreke's decision, and it's a choice he's going to have make on his own."