The University of Louisville basketball team’s 2014 recruiting class – already loaded with tall frontcourt players – added another 7-foot-2 body on Monday with the commitment of Egyptian center Anas Osama Mahmoud.
Osama Mahmoud, who plays for West Oaks Academy in Florida, officially visited U of L in January, then chose the Cardinals over primarily Georgia Tech and Minnesota, where he’d also officially visited.
He was also considering Kentucky, which had yet to make an offer, Kansas, Florida, Cincinnati, Auburn and Miami. UK was among his many unofficial visits.
Osama Mahmoud, who has played in the Egyptian national program and came to the United States in September, will sign a letter of intent U of L in April, his guardian, Ahmed Awadallah, said.
Osama Mahmoud felt at home on his U of L visit and connected with the “players on a personal level,” Awadallah said, including speaking Arabic with redshirt freshman center Mangok Mathiang, a native of Sudan.
Awadallah envisions Mathiang being a “big brother” figure for Osama Mahmoud, who was impressed with coach Rick Pitino’s development of foreign players, including Gorgui Dieng of Senegal.
“He felt they did the best job of building a relationship with him because he doesn’t have the family and friends here in the U.S. but our family to really feel like he is home. He felt U of L is a place to call home,” said Awadallah, who happens to be a U of L graduate, although he said the player’s decision was entirely his own.
Osama Mahmoud is a skilled player for his height who can post up or face the basket, his guardian said. He’s a capable dribbler and shooter and also a formidable shot-blocker. He was a small forward until an “Anthony Davis-like” 5-inch growth spurt over the last 1½ years, Awadallah said.
“He loves, loves to play up-tempo basketball,” Awadallah said. “That’s what I think he’s built for. He’s obviously going to need some more size to his (205-pound frame) when he comes to Louisville. But he loves to shoot the three.
“He thinks Louisville is the best place for him to win one or two national championships. He wants to compete, and at the end of the day, he wanted to play for a Hall of Fame coach. … He really thinks he can be a better player in three or four years under Coach Pitino and set himself up for future success.”
Awadallah said Pitino was “super excited” to land Osama Mahmoud’s pledge, and the coach believes he is “humble and hungry.”
Osama Mahmoud, 18, was a little-used reserve on the Egyptian senior national team that competed in the FIBA African Championships in August, averaging 0.5 points and 0.5 rebounds. He previously played for his country in the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championships, averaging 5.4 points and four rebounds.
Osama Mahmoud is a strong student who speaks four languages – Arabic, English, French and German – and plans to major in engineering at U of L, Awadallah said. He is fully qualified to play NCAA basketball next season and will begin classes in May.
Awadallah, whose Egyptian father is a longtime friend of Osama Mahmoud’s father, is also a close friend of former U of L player Kyle Kuric and was the best man at Kuric’s wedding, although Awadallah reiterated he made no effort to push Osama Mahmoud to the Cards and that every team recruiting him had an equal chance.
Awadallah, who works for Yum! Brands, said the commitment is bittersweet because he’s glad Osama Mahmoud will be in Louisville, but he is leaving for a long-term assignment in Turkey and won’t be here to watch him play.
He’ll be the Cards’ sixth signee in a class that’s not short on height.
U of L already has signed point guard Quentin Snider (6-1), wing Shaqquan Aaron (6-7), power forward Jaylen Johnson (6-9), center Chinanu Onuaku (6-10) and Norwegian center Matz Stockman (7-2).
“He was very excited to be coming in with a very competitive class, one of the best classes in the nation.” Adawallah said. “Hopefully those guys stay together and win one or two national championships.
“They’re going to be really long and really athletic with the guys coming in. He was really excited to come in and compete with those other big guys in practice and make each other better.”
Steve Jones can be reached at (502) 582-7176 and followed on Twitter at @SteveJones_CJ.
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