Ferlandes Wright knows more eyes are on him now, after his commitment to Louisville basketball’s 2027 recruiting class.
The 502 native and former Fairdale High School standout embraces it.
“I definitely feel like I have to go out and show that Louisville ain’t got no scrub committing there,” he said. “I’m a dog.”
On Sunday, Wright will play his first game in his hometown since his verbal pledge to Pat Kelsey last month. His new school, La Lumiere, is visiting from La Porte, Indiana, for a 1:30 p.m. tipoff against Iowa United Prep in the MADE Hoops Main Event at St. Xavier. It’s a chance for the 6-foot-7 junior forward to show Cardinals fans the strong foundation he’s built and plans to continue building upon before donning the red and black.
“I want to be somebody who’s remembered in the city,” Wright said.
The Courier Journal spoke with Wright and his former Fairdale coach, Michael Stinnett, about his recruitment and what type of player UofL is getting. Here’s what they had to say:
Inside Louisville basketball’s recruitment of Ferlandes Wright
Fairdale’s Ferlandes Wright takes the ball underneath against Frederick Douglass at the King of the Bluegrass on Dec. 20, 2024
Louisville assistant Ronnie Hamilton was the first member of the coaching staff to meet Wright when he visited Fairdale last September, Stinnett said. The forward, who joined the Bulldogs after averaging 15.3 points and 9.1 rebounds as a freshman at W.E.B. DuBois Academy, had piqued the Cards’ interest.
He proceeded to outdo himself as a sophomore — leading Fairdale in scoring (18 points per game on 60.8% shooting) and rebounding (12.6). His 403 total boards ranked fifth across the commonwealth.
“He worked hard in the weight room; obviously, he worked hard in practice. But he also did a lot of stuff on his own,” Stinnett said. “He was in the gym every morning. Anytime the gym was open, Ferlandes was in there, so I think, within that year, he just kind of transformed himself all the way around.
“He was our go-to guy. We let him experiment; we let him play on the perimeter a lot. And I just think he became more of a versatile player last year.”
Stinnett said Hamilton and Kelsey contacted him during Wright’s big summer with the Indy Heat on Nike’s EYBL circuit, which included winning the U16 championship at Peach Jam. “They were bragging on him, telling me how much he had improved,” the coach said.
In eight games competing against some of the country’s top juniors-to-be, Wright averaged 9.6 points on 52.4% shooting with 6.9 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 assists across 22:47 minutes per contest.
“It just felt unbelievable,” he said of his initial conversations with UofL. “Even though I hadn’t gotten the offer yet, it was still like, ‘Dang, all right — they see me. I know I’m on the right page right now.”
The offer came Oct. 10, according to a post from Wright on X, formerly Twitter. He was visiting campus with his father, a member of Stinnett’s staff, and an uncle — who, like him, were floored by the program’s facilities and the reception they got during the tour.
“They treated me like I was one of theirs already,” Wright said. “When you walk in the building, you want to be around them — you want to get after it.”
From there, it was a wrap. Wright didn’t care about committing early. He knew: “There was no other place I’d rather be.”
“I feel like coach Kelsey and I had the same vision that I have for myself,” he added. “I think we saw (it) through the same glasses.”
Wright said Toledo and WKU were the two other programs recruiting him the hardest. Stinnett believes the forward didn’t get a lot of offers from mid-majors because they knew he was destined for a bigger stage. The coach called his commitment to the Cards a “win-win” for both parties.
“You’ve got a kid who truly wants to be there,” Stinnett said. “It’s going to mean the world to him.”
What is Louisville basketball getting in 2027 commit Ferlandes Wright?
Wright is close with Ray Spalding, the former Trinity standout who was selected in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft after two seasons at Louisville. He wants to take the two-and-done route, too, and considers the elder Card’s agent, Antonio Sloan, his mentor.
Sloan, he said, gave him some advice that has served as his North Star on the court ever since: “There’s no such thing as a bad game if you’re doing all the little stuff.”
“I think that just shows toughness,” Wright said.
That’s the kind of player UofL is getting. Just look at Wright’s line from La Lumiere’s 73-70 overtime win over Dream City Christian on Nov. 29 at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest in Dallas: 13 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and four blocks.
“When you’re playing top-of-the-top guys, you feel some type of way,” he said. “It’s like, ‘All right, I’ve got to go at this kid; I’ve got to stop him from doing this; I’ve got to outrebound him; I’ve got to dive on that loose ball before he does. You get that motor going, you know?’ “
Fairdale’s Ferlandes Wright (20) makes the shot against Jeffersontown in a Sixth Region quarterfinal March 4.
As of early December, Wright ranked 188th overall and 27th among power forwards in the Class of 2027 on the 247Sports Composite. If he continues at this pace against marquee competition, his stock should soar.
As Stinnett’s workhorse during his lone season at Fairdale, Wright shot 65.2% from inside the arc and 36.4% on 55 attempts from beyond it. At La Lumiere, he wants to get stronger and become more comfortable and consistent with dribbling and shooting on the perimeter, which will serve him well in Kelsey’s uptempo, five-out attack. He’s got a willingness to seek out tough defensive assignments and considers rebounding a nonnegotiable — his dad will call him out if he sees anything but maximum effort when it comes to corralling missed shots.
“(He’s) a monster on the glass,” Stinnett said. “Some games, you just got so used to it that you wouldn’t even realize it and you’d look up and he’d have 15 rebounds. … He not only (has) a good motor to go get rebounds; he’s just got a good knack for being where the ball’s at.”
Stinnett has kept up with Wright’s games after he made the difficult decision to join La Lumiere a few days before the start of Jefferson County Public Schools’ fall semester. He sees the forward maturing on the court.
“His personality has changed,” the coach said. “He’s more outgoing; he’s more of a leader.”
“I’m bringing versatility and a winning mindset,” Wright added.
That’ll play in this hoops-crazed city, and he knows it. He’s been a Cards fan his whole life.
Reach Louisville men’s basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball recruiting 2027, Ferlandes Wright on Pat Kelsey
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