Penn men’s basketball has received its first verbal commitment for the class of 2015.
Greg Louis, a 6-foot-6 power forward out of William T. Dwyer High School in south Florida, told The Daily Pennsylvanian Tuesday that he would be coming to Penn for his college career.
Louis was deciding between Penn and Tulane, but ultimately chose Penn for its Ivy League academics and basketball tradition.
“I wanted to go somewhere where I could make the most of all my opportunities,” he said.
Louis added that his primary point of contact has been with assistant men’s basketball coach Mike Martin, who told the recruit that he would be a “benefit” to the program.
“Penn is an easy school to sell. There’s a lot of great things going on in Philadelphia, a lot of great things going on at the university,” Louis said. “They’re really enthusiastic about picking up from the past season, so they’re doing all they can to improve and be competitive.”
Louis said he originally hadn’t spoken much to head coach Jerome Allen, but added that the two have grown closer.
“I like his attitude. I like the fact that he went to the University of Pennsylvania, and he achieved what he wanted to achieve,” he said. “He comes from a similar background as I do. He worked hard to get what he has. We both have the same aspirations.”
Louis is Penn’s first recruiting commitment in what has so far been a quiet preseason for the Quakers. Penn was the last Ivy League school to report a verbal commitment.
Rated an 88 by ESPN, Louis will look to fill the shoes of a graduating class that includes forwards and captains Jack Eggleston and Conor Turley, as well as Andreas Schreiber and Zack Gordon.
“I can definitely bring a lot of energy to the team, a great attitude; I work hard,” Louis said of his future contribution to the program, “I’m not really big on talking. I’ll show you next year.”
The senior was not deterred at all by Penn’s recent lackluster records, which included a program worst 6-22 finish last year.
“It’s definitely going to be hard because I come from a program that’s used to winning,” he said. “But one thing about UPenn is they do expect to win, even though they haven’t had great seasons the last few years. They have a tradition of winning.
“I’m just happy that I’m secure and I know where I’m going to school, and a great school at that.”
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