4-star wing Curtis Williams Jr. commits to Louisville basketball's 2023 recruiting class

First-year Louisville men's basketball coach Kenny Payne on Monday scored his first 2023 commitment in Curtis Williams Jr., a four-star small forward from the Detroit area.

Williams, the top-rated rising senior in Michigan, announced his pledge to the Cardinals over Alabama, Florida State, Providence and Xavier from Brother Rice High School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He said he chose Monday to reveal his college decision because it's his mother's birthday and, "she's been there for me."

"I describe my game as a person who can do it all," Williams told Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports after choosing U of L. "I can guard 1 through 4; I can score the ball; I can defend; I can rebound. That's pretty much it to sum it up — and I'm a winner."

At 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds, Williams is the No. 15 small forward and the No. 69 overall player in the 2023 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He averaged 16.8 points on 39% shooting from 3-point range and grabbed 7.7 rebounds per game during his junior season with the Warriors, who play in Detroit's competitive Catholic League.

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"Curtis battled a bunch of adversity," Brother Rice head coach Rick Palmer told The Courier Journal. "As much as his game has grown, watching him grow — (there's) probably been a way bigger transformation off the court then there has been on — it's been special to be a part of and continue to watch him kind of blossom as a young man."

Palmer said he had the most contact with assistant coach Nolan Smith while U of L made a late push for Williams, who didn't have the Cardinals on his radar when he narrowed his list of contenders to six in May.

After watching the small forward turn in several standout performances playing for The Family on Nike's EYBL circuit, Payne extended Williams a scholarship offer in July. U of L reportedly visited Williams on Sept. 14, and he visited campus alongside fellow 2023 commit Kaleb Glenn the weekend before announcing his decision.

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"When I went there, it just felt like home," Williams said. "It just seemed like family to me. I really liked it a lot and their vision for me as a player overall. I could see myself growing there and developing there on and off the court.

"They just talk about me being a better person on and off the court, becoming more of a leader and really just coming in and helping win games," he added. "That was the big thing for them."

Williams joins Glenn, a Louisville native who pledged last September to ex-coach Chris Mack, as the second prospect in U of L's 2023 recruiting class. Over the summer, Glenn told the Courier Journal that Payne reaffirmed his commitment by cultivating a familial relationship during their first interactions.

Where does Louisville basketball stand with other 2023 recruits?

Louisville remains locked in a recruiting battle with Kentucky for the top prospect in the 2023 class, DJ Wagner, and one of his teammates, five-star center Aaron Bradshaw. UK head coach John Calipari reportedly started the fall recruiting period by paying both players a visit in Camden, New Jersey.

Wagner and Bradshaw were met with a large turnout of Cardinals fans and program legends in May when they took the court during the EYBL circuit's stop in the 502. Payne hired Wagner's grandfather, former U of L great Milt Wagner, as director of player development/alumni relations over the summer, and Smith traveled to Spain to watch the guard represent the United States in the FIBA U17 World Cup.

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U of L also has its eyes on Isaiah Miranda, the No. 5 center in the Class of 2023 who reportedly visited campus the weekend of Sept. 9. A.J. Johnson, a five-star guard from California, plans to be in town for Louisville Live on Oct. 21.

According to Rivals, the Cardinals were also among the schools that contacted former Christian Academy of Louisville star George Washington III in the wake of his decommitment from Ohio State.

Reach recruiting and trending sports reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball recruiting: Curtis Williams Jr. commits to Cards