LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- D.J. Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw were the confirmed headliners on the New Jersey Scholars AAU basketball team last spring.

Wagner, the point guard, controlled the action and could score on anybody, flashing the complete game that made him the top-ranked player in the Class of 2023 for more than two years.

Bradshaw was the 7-footer who did impressive things around the rim at both ends of the floor.

Everybody notices the point guard and the 7-footer.

But the Scholars' player who stirred my attention was the guy who outworked everybody on the defensive end. The kid who held his ground in rebounding scrums and filled in the gaps between Wagner and Bradshaw.

His name was Mackenzie Mgbako.

At 6 feet, 8 inches tall and 210 solid pounds, Mgbako looked comfortable on the wing or in the post.

That explained why Duke coach Jon Scheyer offered him a scholarship and why Mgbako committed before Kenny Payne and his University of Louisville coaching staff had a serious opportunity to make their pitch.

That changed Tuesday.

Mgbako decommitted from Duke. The whys about the decommitment this late in the recruiting process are complicated. Mgbako's decision came not long after Kyle Filipowski, Duke's leading scorer, announced he would return to the Blue Devils for his sophomore season.

There's likely more to the story, but that part of it is a Duke story. And locally, it is not as important as this question:

Will Louisville have its opportunity to make an effective pitch for Mgbako this time?

Count on it.

Three days after he was the leading scorer (with 22 points) at the Nike Hoops Summit in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday, Mgbako and his parents are absolutely aware that Louisville wants him for the 2023-24 Cardinals' lineup.

Does that mean Mgbako will be a Cardinal next season?

No.

The competition for Mgbako will be fierce, just as it was for Wagner and Bradshaw, who signed with Kentucky. At 247Sports, Mgbako is ranked the No. 7 player in the class — and everybody who is anybody chases a prospect with the skills Mgbako has.

But the Cardinals will have their opportunity to make a legitimate pitch — just as Payne and his staff are making their pitch to several talented guards from Power 5 programs in the transfer portal. Payne is counting on his ability to build relationships and trust with players as well as with parents to deliver for the Cardinals.

And, yes, the U of L staff certainly understands the need for more than Mike James and incoming Skyy Clark in the Cards' backcourt next season. Mgbako is important, but so are several other players.

Don't be surprised if Louisville adds another player from the NBA Academy Africa. Payne returned Monday from his five-day trip to Saly, Senegal, home of the academy. He was one of nearly 20 American college coaches who accepted their invitation to watch 30 players practice and scrimmage.

Emmanuel Okorafor, an Academy product, joined U of L in January last season. Payne is convinced that a strong relationship with the Academy can benefit his program.

Although Duke, Texas, Washington and several other Power 5 programs sent assistant coaches to Senegal, Payne and DePaul head coach Tony Stubblefield were the only head coaches who made the 4,500-mile trip. (Coincidentally, Jon Rothstein reported earlier this week that Louisville will play at DePaul on Dec. 9.)

The basketball talent in Africa improves every year, but evaluating players is challenging because their skill development lags behind most players in the U.S. or Europe. Several guys have only played basketball for two or three years.

But for Payne, the most unforgettable part of the journey did not involve a ball or a rim. It was the trip the coaches made over the weekend to Goree Island off the coast of Dakar, Senegal.

For more than 300 years, it was the largest slave trading center on coast of West Africa, under the rule of the Portuguese, Dutch, English and French. Payne said the coaches were given their tour by the same guide who once showed the facility to former President Barack Obama and Pope John Paul II.

"It was an unbelievable experience," Payne said. "It was hard to stand there and imagine how people were treated when you see how small the facility was where they kept so many people.

"It made you think about the conditions they had to go through. It's something that I'll never forget."

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