Expect Louisville basketball to be championship contenders every year

It was the type of game fanbases on each side don’t quickly forget, but if Rick Pitino couldn’t wipe away the memory from the heads of a rabid Louisville fanbase, he’s done the next best thing. By receiving a verbal commitment from class of 2015 guard Antonio Blakeney on Thursday night -- his fourth high-profile recruit of the summer -- Pitino has made it clear that Louisville’s Final Four berth in 2012 and national title in 2013 were no flukes.

If Louisville isn’t a blue-blood program on the level of Duke or Kentucky or North Carolina yet, it’s damn close. The Blakeney commitment is simply the latest in a growing list of evidence that Pitino has built the Cardinals into the only thing a fanbase can ever ask for: a sustained winner that’s going to be in the hunt during March Madness every single season.

Blakeney, the No. 13 player in the class according to Rivals, profiles as the sort of guard custom-built to wreck the college game. He can devastate a defense with his pull-up jumper and has range that extends past the three-point line. He’s an aggressive defender who loves playing the passing lanes and should thrive in Pitino’s scheme. He’s the type who can bail out a bad possession in a pinch by being able to get off his own look pretty much whenever he wants.

Blakeney put on a show all summer as a teammate of the country’s No. 1 recruit, LSU commit Ben Simmons, on Each1Teach1. He was the EYBL’s sixth leading scorer at 19.6 points per game and even popped off for 42 once. Louisville fans know how successful ball dominant guards with range can be after watching Smith go off the last two seasons, and Blakeney would seem to fit the bill perfectly as a natural successor.

Louisville’s 2015 recruiting class was stacked even before Blakeney committed. The Cardinals had already secured a hometown big man, the biggest riser in the class, and a do-it-all wing who could end up being the best player of the bunch after a few years on campus.

You can start with Donovan Mitchell, a 6’2 guard from New Hampshire’s prestigious Brewster Academy, who shot up the recruiting rankings more than any player in the country over the last three months. Mitchell was ranked No. 101 by Rivals when the summer started. He’s up to No. 30 now. Mitchell is a strong, rugged guard and a big-time athlete; essentially another ideal fit for Pitino.

Ray Spalding, up to No. 38 in Rivals’ rankings, comes from the Cardinals’ own backyard. He’s another above-the-rim athlete who, at 6’9, should carry on Montrezl Harrell’s legacy of big men who take out personal vendettas on the basket. Deng Adel is a 6’7 Sudanese forward who chose Louisville over UConn and Florida, among others. He’s only starting to learn how good he can be.

This 2015 group will join a 2014 recruiting class that includes Louisville’s next pure point guard (Quentin Snider), another explosive wing (Shaqquan Aaron) and four talented front court players. Pitino’s 2014 class ranked No. 7 in the country according to Rivals, and with four top 50 recruits already lined up in 2015, this class should be even better.

While Simmons is the only member of the top 12 players in ESPN’s recruiting rankings to pick a school so far, Louisville has locked in a class that won’t fall in the rankings even as Kentucky, Kansas and North Carolina start picking off the players at the very top of the list. Pitino has built a program on par with those, a program that will be competing deep in March for the foreseeable future.