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U of L in good shape with 2016 wing Terrance Ferguson

Terrance Ferguson knows what his reputation is, and it’s a big reason the University of Louisville is one of the schools making a hard push for his services.

The elite Class of 2016 wing is considered a sniper of sorts, one of the top shooting perimeter players in his grade, and he’s earned that reputation. In eight AAU games so far this spring, the 6-foot-6 from Dallas has taken 76 shots, and 58 of them have been 3-pointers.

But on Sunday, after his Mo Williams Academy team won its fourth consecutive game at the Under Armour Association round robin this weekend at MidAmerica Sports Center, Ferguson said he is working hard to become a more well-rounded offensive threat.

“Just improving my dribbling skills,” he said. “People know me as a shooter, so that’s why they play me out so high (on defense). They’re going to play me for the shot, so I (need to) just drive and score off that, get to the free-throw line.”

This weekend’s event was the third time in five months that Ferguson has been in Kentucky. Ferguson’s high school team played at Seneca High in December and in Paducah in January. After the game at Seneca, Ferguson took an unofficial visit to the University of Louisville and saw the Cardinals beat Ohio State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge at the KFC Yum! Center.

It was one of a few unofficial visits he took at the beginning of the school year. He also saw Kansas in January and Oklahoma State last October.

During the Louisville visit, Ferguson watched practice and toured the city. His mom, Rachelle Holdman, told The Courier-Journal in January that the visit was “amazing.” Her son raved about it again on Sunday.

“It was one of the best (visits) I went on – great facilities, great coaching staff, period,” Ferguson said. “I went to their practice. It was tough. I like that. Even when I went to the game, somebody knew me. I was like, ‘OK, it’s crazy now.’ I love it up here.”

Ferguson said on Sunday that Louisville, through assistant coach Kenny Johnson, is one of the schools contacting him the most, in addition to Arizona, Arkansas, Baylor, Kansas, Texas, Texas A&M, Virginia and Wake Forest.

Several other programs, namely Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and SMU, are also in pursuit, and just about every coach in Louisville on Sunday sat courtside for his final game of the weekend.

For the Cardinals, Ferguson is exactly the type of player U of L coach Rick Pitino wants. After a frustrating 2014-15 season in which the Cards struggled with scoring, Pitino has repeatedly said he would exclusively recruit shooters going forward.

It appears Louisville is still in good position with Ferguson, too. Holdman said in January that Ferguson would “definitely” take one of his five official visits to U of L. And for his part, Ferguson said his top factor in the decision-making process is the program’s coaching staff, then praised U of L’s staff.

“Coach Pitino, the history behind his name — he’s won a national championship before and he gets players to the NBA,” Ferguson said. “That’s my ultimate goal. With him, I can be able to do that.

“It’s a family-based staff. I went up there and had one of the greatest times of my life.”

Ferguson isn’t sure yet when he’ll take his five official visits, or which schools he’ll visit, even with his mom expecting to see U of L at some point.

In fact, the quick-to-smile high school junior seems content to let his mom and coach handle all that. In the meantime?

“I just focus on basketball,” Ferguson said, grinning.

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