Louis Lesmond is a unique prospect on the wing.  At 6’6” the Shooting Guard/Small Forward moves very well and is highly skilled.  Originally from France, Lesmond learned basketball in a different setting than many of the other players we cover, and his unique blend of size and skill has gotten him a spot on the younger divisions of Team France.  Last year Lesmond played for France’s U16 team during the European Championship tournament and spent much of the summer in France again.  

The rising Junior only arrived in the States in 2018, but seems to have acclimated quite well.  Evanston Township and Lesmond had a strong run in the playoffs, making it all the way to the Illinois state championship before losing to Belleville West.  This run is all the more impressive when you think about how it was Lesmond’s first season in America, with more time Lesmond could be even more dangerous and an even larger contributor than before.  Now at Notre Dame Prep, Lesmond is the newest addition to a stacked team that already has two ranked 2021 players in Anthony Sayles and Troy D’Amico. As a part of this new, talented trio, Lesmond will look to build off his success last year and make his second American season even more memorable.  

In regards to college interest, Lesmond has warranted a ton of it since coming to Illinois.  Although he only holds offers from the likes of Illinois, Nebraska, and Dayton, Lesmond has told us that he has been actively recruited by many other schools.  Among these schools are Indiana, Iowa, Notre Dame, Creighton, Santa Clara, Yale, Cal Berkley, Wisconsin, and Marquette, and that’s just to name a few. Lesmond is certainly a high major talent, and plenty of these schools must be thinking about extending him an offer once they see him play again.  As far as visits go Lesmond has not taken any yet but does plan to do so soon. He has particularly been eyeing Illinois, Nebraska, Dayton, Santa Clara for his visits, but hasn’t been able to go to any of them yet due to his busy summer in France.  

When it finally becomes time to choose a school, Lesmond has a good idea of what he wants.  He says that he really wants to go to a Division 1 school that has a solid basketball program.  But he also focuses a lot on the coaching staff at each prospective school saying he wants a staff that, “believes in me and that will help me maximize my potential as a basketball player”.  Basketball will not be the only factor when Louis is choosing his school though, he also says the school’s academic reputation will play a significant role when the time comes to make a choice.

Lesmond is only in the class of 2021 though, and has two full high school seasons to complete before ever stepping foot on a college campus.  He’s a great addition to Notre Dame knowing that every team can use a long wing with a smooth shooting stroke and tight handle. Now that he’s paired up with Sayles and D’Amico, there is no limit to what they can do.  This has the making of being a power trio that could dominate Illinois basketball for the next two years.