Former Gophers men's basketball recruit Dennis Evans is now committed to Louisville.

Evans, a five-star, 7-1 center from Riverside, Calif., signed a national letter of intent with the Gophers in November but formally requested his release on Feb. 24.

There was immediate speculation that Evans would head to Louisville after Gophers coach Ben Johnson granted his release last month. The Hillcrest High School senior committed during his recruiting visit with the Cardinals this weekend. They finished 4-28 this season.

Louisville was among several major conference programs that jumped into the recruiting mix for Evans once he was back on the market. He also strongly considered Texas Christian, which finished runner-up to Minnesota when he signed in September.

Evans' former AAU teammate and Gophers freshman guard Jaden Henley also has a decision looming whether to enter the transfer portal after his close friend decided not to play for the U.

Losing Evans meant the Gophers would no longer have the highest-rated recruit in 20 years, but they still signed four-star guard Cameron Christie, who was an all-state player in Illinois.