Irish Interested In 2020 Oak Hill Forward

Ryan Humphrey had some straightforward advice when the Notre Dame men’s basketball assistant spoke with 2020 Oak Hill forward/center Dylan Cardwell last month.

“He was just like, ‘You need more confidence,’” the 6-foot-10, 220-pound junior recalled. “He said if I keep telling myself I’m one of the best on the team, I can go really far with basketball and use it to provide for my family, which is one of my main goals.”

The advice really hit home with Cardwell.

“I do know one thing I am lacking is a lot of confidence in myself,” he acknowledged. “I’m not used to the scoring spotlight on this team. That’s what I’m really trying to work for, the scoring spotlight, but I’m just playing my role this year and next year, see what I can do with the ball.

“That was probably the most accurate advice I’ve ever gotten.”

The advice also told Cardwell plenty about Humphrey.

“That means he looks out for me and cares for me,” the Georgia native said.

Still Cardwell, doesn’t know too much about the Irish just yet.

“I’ve watched them,” he said. “They’re in the ACC. The ACC is my favorite conference right now, that’s the league I looked up to as a kid.”

The Irish haven’t offered yet, but if they do, Cardwell will certainly look to find out more about the program and the coaches.

“Just the overall athletics, how the coach approaches every team and see what’s real about the program.”

He does have offers from Georgia, Penn State and Tennessee.

He’s scheduled to be in Knoxville on an official visit this weekend.

Cardwell is tight with Vols star power forward Grant Williams as they both played for the same CP3 AAU program.

“We talk a lot,” Cardwell said. “He’s really my mentor. I look up to him a lot. Him going as a freshman and transforming himself to a first-round pick his sophomore year, but he decided to stay in college and now he’s a lottery pick. He’s my mentor. I look up to him a lot.”

Cardwell isn’t rushing the recruiting process and has no timeline for a decision, but it won’t be soon.

“Nowhere in the near future at all.”