Kaleb Glenn did not waiver in his commitment to Louisville basketball in the wake of the university parting ways with Chris Mack, but the former Male High School star laid out some expectations he had for the person chosen to succeed the coach who offered him a scholarship.

"I just want to build a relationship with the next coach like I had with Coach Mack," Glenn told The Courier Journal in early February, less than a week after the head coach's exit.

"I’m big on relationships. I need a good relationship with a coach, to feel like he’s got me and I got him."

It didn't take much for Glenn to feel that connection with Kenny Payne.

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Glenn said Payne's reputation proceeded him before the two first met, especially the relationships Payne has with the NBA stars he developed as an assistant on John Calipari's staff at Kentucky. Their first interaction, Glenn said, erased what little doubt remained about whether the 55-year-old Mississippi native would be the college coach for him.

"He was like, 'We're family, and I'm gonna help you get to where you want to be,'" Glenn said May 28 of his first meeting with Payne. "That's what he's been preaching the whole time."

Since then, Glenn said he and Payne have spoken over the phone several times and texted back and forth about the NBA playoffs. He's also talked with new assistant coaches Danny Manning and Nolan Smith. And Glenn took notice of the former Louisville greats who made appearances at the Nike-sponsored EYBL session at the Kentucky Expo Center.

Glenn needed just two words to summarize the momentum Payne has brought to his future school just months after the Cards finished 13-19 and missed the NCAA Tournament: "It's big."

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With a reaffirmed confidence in his commitment, Glenn said he's on a mission to "prove myself on the national stage." The four-star small forward certainly looked the part during the EYBL session in Louisville.

One of the Top 50 players in the 2023 class on 247Sports' composite rankings, Glenn averaged 13.4 points and 6.6 rebounds across five games during the Memorial Day weekend event.

Glenn's best performance came in Game 4 against Drive Nation and Kentucky target Ron Holland. The 6-foot-6, 200-pound Louisville native scored 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting and knocked down a game-winning layup in the final seconds of the fourth quarter.

Glenn said Payne and other members of his staff have praised his versatility and shooting ability. He was at his best during the EYBL session when he patrolled the post and got a chance to showcase his speed in transition. He also made a 3-pointer in each game and finished the weekend 5 for 13 from deep.

Over the course of the next year, Glenn said he hopes "to get better in any way" before arriving on U of L's campus.

"Whether it's offensively, defensively, layups, 3s, midrange, I just try to get better (and) be as versatile as I can," he said.

Kaleb Glenn: 2023 Louisville basketball commit announces he's leaving Male for Indiana prep school

That development won't be happening at Male High School. Glenn in late April announced he is enrolling at La Lumiere, a college prep boarding and day school in La Porte, Indiana, for his senior year. The move was in part influenced by his desire to continue establishing himself as one of the top emerging talents in the country.

"I'm just trying to get ready for that college schedule, waking up at 6 a.m., weights, practice, going to school and then playing a national schedule, playing against top teams like these," Glenn said.

Louisville still among top schools for Chris Mack offer Lawrent Rice

Lawrent Rice said he was "heartbroken" to learn about Louisville parting ways with Mack. The former coach offered a scholarship to the three-star guard from Dayton, Ohio, in June 2021, not long after Rice visited campus.

That hasn't bumped the Cardinals off his top contenders in his recruitment, especially after he did his research on Payne and spoke with the new coaching staff.

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"They told me about a couple of guys they're recruiting," said Rice, a 6-foot-3, 170-pound prospect who's the No. 6 player in Ohio on 247Sports' composite rankings. "I think I could fit in well with those guys. "We're still building relationships. That's what it's all about."

Playing for All-Ohio at the EYBL session, Rice average 10.4 points and 4.2 assists across five games. He attempted only seven 3-pointers during the weekend but made four of those shots.

Heading into his final year at Wayne High School, Rice said he wants to continue developing his body and other skills that will serve him well at the collegiate level.

"Catch-and-shoot 3s, you gotta be able to knock those down," he said. "Ball handling, finishing at the rim (and) floaters, of course. I love doing floaters."

According to 247Sports, Rice also has offers from Ohio State, Kansas State, Purdue, Rutgers and West Virginia. He said at the EYBL session he planned to visit Virginia Tech and Wake Forest in the coming weeks.

"I'm just letting things play out," Rice said. "I'm just playing basketball — that's it."

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kaleb Glenn, Louisville basketball commit, on Kenny Payne, prep school