Louisville basketball is having a dominant offseason as the Cardinals' Transfer Portal class ranks No. 1 in the nation. Pat Kelsey and company are rebuilding the Cardinals' roster after losing nine of their top 10 players from last season, including all five starters.
Every NCAA Transfer Portal player who committed to Louisville basketball so far
Louisville has already landed six transfer commitments, including 5-star transfer and No. 1 transfer Flory Bidunga,and 4-star transfers Jackson Shelstad, Karter Knox, and Alvaro Folgueiras. While Louisville’s offseason ranks No. 1 in the nation, Kelsey and this staff aren’t done just yet, and they still have some work to do.
Kelsey made it clear he understands what the standard is from Louisville fans, and he wants to take this team to the Final Four. So, how exactly do the Cardinals make it to the Final Four for the first time since 2013? Here’s a look at two more things that would skyrocket their chances of making it back to the Final Four next season.
2. Add athletic wing with size
The Cardinals need to go get some key bench pieces, but one glaring area of need is depth at the wing position. Kelsey has to get a Khani Rooths replacement, as Louisville needs someone who is athletic and has some size.
Louisville added Karter Knox to be their likely starting power forward, but with Kelsey wanting to make a run to the Final Four, they need someone who can come off the bench and give Louisville that spark like what Rooths did in his two years. Someone who can cut to the basket and have a huge dunk and get the stadium fired up, and on the other end can use his size and athleticism to be a legit defender. Louisville needs more depth in its frontcourt.
1. Land 5-star Obinna Ekezie Jr.
The Cardinals recently got a huge update from the 5-star Obinna Ekezie Jr. The 7-foot center currently ranks No. 2 in the 2027 recruiting class and No. 1 among centers, and Louisville just learned they made his final five and will now go up against BYU, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Maryland.
There have been rumors that the 5-star is considering reclassifying to the 2026 class, which would give Louisville’s frontcourt a huge boost if he commits and reclassifies. The Cardinals' frontcourt, led by Bidunga and Ekezie, would give this team a real chance to be ranked in the top 10 entering the season, and would give Louisville a legit shot at making a Final Four run.
Related: Louisville basketball gets huge update from 5-star Obinna Ekezie Jr.
For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.
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