Louisville basketball had a huge recruiting surge over the weekend as the Cardinals hosted its top two transfer targets, Flory Bidunga and Jackson Shelstad, for an official visit, and on Sunday, Louisville earned a commitment from both. Both commitments are ranked among the top 16, with Bidunga ranked No. 1 overall and Shelstad ranked No. 16.
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However, Louisville’s offseason isn’t slowing down anytime soon, as the Cardinals will have to replace nine of their top ten players from this past season. Louisville has lost four forwards to the portal, Mikel Brown Jr. to the NBA Draft, and key players in Ryan Conwell, Isaac McKneely, and J’Vonne Hadley to eligibility.
So, now with Louisville landing two big-time transfers, the big question is what is next? Well, we are going to break down Louisville’s three biggest areas of need after landing Bidunga and Shelstad’s commitments.
3-Point Specialist
The Cardinals are known to live and die from beyond the arc, and in Kelsey’s system, he will want to go get a pure shooter like McKneely and Reyne Smith. Right now, Louisville’s best 3-point shooter is Adrian Wooley, and while he has the potential to be a top scorer for Louisville, Kelsey will want a more pure 3-point shooter.
Louisville will need an elite catch and shoot 3-point specialist who Kelsey can rely on to make nearly 100 3’s on the season. The Cardinals like to play fast and shoot a lot of 3’s, and now with Bidunga and Shelstad committed, Kelsey will have to try and find his next 3-point sharpshooter.
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Elite ball defender
Louisville was in the mix for elite defender Miles Byrd, but the 4-star transfer committed to Providence over the Cardinals, and now Louisville will try to target another defensive-minded guard. The Cardinals need someone like Chucky Hepburn, whom Kelsey could trust on defense, to get a stop and play tough physical defense.
The Cardinals need someone who can be an absolute pest on defense and force turnovers. Wooley and London Johnson have the potential to grow on defense and be solid defenders for Kelsey, but Louisville needs a true lockdown defender who can impact the game on the defensive end.
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A true power forward
Louisville has lost four forwards this offseason to the Transfer Portal, plus J’Vonne Hadley because of eligibility. The Cardinals' frontcourt got a massive boost this offseason by adding Bidunga, but Kelsey must not stop there.
Louisville is making a strong push for 4-star Saint Mary transfer Paulius Murauskas, and he would be a perfect fit. He ranks as high as No. 8 overall and No. 2 among power forwards in the portal, and at 6-foot-8, 235 pounds, he is a physical forward who is an elite scorer. While Bidunga has a huge impact on offense, Louisville needs a power forward who is a legitimate offensive threat. Louisville needs someone who has the size of a true power forward, can space the floor out and be a pure scorer, and also isn't afraid to play physical.
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For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.