Louisville basketball is about to hit the Transfer Portal hard for the third straight season, as Pat Kelsey knows he has a lot to replace this offseason. Assuming Mikel Brown Jr. declares for the NBA Draft, the Cardinals will have to replace four starters and at least two bench pieces.
3 players Pat Kelsey and Louisville basketball must bring back next season
The Cardinals had a top-five portal class last year, and if they want to compete for an ACC Title and with Duke, which has the No. 1 2026 recruiting class, they will need to replicate that success this offseason. The Transfer Portal will open on April 7 and close on April 21, but over 30 names have already entered the portal, and Kelsey should start reaching out and getting to the top of their list immediately.
So, here are three early players Louisville basketball must target in the Transfer Portal.
3. DeSean Goode
Louisville’s biggest area of weakness this past season was its frontcourt. The Cards lacked physicality and size, and when the portal opens up, Kelsey has to go get some big-time players for the frontcourt. Someone who should immediately be on Kelsey’s radar is  the Horizon League Player of the Year, DeSean Goode.
The 4-star transfer averaged 15.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while shooting 62.9 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from beyond the arc. Goode ranked No. 39 in the nation for offensive rebounds with 104, and averaged 3.2 per game, while he also ranked in the top 15 for effective field goal percentage.
Goode shoots just 1.9 3’s per game, as he scores the majority of his points in the paint, but he is a threat from beyond the arc as he made 1.1 3’s per game on 57.1 percent last season. He ranks No. 8 in the Transfer Portal and No. 3 among power forwards.