Louisville basketball just secured a massive commitment from Ryan Conwell. The Xavier transfer is ranked as high as the No. 12 best player in the portal and is a unanimous 4-star prospect.
Conwell averaged 16.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting an impressive 45 percent field goal percentage and 41.3 percent from downtown. He splashed 99 3-pointers last season and will now elevate the Cardinals to have a filthy backcourt. The new Cardinal will join two 5-stars as Mikel Brown Jr. and Adrian Wooley play alongside Conwell next season under Pat Kelsey.
Entering the transfer portal, Louisville basketball fans begged the team to address the shooting concerns, and Kelsey and his staff exceeded all expectations. The Cardinals have the No. 1 point guard in the 2025 class and now have two of the top three combo guards in the 2025 transfer portal.
The Cardinals now need to shift their focus to the depth and forward positions.
5 players Louisville basketball must pursue after Ryan Conwell's commitment
The Cardinals were expected to spend up to $10 million this offseason and probably spent around $4 million on Wooley and Conwell. Louisville hit two massive home runs early in the transfer portal, but now has to attack their depth and forward concerns.
So, after this red-hot week for Kelsey and his staff, here are five players Louisville basketball must pursue after Ryan Conwell's commitment.
5. PF Yaxel Lendeborg - UAB
2024-25 Statistics: 37 G, 17.7 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.8 BPG, 1.7 SPG, 52.2% FG, 35.7% 3PT
Yaxel Lendeborg is the new No. 1 overall prospect in the transfer portal. This unanimous 5-star prospect is transferring out of UAB and is an elite power forward. Lendeborg is a dynamic two-way player, having won back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards in the AAC.
The 6-foot-9, 240-pound power forward broke the Blazers' record for the most double-doubles in just two seasons. Last season, he led the NCAA in double-doubles with 26, which would help him break UAB's rebound record in a single season with 420 rebounds. Last season for UAB, he averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.7 steals while shooting 52.2 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from the 3-point line.
This will be a formidable player for Kelsey to try and land as he has already been reached out by SEC giants like Auburn, Kentucky, Alabama, and more. He might not be in the Cardinal's budget, but the skill and toolset Lendeborg brings is exactly what the Louisville Cardinals need.
The unanimous 5-star and No. 1 overall prospect in the transfer portal is worth contacting and trying to recruit to join the Cardinal's lethal backcourt, as he is the missing piece.