Dominant 6-foot-8 4-star PF transfer emerging as dream target for Louisville

When Louisville basketball fans look at what they need to address this offseason in the Transfer Portal, they're going to say a veteran point guard, an off-ball 3-point shooter, and additions to their frontcourt. Louisville's biggest weakness last year was its frontcourt, as it needed more size and strength at the forward position.

Louisville Basketball: The Cardinals’ biggest 2026 Transfer Portal needs

The Cardinals will lose J’Vonne Hadley and Aly Khalifa, and if everyone returns, that means they will have Khani Rooths, Sananda Fru, and Evangelos Zougris. Louisville needs to go get a wing or a power forward who can be a more offensive threat, and right now in the portal, there is someone the Cards fans should be dreaming of.

Paulius Murauskas is exactly what Louisville basketball needs

Paulius Murauskas is not going to be easy to get, but the 4-star transfer is a dominant power forward who can play physical basketball, coming over from Kaunas, Lithuania, and he is also an elite shooter.

He originally committed to Arizona as a 4-star recruit, ranking as high as No. 107 in the 2023 recruiting class and No. 23 among power forwards, but after getting just 5.1 minutes per game his freshman season, he entered the portal and transferred to Saint Mary’s.

The 6-foot-8, 235-pound power forward made an immediate impact with the Gaels, starting in all 35 games in the 2024-25 season, averaging 12.1 points and 7.7 rebounds, while shooting 44.7 percent from the field. He then stepped it up this season, averaging 18.4 points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from downtown.

Murauskas' points ranked second, and his field-goal percentage ranked third in the WCC, which earned him a spot on the All-West Coast Conference Team. He now ranks as high as No. 1 overall in the Transfer Portal in the 247Sports and On3 Sports rankings.

Murauskas scored 20 points or more 15 times last season, 30 points or more twice, and his season-high was a 32-point performance against the Pacific Tigers, adding 15 rebounds while shooting 11-of-15 from the field and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Against notable opponents, he scored 24 points on 46 percent shooting from the field against Vanderbilt and 15 points on 36 percent shooting against Gonzaga.

The 6-foot-8, 235-pound forward is exactly what Louisville needs as he brings physicality and can shoot from beyond the arc. Murauskas has the capability to take his defender off the dribble and attack the basket from anywhere on the court, but also can set a screen and pop beyond the arc and splash it from 3-point range. He also has a fadeaway jumper that is lethal and a mid-range jumper that could bring a lot to Kelsey’s offense.

The Saint Mary transfer is going to be one of the biggest names in the portal rankings as the best transfer, but Louisville fans are dreaming early, as he is the exact player Kelsey and the Cardinals need.

Related: Louisville must waste no time and contact the perfect Mikel Brown Jr. replacement

For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.