Hall of Famer’s disastrous rankings ignite fire in Louisville basketball

College basketball is about 150 days away, and while that may seem far, it will arrive before fans even know it. At this point in the offseason, most rosters are set.

Teams are aware who transferred out, declared for the NBA Draft, and graduated. Louisville basketball is one of the teams that aced the offseason, earning commitments from three elite transfers and two experienced international forwards.

While many see Louisville as a top 10 team in their way-too-early rankings, one highly-thought-of analyst and college basketball announcer actually sees less in Louisville than most. ESPN's Dick Vitale recently released his "Dazzling Dozen," and the Cardinals appear to have missed the cut.

Hall of Famer’s disastrous rankings ignite fire in Louisville basketball

Vitale is one of the most renowned analysts and reporters in the history of college basketball. The iconic announcer is one of the many voices of college basketball, having devoted nearly 50 years to broadcasting, and is beloved by all fans of the sport.

Recently, ESPN released their own way-too-early top 25, and the Cardinals found themselves at No. 7 in these rankings. Louisville was also put at No. 10 by Sports Illustrated. However, Vitale appears to have a much different opinion than other experts, despite posting on his social media about how much he loves Pat Kelsey and claims Kelsey has that "it" factor.

Vitale only ranked his top 12, and Louisville was not among them. The Hall of Famer revealed Purdue is his No. 1, followed by Houston, Florida, UConn, and St. John's to round out his top five. Other notable programs in his top 12 are the lone ACC program, the Duke Blue Devils at No. 9, Louisville's in-state rival, the Kentucky Wildcats at No. 11, and the shocking teams to crack his top 12 are Arkansas and UCLA.

These two programs are expected to be among the top 25 next season, but to put these two schools ahead of Kelsey's Cardinals is almost laughable. The Cardinals had the third-best offseason in the nation and are returning key starters from last season. Also, add 5-star Mikel Brown Jr. and 4-star Sananda Fru, and this team has a legitimate shot at the 2026 National Title.

It is hard to argue with or disagree with one of the best college basketball analysts and reporters of all time, but this list became laughable once he ranked UCLA and Arkansas above Louisville. The Cardinals have all the tools to be one of the best teams in college basketball next season, and this ranking might just be that extra spark for Louisville basketball this offseason.

Arkansas and UCLA will be two programs that make the 2026 NCAA Tournament and have a solid chance to compete for their conference title next season, but Louisville is in that elite category, and a realistic ranking for the Cardinals is between seven and 10.

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