Louisville basketball has landed a couple of commitments in the 2027 recruiting class already, including 4-star Ferlandas Wright. The Kentucky native now plays for the La Lumiere School, while last season he averaged 18.0 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game at Fairdale.
However, the Cardinals' other commitment, Isaac Ellis, is gaining a lot of hype after earning MVP honors in the Overtime Elite (OTE) league.
Related: Louisville basketball lands elite scorer and second 2027 commit after recent visit
Isaac Ellis earns OTE MVP over elite national talent
Ellis was initially committed to South Carolina, but after he came to Louisville for a gameday visit in early December, the 3-star guard quickly announced he would flip his commitment to Louisville. Ellis is known as one of the most prolific scorers in the 2027 class, and that was on full display this past season in OTE after he won the MVP award.
ISAAC ELLIS IS YOUR 2025-26 MVP 🏆 @isaacellis2027
— Overtime Elite (@OvertimeElite) February 4, 2026
Isaac follows his brother Eli’s footsteps who took home back to back MVPs in 2024 & 2025 👀
2025-26 regular season:
29.3 PPG l 8.9 APG l 4.8 RPG l 1.9 SPG pic.twitter.com/rChYm1pYkb
Ellis went on to average 29.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 8.9 assists, and 1.9 steals per game as he played for YNG Dreamerz. The 6-foot-1 guard followed his brother Eli's footsteps, as he won the previous two MVP awards. Eli currently plays for South Carolina, where he averaged 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 40.3 percent from the field.
As for Isaac, he went on to win the MVP award over elite competition and former Cardinals target, Taylen Kinney. The Kentucky native is the No. 2 point guard in the 2026 recruiting class and was one of Pat Kelsey’s top targets in the class. Kinney went on to commit to Kansas over Louisville and Kentucky. Other notable players Ellis earned the MVP over include 5-star power forward Jeremy Jenkins and 4-star point guard Marcus Spears.
Ellis had a historic season for Overtime Elite as his 56-point game broke the league's single-game record, his 18 assists broke the single-game assist record, he set the record for the most And-1’s in his career with 40, has the career record for most recorded assists with 293, and most assists in a season with 123.
Ellis now ranks as high as No. 107 in the nation, the No. 6 combo guard, and No. 23 point guard, and ranks as the No. 3 recruit out of North Carolina.