Louisville basketball is beginning to heat up as the Cardinals' offseason workouts are in full swing, and the Cardinals' fans cannot wait for the start of the season. Pat Kelsey had a busy offseason, losing nine of his top 10 players from this past season and having to replace all five starters.
Kelsey turned to the Transfer Portal first, landing 6 transfers, including one 5-star in Flory Bidunga and multiple 4-stars. Kelsey landed the nation’s No. 1-ranked Transfer Portal class and then carried that into the 2026 recruiting class. The Cardinals landed 5-star center Obinna Ekezie Jr., and shortly after, elite 4-star wing Boyuan Zhang.
So, Louisville is loaded with talent, and the Cardinals fans have their eyes on a deep March run, and in the latest CBS Sports way-too-early ranking, the Cardinals got the respect they deserve.
Louisville basketball remains in CBS Sports top 15
Louisville is trending as a unanimous top 15 team in these way-too-early rankings, and that still remains following the Cardinals' ranking in the CBS Sports college basketball rankings. Gary Parrish broke down his top 25 following St. John’s massive update about Donnie Freeman missing the entire season due to the torn achilles.
And so, with St. John’s down one of their best players for the year, Louisville and a few teams climb up in the CBS Sports rankings. The Cardinals moved up one spot to No. 14 in these rankings, putting them right where they belong.
"This ranking is based on the Cardinals returning one of the top five scorers -- specifically Adrian Wooley -- from a team that finished 24-11 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Kansas transfer Flory Bidunga, Oregon transfer Jackson Shelstad, Arkansas transfer Karter Knox, Iowa transfer Alvaro Folgueiras, Dayton transfer De'Shayne Montgomery, USC transfer Gabe Dynes, former G League player London Johnson, five-star prospect Obinna Ekezie Jr., four-star prospect Boyuan Zhang and three-star prospect Isaac Ellis."Gary Parrish
The Cardinals have the sixth-highest odds to win the 2027 National Championship according to FanDuel, and they currently have the second-highest odds to win the ACC Title. So, Louisville might want the Cardinals a little bit higher, close to the No. 10 spot, but for right now, leading up to the season, it is a great spot to be for the Cardinals.
A lot of media outlets think about Louisville’s previous season, and how it didn’t go to plan, and so with Kelsey adding nine new players and having to replace a couple of coaches, the Cardinals are happy at No. 14.
Other notable teams in these rankings are Duke at No. 2, Virginia at No. 10, Kentucky at No. 16, Miami at No. 21, and North Carolina at No. 25.
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