Louisville basketball is one of the biggest stories of college basketball this offseason, as Pat Kelsey went on an absolute heater this summer. Louisville had a tough task of having to replace all five starters, the top four scorers, and nine of its top 10 players from last season.
Well, Kelsey landed the No. 1 Transfer Portal after adding seven transfers and three recruits from the 2026 recruiting class, and now Louisville is emerging as a legitimate national title contender. Louisville has been chasing a National Title and a Final Four for a long time, and after this eye-popping offseason, many are circling this Cardinals team as the one that could take Louisville to the finish line.
Recently, On3 Sports released its latest way-too-early NCAA Tournament projections, and the Cardinals fans are getting the respect they deserve as the seed they received puts them right in the Final Four conversation.
Louisville earns 3-seed in On3 Sports Bracketology
The Cardinals are trending as a likely top-10 team in the nation for the preseason polls, and in On3 Sports' updated 2027 NCAA Tournament projections, they put the Cardinals right there in the mix as a top-10 team and a Final Four contender.
On3 Sports put Louisville as the No. 3 seed in the South region. Some Cardinals fans believe Louisville could be a 2 seed this upcoming season and maybe even a 1-seed, but many reporters and analysts will need to see whether Louisville can play physical basketball and beat ranked opponents.
So, for now, a 3-seed is a good fit for Louisville. It puts them in the conversation as a true Final Four contender because it means they are a top-10 team in the country, but it also tells Louisville they have to prove it on the court. Louisville will have chances to prove it, as Kelsey isn’t ducking smoke this upcoming season and will play Texas Tech, Oregon, or St. John’s (Players Era Tournament), Kentucky, Texas, and Michigan all in December, and will play Duke later at home.
In these projections, On3 Sports has Duke as the No. 1 Seed, Texas and Michigan as the No. 2 seed, Texas Tech as the No. 4 seed, and Kentucky as the No. 7 seed. On3 Sports currently projects seven ACC teams to make the Big Dance, with Duke as the No. 1 seed, followed by Louisville and Virginia as No. 3 seeds. The remaining teams include 5-seed Miami, 6-seed North Carolina, 9-seed Clemson, 11-seed Stanford, and 12-seed Pitt.
The Cardinals have a real chance to go on a run this year, as they added the No. 1 transfer Flory Bidunga, one of the top point guards from the portal, Jackson Shelstad, and recently added UNC transfer Seth Trimble. This team has the talent and depth; now they have to prove it on the court. The sky is the limit for Louisville, and they have a real chance to reach their first Final Four since 2013.
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