Louisville basketball is in full offseason mode right now as the Cardinals are trying to rebuild their roster. Pat Kelsey’s offseason isn’t slowing down anytime soon, as while he has already landed four transfers and has the No. 1 portal class in the nation, he now has to build his bench.
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The Cardinals got off to a red-hot start this offseason, landing the No. 1 center and No. 1 overall transfer, Flory Bidunga. Louisville will now try to build its frontcourt around Bidunga, including depth. The Cards lost five forwards to the portal this offseason, so Kelsey will look to get some he can trust and rely on to serve as Bidunga’s backup.
Well, the perfect target might have just entered the portal, as the Cardinals fans are calling back to former fan favorite James Scott to rejoin the Cards.
Former Louisville fan-favorite James Scott enters the Transfer Portal
It was reported just moments ago that the former Cardinal will enter the Transfer Portal. Scott spent his first two seasons with Kelsey at Charleston and Louisville, then entered the transfer portal last offseason and committed to Ole Miss.
NEW: Ole Miss forward James Scott is expected to enter the NCAA transfer portal, @PeteNakos reports.https://t.co/RR569GROeG pic.twitter.com/1kKBwpA2Mk
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) April 23, 2026
Scott emerges as a new transfer target whom Louisville fans are immediately hoping commits next. Scott spent his first season at Charleston, where he averaged 5.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 79.2 percent from the field in 16.2 minutes per game. After his lone year with the Cougars, he followed Kelsey to Louisville, where he was a key piece in the Cardinals' frontcourt.
The 6-foot-11, 210-pound forward played in 35 games, started in 31 of them, and averaged 7.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 75.5 percent from the field. His dominant 78.1 shooting percentage on two-point attempts led the entire ACC, and he was an elite lob threat as 70 of his 108 made shots were dunks. His 79 dunks went on to rank No. 3 for most made dunks in a single season in Louisville’s history.
Now, the Cardinals desperately need a backup center, and someone whom Kelsey knows he can trust and rely on is the Ole Miss transfer. Last season with Ole Miss he started in 27 of 35 games and averaged just under 18 minutes per game. He averaged 3.9 points, 4.6 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game.
The Cardinals need frontcourt depth, and Scoot should be a real option if he is open to returning to Louisville and reuniting with Kelsey. He was a fan-favorite in the 2024-25 season, and the Cardinals fans are already making it clear they are all-in for him to come back and to serve as Bidunga’s backup.
Scott is ranked as a 4-star transfer, No. 107 overall and No. 12 among centers.
Related: 3 Louisville basketball transfers who have already found new homes
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