Louisville basketball fans have numerous dream targets once the portal opened, but towards the top of their list is Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell.
Who's coming and who's going: Louisville basketball 2026 Transfer Portal tracker
The Transfer Portal is officially open, and with Louisville basketball losing all five starters and three bench pieces, Pat Kelsey is expected to be heavily involved for another offseason. Louisville had one of the best offseasons a year ago, when Kelsey worked some magic and landed three elite transfers who ranked among the top 25.
While it didn’t work out the way anyone wanted, the Cardinals showed last offseason that they can be a top destination in the offseason. With Cardinals fans dreaming big this offseason, Blackwell emerges as someone they're asking former Louisville star Chucky Hepburn to work some magic on and get to the Ville.
If I were Pat Kelsey I’d be calling Chucky Hepburn to pitch Blackwell to come to Louisville.
— Jack Grossman (@JackGrossman97) April 6, 2026
The two were teammates at Wisconsin before Chucky transferred to UofL
Dream transfer target has Louisville fans calling on Chucky Hepburn
Hepburn played for Wisconsin for three seasons before his lone year with Louisville, and during those three seasons with the Badgers, the Cardinals' former All-ACC guard played with Blackwell. Hepburn and Blackwell led Wisconsin to a 22-13 record and a berth in the NCAA Tournament, but after a first-round upset to James Madison, Hepburn hit the Transfer Portal.
Hepburn then had an All-ACC season, ranking among the nation's top guards and leading Louisville to a historic season. Hepburn is now a fan favorite after the former Badger was seen kissing the Cardinal on Senior Day and brought Louisville back to life and back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.
So, now that Louisville is rebuilding once again, the Cardinals fans are hoping Hepburn can do some recruiting and help Kelsey land one of the best players in the portal. Blackwell is one of the top scorers in college basketball as this past season, he averaged 19.1 points while shooting 43 percent from the field and 39 percent from beyond the arc. The 5-star transfer continues to improve from 3-point range as he splashed 96 3’s this past season, marking a career high.
Blackwell scored 20 points or more 16 times this past season and 30 points or more five times, including his career high of 34 points against Washington in the Big Ten Tournament. On top of scoring, he averaged 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound guard ranks as high as No. 2 overall in the portal and No. 1 among shooting guards. Duke, Alabama, Michigan, and Illinois are reportedly early contenders for the elite shooting guard, but Louisville fans are hoping Kelsey and Hepburn can work together and get the Cardinals in conversation with Hepburn's former teammate and the 5-star transfer.
Related: 2 dream, 2 reach, and 2 realistic Transfer Portal targets for Louisville basketball
For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.