Louisville basketball is looking to add some depth in its frontcourt. The Cardinals are off to a dominant start this offseason, especially in their frontcourt, as Louisville earned the commitment from the No. 1 overall transfer and No. 1 center, Flory Bidunga.
Predicting Pat Kelsey's next 3 moves after Adrian Wooley returns to Louisville
However, Louisville has lost five players to the portal so far, all of them from its frontcourt. So, Pat Kelsey is currently trying to rebuild this frontcourt to meet the Cardinals' standards and expectations, and landing Bidunga was a huge boost in the right direction.
Kelsey is now looking to add depth behind Bidunga, and it appears Louisville is in a recruiting battle with some ACC foes for Charleston transfer Chol Machot.
Louisville basketball battling ACC foes for 4-star 7-foot center
The Cardinals are reportedly one of a few ACC teams that have recently reached out to the 4-star transfer. It is being reported that Louisville is in a recruiting battle with Miami and Virginia for Machot, along with Georgetown, Baylor, TCU, Alabama, and others.
Louisville is one of 3 ACC teams that have reached out to CofC transfer Chol Machot over the past week "with introductory conversations", per Jamie Shaw. The other 2 ACC schools are UVA and Miami.
— PGU HQ | The Ville (@thepointguardU) April 20, 2026
Machot has been on vacation for the past week, so things have moved a bit slower. https://t.co/14Kc9B1fhz
It is clear Kelsey is looking to get rim protectors this offseason for his frontcourt, and a few were better than Machot last offseason. The Charleston transfer is coming off a dominant defensive season, during which he averaged 2.5 blocks per game and totaled 79 blocks.
Machot’s impressive stats ranked in the top 10 in Division I basketball last season, earning him CAA Defensive Player of the Year honors.
While the 7-footer is known for his defensive traits, he isn’t a liability on offense. Last year, Charleston Machot averaged 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 59.2 percent from the field. He earned three double-doubles this past season, including an eye-popping 15 points, 15 rebounds, and seven blocks against Elon.
Before his time with Charleston, he spent time at the JUCO level, where he once again was an elite rim protector, averaging 2.7 blocks per game, and set a record at Florida SouthWestern State for most blocks in a single season with 70. He also averaged 11.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
Kelsey, of course, has some connections to Charleston, as he was the Cougars' coach before his time with Louisville, but he didn’t coach Machot. The Cardinals' frontcourt was a glaring flaw this past season, but Louisville and Kelesy are showing they want to get some big-time rim protectors who can dominate the paint.
Machot is an athletic 7-foot center and would be a huge bench piece for Kelsey. The 4-star center ranks as high as No. 147 overall and No. 14 among centers in the Transfer Portal.
Related: This elite 7-foot center is the perfect target for Pat Kelsey and Louisville basketball
For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.
Add us as a preferred source on Google