Louisville basketball receives massive update on 5-star forward phenom

The Louisville Cardinals found out yesterday that they are unlikely to land the 5-star Nate Ament. While this was expected already, it still stings as now the SEC giant, the Tennessee Volunteers, earned the Crystal Ball prediction from Travis Branham.

Pat Kelsey and his staff were expected to go all-in this offseason in the transfer portal, and while they did land three massive recruits already, they still have one scholarship spot available. Louisville has yet to receive any update from Kasean Pryor, and now the Cardinals will have to try to find another elite playmaker from the portal to replace Ament.

Some big names are still available in the portal as the spring window is set to close on Tuesday, April 22. It was reported by Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68’s that the Cardinals are one of three teams battling it out for this game-changing 5-star phenom.

Louisville basketball receives massive update on 5-star forward phenom

The Louisville Cardinals are reportedly a potential landing spot for a massive 5-star transfer from an ACC rival. Goodman reported that the Cardinals are one of three schools that "could be in the mix" for the 6-foot-7 transfer out of Florida State, Jamir Watkins.

The other two schools include Illinois and the Cardinals' in-state rival, the Kentucky Wildcats. Watkins earned a spot on the All-ACC Second Team after he went on to average an impressive 18.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 42 percent from the floor and 32 percent from downtown.

The Florida State transfer is a consensus 5-star transfer and is ranked as high as the No. 5 player to enter the portal and the No. 1 small forward. This would be a massive catch for the Cardinals as the portal is coming to a close. Last season, Watkins scored 20 points or more in 12 games, 25 points or more in five games, and earned his season-high 30-point performance against Rice.

In his two games against Louisville last season, he scored 25 and 23 points in the two contests. This elite 5-star wing has all the tools and skills to be one of the best players in the league next year, and if the Cardinals can land him, they will skyrocket their National Championship odds.

This would be a great transition for Watkins, as the 5-star would play along with one of the best backcourts in the nation and be a perfect piece next to two 5-stars in Mikel Brown Jr. and Adrian Wooley. This is a massive update from Goodman as it shows the Cardinals are not done yet in the portal and can land another game-changing player in the portal in the final days.

For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason, stay tuned.