Louisville basketball recently landed elite 4-star transfer De’Shayne Montgomery. The Cardinals have now added five transfers this offseason from the portal, and Pat Kelsey isn’t slowing down.
Pat Kelsey and Louisville basketball fills glaring need with latest 4-star commitment
The Cards lost nine of their top 10 players from this past season, including all five starters. Kelsey has rebuilt his starting lineup, and Montgomery appears to be joining London Johnson off the bench, but the Cardinals still have some work to be done.
So, with Louisville and Kelsey landing its fifth commitment, the Cardinals will now rebuild the depth and Kelsey’s bench. When looking at what Louisville needs, a few areas will stand out, but we will break down two here. So, here is Pat Kelsey’s and Louisville’s biggest Transfer Portal needs after landing De’Shayne Montgomery.
Pure 3-point shooter
The Cardinals need a pure 3-point shooter who is knockdown from beyond the arc. Louisville likes to play fast and shoot a lot of 3’s, and while Kelsey appears to be making a lot of adjustments this offseason, the Cardinals still need someone like Reyne Smith and Isaac McKneely.
The Cardinals have had a huge offseason so far, and some players have shown they can hit open shots from beyond the arc, but Kelsey needs a 3-point specialist who is a pure shooter. Paul McNeil is one of the best pure shooters available, but Louisville isn’t likely to target him. So, whether Kelsey finds a hidden gem in the portal, targets an international player, or does something else, but it is obvious that Louisville needs a pure 3-point shooter.
Frontcourt depth
Now, it appears Kelsey is targeting this, but Louisville needs frontcourt depth. The Cardinals fans weren’t crushed at the players who entered the portal (besides Khani Rooths), but losing five forwards did hurt Louisville’s front-court depth, and now Kelsey is trying to rebuild that.
The Cards, of course, struck gold landing Flory Bidunga, and later on added Karter Knox and Alvaro Folgueiras, but now he needs to go get some backups. Louisville is currently trending with 7-foot-5 center Gabe Dynes and FAU transfer Devin Williams, and someone who may be worth keeping an eye on is former fan favorite James Scott, who recently entered the portal.
Athletic wing
The Cardinals' roster is really beginning to fill out nicely, and Kelsey's landing Montgomery was a huge boost. He is an elite two-way player who ranked No. 11 in steals this past season, but Kelsey has to get another wing, and someone with size.
The Cardinals added Knox, but Kelsey needs a Khani Rooths replacement. Someone who can come off the bench and be a spark on both ends of the floor with his energy and athleticism. The Cardinals need a true small forward who can come off the bench and be a slasher, like what Rooths brought (besides the inconsistent 3-point shooting).
Every NCAA Transfer Portal player who committed to Louisville basketball so far
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