Louisville basketball has added nine players so far this offseason, including three from the 2026 recruiting class. The Cardinals had zero commitments in the 2026 cycle, but then Pat Kelsey went on a scorching hot streak, landing three recruits in nine days.
Pat Kelsey’s monster offseason continues with Louisville’s latest 4-star addition
When thinking about what Louisville could still need for next season, some may say a 3-point specialist. Louisville is known for shooting a lot of 3-pointers, and right now, not many fans think they have a true sharpshooter from beyond the arc on their team.
Well, On3 Sports Jamie Shaw is here to say otherwise. He let everyone know the Cardinals' most recent commitment, Boyuan Zhang, is a “sniper.”
Louisville basketball newest commitment is emerging as Pat Kelsey's 3-point specialist
When looking at the Cardinals' 4-star commitment stats, Louisville fans quickly are impressed, but Shaw broke it down even further.
“Boyuan Zhang, what he is, he’s a scorer. At his best, he’s a sniper,” stated Shaw. “He’s lefty, 6-foot-6, 6-foot-7 range, really understands how to get to his space, and plays with great balance. Quick release, deep range, and he’s super confident, as I said, playing on the EYBL circuit, think they played 14 or 15 games this season; 20 points per game. So, he is able to score outside of just shooting 3’s as well.”
Shaw seems very high on this pickup from Kelsey, but now Louisville fans are learning that the 4-star recruit is a “real shooter,” as Shaw stated in his social media post.
Which is exactly what Louisville fans need to hear, because while they love the team Kelsey is building this offseason, many have expressed concern about the offensive end and who will score and be the 3-point threat. While Zhang likely won’t get starting minutes, he can be a spark off the bench. What Shaw is saying makes it seem like Louisville might have just found their 3-point sharpshooter, as he has deep range and confidence to knock it down.
“He’s also able to hoist it up from 30 feet with relatively consistency as well,” Shaw stated. “As we know the spacing Pat Kelsey likes to play with at Louisville as well, I don’t think they are bringing him (Zhang) to sit on the bench. Not saying he is going to be a starter or any of that, but it wouldn’t surprise me to start to get him early rotation minutes, especially if the shot is falling. There is a lot of good things in his game. It is all predicated around the shooting. The shooting is the big thing to what he brings and I think it is safe to say he is a shooter.”
Zhang averaged the second-highest points per game in the Nike EYBL Scholastic League with 20.2 points per game. So, he is a pure scorer, and he has proven it on the international level as well, averaging 14.7 points per game in the FIBA U19 World Cup last summer with China.
So, it appears in Shaw’s eyes, Louisville just got their elite 3-point shooter, as he is very high on not just the Cardinals 4-star commitments ability to score, but he believes he will get early minutes off the bench and a large reason is because of his ability to knock down a 3-point shot, which Louisville desperately needs. The Cardinals have a dominant defensive lineup, and Kelsey is building a legitimate Final Four contender. Now that Zhang is emerging as a potential elite 3-point specialist, this roster is one step closer to being finished.
Also read: New Louisville recruit Boyuan Zhang is impossible not to root for after amazing commitment video
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