Louisville basketball continues to earn a lot of buzz this offseason, as the Cardinals' offseason moves are turning heads nationwide. Louisville had the No. 1 Transfer Portal class in the nation and was trending as a team with real Final Four expectations.
Well, now the Cardinals' chances have just risen some more. The Cardinals just added their seventh transfer from the Transfer Portal following the “five-for-five” rule, Seth Trimble. The North Carolina transfer is expected to make a major impact for the Cardinals immediately, as the UNC star is coming off his best season.
So, with Louisville adding the star guard, the question now is: who starts? Well, we are here to break down who we think will start for the Louisville Cardinals this upcoming season.
Louisville basketball’s starting lineup after Seth Trimble update
When looking at Louisville’s roster, a lot of names jump out. The Cardinals have 10 additions, seven from the Transfer Portal and three from the 2026 recruiting class, as well as two key returners. Now, the Cardinals and Kelsey have to pick their best five to start.
Well, here is who we believe will start.
PG: Jackson Shelstad
SG: Seth Trimble
SF: Karter Knox
PF: Alvaro Folgueiras
C: Flory Bidunga
Of the Cardinals' additions, there is no question that Jackson Shelstad, Karter Knox, and Flory Bidunga will start. These three are the Cardinals' three biggest additions this offseason, as all three are former 5-stars, and Bidunga is a 5-star transfer, and Shelstad is a top-20 transfer.
So, Shelstad will be the Cardinals' starting point guard, Knox will start at small forward, and Bidunga at center. Then, moving to the power forward position, it is likely Alvaro Folgueiras. The Iowa transfer had a magical March Madness run, scoring 14 points in the first and second rounds and 16 points in the Sweet Sixteen. The Cardinals' 5-star commitment, Obinna Ekezie Jr., has the potential to start at this position later in the year, depending on how he develops, but Folgueiras has the experience and the ability to space the floor with shooting.
Before his time at Iowa, he was the Horizon League Player of the Year after averaging 14.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game while also making 45 3s on 41.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Now, the shooting guard position. This is between London Johnson, Adrian Wooley, and Trimble. Wooley has earned a lot of praise this offseason and was likely trending as the starter, but with the latest addition of Trimble, the UNC star will likely be the Cardinals' starting shooting guard next season.
Trimble is coming off his best collegiate season after earning All-ACC honorable mentions after averaging 14.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 47 percent from the field.
The Cardinals have high expectations for Wooley this upcoming season, but Trimble proved last year he can be an elite player on a March Madness team, as he was the third-highest scorer for the Tar Heels.
This Louisville team is loaded, and they have crazy depth, with Wooley, Johnson, De'Shayne Montgomery, Ekezie, Boyuan Zhang, and others coming off the bench. The Cardinals have the seventh-highest odds since Trimble’s commitment, and the Cardinals fans are hoping this is the year their championship drought is snapped.
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