Louisville basketball seals first 2027 commitment with rising Louisville native

Louisville basketball fans learned Thursday evening that the Cardinals landed their first 2027 commitment in the 2027 recruiting class as Ferlandes Wright commits to Pat Kelsey and the Cardinals.

The Cardinals have yet to land a high school commitment in the 2026 class, but Kelsey is attacking the 2027 class, and it is paying off: he landed a local hidden gem. Wright is a 3-star power forward who is a Louisville native and played his first two seasons at  Fairdale High School, but now lives in Indiana, where he is playing his junior season at La Lumiere School.

Pat Kelsey lands hidden gem in 2027 recruiting class

Wright is ranked as a 3-star power forward and is ranked as high as No. 149 in the class, No. 19 in the power forward position, and No. 5 from the state of Indiana. He ended up picking Louisville early in his recruiting process, as he has only earned six offers so far, with the others coming from Toledo, Southeast Missouri State, Ohio, Morehead State, and Jacksonville.

However, despite him not being one of the most recruited players, that doesn't mean Kelsey didn't just get a stud, as Wright is a dominant two-way player. The elite Louisville native averaged an impressive 18.0 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game last year at Fairdale. And on top of all that, he secured 27 double-doubles in 32 games, which ranks as the 10th most double-doubles in the nation in high school basketball last season.

The Cardinals have struggled with the 2026 recruiting class, striking out on all their top guys. However, Kelsey landing a Louisville native in the 2027 class has this city already showing its support, and is thrilled that Wright is staying home.

Louisville recently hosted 5-star Gabe Nesmith for the Cardinals' preseason game against the Kansas Jayhawks at the KFC Yum! Center. So, while the 2026 recruiting class might not have gone according to plan, Kelsey is off to a hot start with the 2027 class and hopefully can build on the momentum of Wright and land his next guy.

Related: Louisville basketball hosts elite 5-star 2027 SF during Kansas exhibition game

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