Louisville basketball is having one of the program's best seasons in a long time, which has much to do with the 12 transfers they brought in.
The most important thing when bringing in transfers is creating a culture and building team chemistry. That is precisely what Pat Kelsey has done. The Cardinal's culture is back, and this Louisville basketball team has gelled better than anyone could have imagined.
Louisville's starting lineup for their postseason run is all from the transfer portal, and the star of that lineup is ACC Defensive Player of the Year and All-ACC First Team member Chucky Hepburn. Well, Hepburn's recognition keeps flooding in, as Chucky Hepburn just cracked the top 10 for another ranking.
Louisville basketball Chucky Hepburn's rise in 2024 transfer class re-rank
Chucky Hepburn has exceeded all expectations this year. The Cardinals' star point guard has improved nearly every stat from his time at Wisconsin.
Last season, Hepburn averaged 9.2 points, 3.9 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.1 steals while shooting 42.9 percent from the field, 32.2 percent from downtown, and 73.7 percent from the charity stripe. Hepburn was ranked as the No. 101 player in the transfer portal, according to Travis Branham of 247Sports.
Hepburn then transferred to Louisville and ended up securing the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award and the All-ACC First Team. 247Sports looked back at their 2024 transfer portal rankings and reranked the top 25 players from last year's transfer portal.
Chucky Hepburn stole the show as Hepburn skyrocketed up the rankings. The Cardinals' point guard went from being ranked No. 101 all the way to being ranked No.6, an insane jump of 95 spots.
The 6-foot-2 point guard has improved every stat from last year. He now averages 16.3 points, 5.9 assists, and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 44.9 percent from the field, 35 percent from beyond the arc, and 85.1 percent from the free-throw line. The Cardinals' guard secured a single-game career-high in points, assists, steals, and three-pointers this season.
""Pat Kelsey has quickly flipped the Louisville program around and a big reason for their success this season is their addition of Chucky Hepburn out of the portal. Hepburn took home Defensive Player of the Year honors in the ACC but it's his playmaking and scoring on offense that have really been steered the Cardinals along. Fit is extremely important in the portal, and Hepburn found a system and coach to make him a star in the ACC this season.""Travis Branham
Chucky Hepburn has solidified himself as a top point guard in College Basketball. He is one of the best two-way guards in the nation and has been a crucial reason why this Lousiville basketball culture is back.