Louisville basketball wastes no time contacting potential Chucky Hepburn replacement

The first week of the transfer portal has been hectic as players continue to enter their names and try to find their new homes. Louisville basketball has been fortunate enough not to lose any player to the portal, but they are trying to find that glaring X-factor that they need for next season.

The Cardinals are trying to find elite scorers in the portal as they must replace their top three scorers from last season. Pat Kelsey has shown early on that he wants to find elite shooters from beyond the arc and improve this team's weakness from last season.

Louisville has already contacted notable players like Josh Dix and Nick Davidson. On Wednesday afternoon, Louisville basketball fans received excellent news that Kelsey set his sights on one of the portal's dominant scorers.

Louisville basketball wastes no time contacting Chucky Hepburn's replacement

Sam Kayser reported that Louisville basketball is one of eight teams already reaching out to the No. 1 overall prospect in this year's transfer portal. The New Mexico transfer, Donovan Dent, is expected to get all the eyes in this year's transfer portal after his stellar 2024-25 season with the Lobos.

The junior guard out of California finished his junior campaign averaging 20.4 points per game which ranked No. 8 in the nation. He secured 715 points last year for New Mexico, including one 40-point performance against VCU that would end up being his season-high.

The elite point guard scored 20 points or more in 19 games last season. He led New Mexico to the NCAA Tournament, where they would beat Marquette in the first round but fall to Michigan State in the round of 32.

He finished the year averaging 20.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.9 blocks while shooting 49 percent from the floor and 40.9 percent from the 3-point line. He secured four double-doubles last season, proving he is not only one of the best scorers in the country, but is also an elite passer and facilitator.

Dent would be the perfect Chucky Hepburn replacement and would bring much-needed shooting, depth, and veteran leadership. Last season, Dent earned the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year award. A four-star recruit out of high school, he was ranked as the No. 20 point guard in the nation.

It won't be easy to land Dent as elite programs such as North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and others have also reached out. Pat Kelsey must go all-in on Dent and make him his No. 1 target in the portal. Louisville needs a Hepburn replacement, and Dent would be the perfect player and could elevate this Louisville program to National Championship contenders.