Louisville basketball learned Monday evening that it had earned its third commitment in the 2026 recruiting class. The Cards learned that 4-star wing Boyuan Zhang committed to Louisville just after he took an official visit to Louisville. The 6-foot-8 wing ranks as high as No. 46 in the nation and is ranked No. 20 among small forwards.
He is one of the top rising stars in this class, having really soared in these rankings after averaging 14.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game at the FIBA U19 World Cup last summer. He then ranked second-most in points per game this past season in the NIKE EYBL Scholastic League, averaging 20.2 points per game. The 4-star received over 9 offers, including from Oregon, Illinois, Minnesota, and Cal, where he also visited.
Read more: Pat Kelsey’s monster offseason continues with Louisville’s latest 4-star addition
3 most realistic landing spots for Mikel Brown Jr. after NBA Lottery
The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery took place on Sunday, and Mikel Brown Jr. has a few teams he may be trending with. Right now, it appears the Cardinals' 5-star freshman is being selected around that No. 7-10 range, which would mean he is the first Cardinal drafted in the first round since 2017 when Donovan Mitchell was picked No. 13 overall.
Brown was ranked as high as No. 6 overall and the No. 1 point guard in the 2025 recruiting class. He went on to make the All-ACC Third Team, averaging 18.2 points, 4.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. Now, after the NBA Lottery, it appears there are three teams that stand out from the rest where Brown could be going, including the Hawks, Kings, and Mavericks.
Read more: 3 most realistic landing spots for Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. after NBA Lottery
Will Stein says exactly what Louisville and Kentucky fans wanted to hear
Will Stein was recently interviewed, and he confirmed he wants to keep the rivalry game between Louisville and Kentucky, but move it back to the front of the season. This was a sign of hope for both Louisville and Kentucky fans, as obviously, both fans want this series to stay, but Stein voiced many Louisville and Kentucky fans' opinions, as many believe this rivalry game was much better when it was at the beginning of the season, including Kentucky’s new head coach, who was a former Louisville Cardinal, Will Stein.
“I used to love it when we played it first,” he stated. “That’s what I would do, I would move it up to the opening weekend or early in the season. But you have to play it. If you don’t, that would be not good for the state of Kentucky as a whole.”
Read more: Will Stein gives Louisville and Kentucky fans hope for the Governor's Cup future
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