Louisville basketball's recruiting surge continues as the Cardinals made their official offer to the 5-star phenom Dylan Mingo. The elite point guard is ranked as high as the No. 9 recruit in the 2026 class and the second-best point guard in the class.
The Cardinals will most likely need a point guard after the 2025-26 season, as Louisville's 5-star commit, Mikel Brown Jr., will most likely be a one-and-done player. Brown is expected to be drafted in the top 10 in the 2026 NBA Draft, making it clear that Louisville will be in dire need of a point guard for the 2026-27 season.
Mingo emerges as a perfect replacement and is quickly one of the Cardinals' top targets in the 2026 class.
Full story: Louisville basketball wastes no time offering potential Mikel Brown Jr. replacement
Louisville basketball escapes nightmare scenario
Louisville basketball has the second-best odds to win the ACC Title and the fourth-best odds to win the 2026 National Championship. The Cardinals and the Duke Blue Devils are the heavy favorites in way-too-early predictions, but North Carolina State has slowly crept up after they landed 5-star transfer Darrion Williams.
The Wolfpack were in the running for another consensus 5-star transfer and were considered the favorites to land him. Kansas State ended up stealing PJ Haggerty from NC State, which helped the ACC and Louisville tremendously, as the Cards no longer have to worry about facing the third-leading scorer in the nation from last season.
Louisville and Duke will still be heavy favorites for next season, while North Carolina State emerges as a contender.
Full Story: Louisville basketball dodges massive bullet after NC State misses on 5-star transfer
Pat Kelsey's projected 2025-26 depth chart
The Cardinals recently earned a commitment from Mouhamed Camara of the NBA Academy Africa and also learned that Aly Khalifa has been ruled ineligible. The Cardinal's depth chart remains uncertain as a lot rides on whether Khalifa is eligible or not. If the NCAA overturns his appeal, the Cardinals will be well-positioned for a National Championship run. However, if he is ineligible, then the Cardinals need a center to provide much-needed depth.
Our projected starting lineup as of today includes Mikel Brown Jr., Adrian Wooley, Ryan Conwell, Kasean Pryor, and Sananda Fru. J'Vonne Hadley could easily start at power forward and shift Pryor to center, but as of now, we see Pryor starting in his primary spot at power forward. The Cardinals are expected to have one of the best backcourts in the nation, bolstered by their three transfers and a 5-star freshman point guard.
Full Story: Louisville basketball's projected depth chart for 2025-26 season