Louisville basketball fans are starting to watch closely who is entering the Transfer Portal. As of now, no Cardinal has announced plans to enter the Transfer Portal, but players will have from April 7 through April 21 to decide whether to return.
Louisville knows it will lose players like Ryan Conwell and J’Vonne Hadley this offseason because they will be out of eligibility, but the Cardinals do still have some key pieces available to return. So, we broke down the five biggest names who are eligible to return and who Pat Kelsey should try to bring back for the 2026-27 season.
Read more: 5 key players who will play for Pat Kelsey and Louisville basketball next season
5-star Louisville native Kellan Hall update
The city of Louisville has some big names in the 2027 and 2028 recruiting classes. Louisville football already knows about Allen Evans, who is from Trinity High School, as he committed to the Cardinals as a 4-star earlier this year. Evans is the sixth-highest-rated commitment in program history, but Jeff Brohm is now trying to land his first 5-star, but he will have to up his game.
Notre Dame recently took over as the favorite for 5-star Louisville native Kellan Hall. The 5-star defensive lineman has multiple visits lined up this offseason and spring, including Louisville, but with the date still “TBD,” Brohm has to find a way to get him on campus sooner rather than later. Last year for Christian Academy of Louisville, he earned 53 tackles and 6.5 sacks and made Rivals All-American honors. The Irish's recent visit puts them as the early frontrunners for the Louisville native, and if the Cards want to stay in the race, they have to get involved.
Mikel Brown Jr. is 'thinking about' returning to Louisville
Mikel Brown Jr. has yet to announce if he plans to declare for the NBA Draft. However, he hasn't announced he won’t return to Louisville either. Brown was recently spotted with a Cardinals fan, and when the fan stated, “You've got to come back. You have to redeem yourself,” Brown didn’t laugh or show any sign of shooting down that idea.
“I low-key do,” Brown stated. “I’m thinking about it.”
Brown missed 14 games, including the Cardinals' ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament games. The 5-star freshman is likely a top 10 pick in the NBA Draft right now, but right now, he isn’t shutting the idea down of returning. If he did return, he would be able to live his childhood dream and play in March Madness, and next year, he would likely be a top-five pick in the NBA Draft. It will be something Louisville fans will monitor, but for now, he is giving no hints about his future.
Read more: Mikel Brown Jr. doesn’t shoot down the idea of another year at Louisville