Louisville basketball is currently 2-0, and the Cardinals have a real star on this roster. Louisville made major offseason changes, adding 11 players, including eight from the Transfer Portal and three from the 2026 recruiting class.
Joe Lunardi gives Louisville the respect it deserves - but the real test is coming
When looking at the Cardinals' additions, a lot of the attention went to Flory Bidunga, Jackson Shelstad, and Karter Knox. The three transfers were all ranked inside the portal’s top 60 and were Kelsey’s biggest additions from the Transfer Portal.
However, the Cardinal who is looking to end a Louisville NBA Draft drought isn’t one of them. It is actually their 7-foot-2, 5-star freshman Obinna Ekezie Jr.
Obinna Ekezie Jr. is trending as a first-round pick for 2027 NBA Draft
Ekezie committed to Louisville in the spring of 2026. He was originally in the 2027 recruiting class and ranked as high as No. 2 overall in the nation, and then when he committed to Louisville he reclassified to the 2026 recruiting class.
He is now playing for Pat Kelsey and the Cardinals this season, and as many Louisville fans already know, he is making an immediate impact and is turning heads nationwide. Ekezie will be eligible for the 2027 NBA Draft, and the 5-star freshman is already making major NBA Draft buzz.
Right now, Ekezie is projected as a first-round pick, with Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman projecting the 5-star center to be drafted No. 15 overall by the Charlotte Hornets. As many Louisville and NBA fans know, the Cardinals had Mikel Brown Jr. drafted last year, as the former Cardinal was selected No. 6 overall by the Brooklyn Nets.
So, if Ekezie continues to make this push as an NBA first-round draft pick and ultimately is selected in the first round, he would snap a 35-year NBA draft drought for the Cardinals, as it would be the first time since 1990 and 1991 that Louisville had a Cardinal drafted in the first round in consecutive NBA Drafts, according to RealGM.
The last time Louisville had a player drafted in back-to-back drafts was when LaBradford Smith was selected No. 19 overall by the Washington Wizards in the 1991 NBA Draft, and Felton Spencer was drafted No. 6 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The 7-foot-2, 240-pound center is emerging as one of the top center prospects in the 2027 NBA Draft, and is generating a lot of buzz. He dominated against Kansas, scoring 16 points in just 19 minutes and adding 8 rebounds and 5 blocks. Then, just this past weekend, he earned his first double-double, leading Louisville in scoring with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, while adding 13 rebounds and two blocks.
Ekezie has a real path to being a first-round pick in the 2027 NBA Draft, and the 5-star freshman would etch his name in Louisville’s history books if he is.
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