Louisville basketball is currently all-in on the NCAA Tournament, but they received surprising news this afternoon when the Cards learned they made the final three for one of the top prospects remaining in the 2026 recruiting class. The Cards have yet to secure a commitment in the 2026 class, and while this appears to be a long shot, Louisville will learn tomorrow afternoon whether it has earned its first commitment.
Louisville basketball cannot afford to miss on this loaded hometown recruiting class
This afternoon, Louisville fans and others were quite surprised when it was announced that Christian Collins included the Cardinals in his final three. His list includes Kentucky, USC, and Louisville, but many expected this to be between the Wildcats and the Trojans; however, Louisville is still in the mix.
NEWS: Christian Collins, a five-star prospect in the class of 2026, will announce his college commitment Tuesday, March 17th, source tells @247Sports
— Dushawn London (@DushawnLondon1) March 16, 2026
The McDonald’s All American will choose between Louisville, Kentucky, and USC
Story: https://t.co/885gqcpgge pic.twitter.com/8l3gSkhAWI
Louisville basketball shockingly makes final three for elite 5-star recruit
Collins' recruiting process hasn’t been predictable so far: he was first down to Kentucky, USC, and UCLA, but he then reopened his recruitment, and it appears Louisville has been secretly involved. The Cardinals will now try to play the ultimate spoiler for Kentucky, as the Wildcats were once the dominant favorite for the 5-star forward, but now it appears USC is the frontrunner.
Kentucky was closing in on landing its first 2026 commitment, and it would have been quite the big splash with Collins, but USC and UCLA picked up the recruitment, so seeing the Bruins off the list and the Cardinals on it has many college basketball analysts and fans scratching their heads.
However, Louisville fans will now tune in tomorrow to see who Collins ultimately commits to, as he will announce his decision on March 17. On3 Sports gives USC a dominant 93.8 percent chance of landing Collins' commitment tomorrow.
Collins ranks as high as No. 5 in the nation and No. 2 among small forwards. The unanimous 5-star recruit is a consensus top 10 prospect in the 2026 recruiting class and would be a massive steal and splash for Louisville. And if the Cardinals don’t land him, which seems very unlikely, then the silver lining of Collins' commitment would be Mark Pope and Kentucky striking out and blowing another big lead on a 5-star recruit in the 2026 cycle.
Related: Pat Kelsey gives latest injury update on Mikel Brown Jr. before the NCAA Tournament
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.