While Louisville basketball fans are locked in on 5-star point guard Taylen Kinney and his commitment announcement this Sunday, the Cardinals fans got some crushing news from a top 30 overall recruit in the 2026 cycle.
Cole Cloer cut his list from eight schools down to five, and unfortunately, Louisville was one of the three schools eliminated, according to Rivals' Joe Tipton. Cloer wasn't someone the fans were screaming for, but once Louisville made his top eight, the fans made sure to keep an eye on him and his recruiting process. Louisville, Virginia, and Indiana were all cut from his list as Florida, UConn, Alabama, North Carolina State, and North Carolina moved on.
NEWS: 2026 Top-30 recruit Cole Cloer is down to five schools, he tells @Rivals:
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) September 23, 2025
North Carolina, NC State, UConn, Alabama, and Floridahttps://t.co/VZx3Bk6Rkn pic.twitter.com/86FJCn7zJV
Cloer ranks as high as No. 25 in the nation, the No. 10 small forward, and the No. 1 player out of North Carolina per ESPN recruiting rankings. The 6-foot-8, 185-pound forward is a rising player in the 2026 class, and with Louisville missing out on him, the Cardinals must quickly move on to the next elite small forward.
Related: Louisville basketball’s crucial 4-star SF update sparks major recruiting battle
Louisville basketball top 2026 targets after whiffing on Cloer
Louisville, of course, is all-in on the No. 1 overall recruit and the No. 1 small forward Tyran Stokes. The 6-foot-7, 225-pound forward is the consensus best recruit in the nation, and with him being a Louisville native, he is Kelsey's No. 1 target.
After Stokes, the Cardinals are trending for many guards, including Kinney, Deron Rippey Jr., and Colben Landrew. However, a rising target for Kelsey is the elite center Josh Irving.
Irving recently took a visit to Louisville, and after the Cardinals passed on the No. 1 center, Arafan Diane, Irving is quickly emerging as the Cardinals' top target for the center position.
The two North Carolina schools have been the dominant favorites for Cloer for a long time, even after Louisville earned an official visit. Cardinals fans had a feeling this was going to happen sooner rather than later, and so it isn't entirely surprising.
However, striking out on another top 30 recruit and top 10 small forward puts even more pressure on the Cardinals to land Stokes.
Related: Louisville must land this 5-star recruit or Cardinals will face major consequences
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.