Louisville basketball got the update they were hoping for as 5-star transfer Milan Momcilovic announced he withdrew his name from the NBA Draft and will return to college basketball. Momcilovic is immediatley the No. 1 transfer available on the portal, and Louisville basketball is a team many college basketball analysts say to keep an eye on.
3 Biggest threats for Louisville basketball to land elite 5-star transfer Milan Momcilovic
Jeff Goodman went so far as to state a couple of weeks ago that Louisville is one of the “frontrunners” for the 5-star. So, now that Momcilovic is officially available and in the portal, Louisville is a team expected to make a strong push for the 5-star. It won’t be easy to earn Momcilovic’s commitment, but Pat Kelsey has dominated the Transfer Portal this offseason, and Louisville fans are hoping he has one last trick up his sleeve.
If Louisville were to land Momcilovic, the Cardinals would have a real chance at the NCAA Title, as this roster would be the best roster under Kelsey. So, let’s take a look at Louisville’s projected lineup if the Cardinals land Milan Momcilovic.
Point Guard: Jackson Shelstad
One of Louisville’s first commitments this offseason was the former 5-star recruit and Oregon transfer Jackson Shelstad. Coming out of high school, Shelstad was a 5-star 2023 recruit who ranked as high as No. 26 overall and No. 6 among point guards. He committed to Oregon, where he played his first three seasons, and after entering the portal for the first time, he committed to Louisville.
Shelstad will have big shoes to fill as he will try to replace 5-star freshman Mikel Brown Jr. The Oregon transfer has had three solid seasons with the Ducks. As a freshman, he made the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team, and in his sophomore season, he made the All-Big Ten Third Team. As for his junior season, he was on pace for his best year yet and trending toward one of the best guards in the conference, but his season was cut short by an injury. He was having a career year, averaging 15.6 points, 4.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game, all career highs.
Shooting Guard: Adrian Wooley
Playing with Shelstad in Kelsey’s backcourt will be the former 5-star transfer from Kennesaw State University, Adrian Wooley. The combo guard is coming off a solid first year with Louisville and is the biggest name Kelsey brought back. Wooley showed this past season that he has a lot of potential when given the minutes and starting role, and with Isaac McKneely and Ryan Conwell graduating, Wooley is expected to be Kelsey’s next starting shooting guard.
The former 5-star averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, while making 73 3-pointers on 41.2 percent from beyond the arc. He then transferred to Louisville, where he averaged 8.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, but towards the end of the season, the 5-star transfer really began to show his potential, scoring 17 points against Clemson, 15 points against Miami, and 17 points in the NCAA Tournament against Michigan State. He is a crafty lefty guard who can create space for his own shot and attack the rim, finishing through contact.
Small Forward: Karter Knox
Another former 5-star recruit out of high school, Kelsey added this offseason, was Arkansas transfer Karter Knox. The 4-star transfer ranks No. 59 overall and No. 7 among small forwards in the portal, and coming out of high school, ranked as a 5-star recruit, No. 22 overall and No. 7 among small forwards. He was Kelsey’s third commitment from the portal this offseason and is expected to be a huge boost in Louisville’s frontcourt.
Knox had two productive seasons with John Calipari at Arkansas. In his freshman season, he averaged 8.3 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 46.2 percent from the field. Also, in the NCAA Tournament that season, he scored 15 points against St. John’s and 20 points against Texas Tech. He then followed that season up with this past season, averaging 8.1 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 46 percent from the field. He played in just 22 games before being shut down in February due to injury, but is now expected to be an athletic wing who can score and defend for Louisville.
Power Forward: Milan Momcilovic
If Louisville is to land Milan Momcilovic over Kentucky and others, the 5-star transfer would immediatley slide into the 'Cardinals' starting lineup at power forward. The Cardinals would love to add another true power forward and an elite 3-point specialist, and Momcilovic would be the dream addition that fits both needs.
The 5-star transfer ranks No. 2 overall in the portal and No. 1 among power forwards after his dominant season with Iowa State. He was the best 3-point shooter this past season, making a Division I basketball high 136 3’s while shooting another Division I basketball high 48.7 percent from 3-point range. He would be a massive addition to this Cardinals roster, and would move Louisville up from Final Four contenders to NCAA Title contenders. Momcilovic averaged 16.9 points while making 3.7 3’s per game and shooting 50.6 percent from the field.
Center: Flory Bidunga
Louisville’s biggest addition from the Transfer Portal this offseason was the Kansas transfer Flory Bidunga. The elite transfer ranks No. 1 overall in the portal and is a unanimous 5-star. The 5-star center is coming off a dominant season in which he earned All-Big 12 First Team honors and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year award.
Pairing Bidunga with Momcilovic would create one of the best frontcourts in college basketball, as Bidunga is an elite lob threat who can soar through the air and, on the defensive end, is one of the best rim protectors in the nation. He ranked inside the top five in Division I basketball this past season for blocks per game (2.6) and total blocks (91). Louisville's biggest flaw this past season was physicality, and the frontcourt and the addition of Bidunga were huge steps toward solving both of those issues. The Kansas transfer averaged 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game, while also securing 13 double-doubles this past season.
Also read: Louisville basketball has an obvious No. 1 target after Flory Bidunga update
For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.
Add us as a preferred source on Google