Louisville wastes no time landing a huge visit from perfect Mikel Brown Jr. replacement

Louisville basketball and Pat Kelsey waste no time reaching out and landing a huge visit with elite transfer Jackson Shelstad. The Cardinals just learned that Mikel Brown Jr. will declare for the NBA Draft, and moments later, they received a huge update that they will host one of the top players in the Transfer Portal.

3 Mikel Brown Jr. transfer replacements Louisville must prioritize after NBA Draft decision

Kelsey and Louisville are expected to be all-in on the Transfer Portal for the third straight season, as On3 Sports reported that the two will have $8-10 million to spend this offseason. Cardinals fans knew Brown was going to enter the NBA Draft, and while On3 Sports reported earlier this week that Louisville was a team to keep an eye on for the Oregon transfer, earning a visit is a big step in the right direction.

However, Louisville appears to be in a heated recruiting battle with a Final Four team and a Big 12 powerhouse, the Arizona Wildcats.

Louisville basketball lands a visit from 4-star PG Jackson Shelstad

Shelstad is one of Louisville’s top targets this offseason so far, as Louisville will have to not only replace Brown, but Ryan Conwell and Isaac McKneely as well. The former 5-star entered the Transfer Portal after spending his first three seasons with the Ducks.

Now, it appears Louisville and Arizona are the two teams battling it out for the 4-star transfer. 247Sports' Dushawn London reported that Louisville will host the 4-star transfer for a visit on Friday, April 10, and that Arizona will host Shelstad on Tuesday, April 14.

While his junior season was cut short because of an injury, he was trending to be an elite guard in the Big Ten for the second straight season, scoring 20 points or more in five of the 12 games he played in and averaging 15.6 points, 4.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game.

The former 5-star recruit ranked as high as No. 24 overall in the 2023 recruiting class and No. 6 among point guards. He went on to make the Pac-12 All-Freshman team after starting in 30 of 32 games and averaging 12.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game and shooting 45 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from beyond the arc.

He followed that freshman season up by making the All-Big Ten Third-Team after starting in all 35 games and averaging 13.7 points, 2.7 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game. He shot 38 percent from beyond the arc after splashing 66 3’s and shot 45 percent from the field.

Shelstad now ranks as high as No. 10 in the Transfer Portal and No. 2 among point guards. It won't be an easy get with Arizona in the mix, but the Cardinals have the opportunity to leave a huge impression on the elite point guard transfer and to try to earn his commitment before he leaves campus.

For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's 2025-26 season and recruiting, stay tuned.