Louisville basketball recently added former 5-star and 4-star transfer, Karter Knox. The Cardinals have now added three transfers this offseason, and when looking at their roster, it's clear they aren’t done yet.
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Louisville has made massive additions with the No. 1 overall transfer in Flory Bidunga and former 5-star and 4-star transfer Jackson Shelstad, on top of Knox, but Kelsey still has work to be done. Louisville is in contact with many big-time transfers like John Blackwell, Paulius Murauskas, Alvaro Folgueiras, DeSean Goode, and others, and 247Sports Travis Branham is sending a loud message to the rest of the nation, Louisville isn’t slowing down, and they have a real chance of having the best portal class when everything is done.
Pat Kelsey has Louisville basketball buzzing
As of Friday afternoon, Louisville’s three portal additions have the Cardinals ranked No. 1 in the nation in 247Sports' 2026 Transfer Basketball Team Rankings. The Cardinals are the only team with a 5-star transfer commitment (Bidunga) and have the ninth most 4-star commitments at the moment (Knox and Shelstad).
With Louisville continuing to be heavily involved in the portal, Branham truly believes Louisville will have a National Title-contending team and maybe the best portal class ranking when this offseason ends.
“They are not done yet. They are on the rise. They are being aggressive,” Branham stated. “When it is all said and done, I would be surprised if they didn’t have the No. 1 Transfer Portal class. Obviously, they have two stars right there in Flory and Jackson Shelstad. But with the sheer masses of players they are going to be bringing in out of the Transfer Portal, I would be shocked if they don't end up with that No. 1 class."
Karter Knox becomes the third addition to a Louisville transfer portal class that’s shaping up as one of the nation’s best — and the Cardinals are not done yet.
— 247Sports (@247Sports) April 15, 2026
"I would be shocked if they don't end up with that No. 1 [portal] class." @TravisBranham_ pic.twitter.com/yPkKEe0hfW
The Cards lost all five starters and lost their top five scorers from the 2025-26 season. Kelsey is off to a dominant start with these three portal additions, and while everyone knows the Cardinals aren’t done yet, Branham is warning that Kelsey isn’t just going to rebuild a roster as he did in his first season, which ranked No. 27 in the nation. He is building a National Championship caliber roster and has a very strong chance of ranking No. 1 in the nation in portal rankings.
Louisville recently flew out to Blackwell for a visit and hosted Goode this week. On top of those two, the Cardinals have a 100 percent chance of landing the Iowa 4-star transfer Alvaro Folgueiras, according to the On3 Sports prediction cast.
Kelsey made it clear he understands the fans' expectations and standards, and the roster he is building has the city of Louisville buzzing again and ready to compete for a National Championship. The Cardinals haven’t made it to the Sweet Sixteen since 2015 and haven’t made it to the Final Four or the National Championship game since 2013, but Branham is giving the Cardinals fans a reason to believe all these droughts might change next season.
Related: Pat Kelsey gives Louisville fans the reassurance they need after Michigan State loss
For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.
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