Louisville basketball reportedly hosted 5-star Obinna Ekezie Jr. for an official visit on Thursday, April 23. The Cardinals and Pat Kelsey are currently dominating the Transfer Portal, ranking No. 1 in the nation for their portal class, but now Louisville is looking to make a big-time splash in the 2027 recruiting class.
Louisville basketball in hot pursuit of game-changing 7-foot 5-star center
A 5⭐️ 7-foot center is set to arrive at Louisville tonight for an official visit.
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) April 23, 2026
Details: https://t.co/04PMyUGoJi pic.twitter.com/PeHKU8oEpG
Louisville basketball hosted 5-star Obinna Ekezie Jr. for a visit
Kelsey is trying to take this program to the next level, not just making the Cardinals a National Title contender but also making Louisville a top landing spot for elite transfers and elite high school recruits. The Cardinals fans are witnessing Kelsey being that elite recruiter in the portal, landing the No. 1 overall transfer in Flory Bidunga, and now he is trying to land one of the top high school recruits.
Ekezie ranks as high as No. 2 overall in the 2027 recruiting class and No. 1 among centers in the 2027 cycle. The 7-footer plays at Southeastern Prep in Orlando, Florida, and rumors are emerging that some schools are trying to recruit him for the 2026 class, but nothing is official, and as of right now, he still ranks in the 2027 class.
The Cardinals are in a heated recruiting battle for the unanimous 5-star center, as Arkansas recently hosted Ekezie for an official visit, and he holds offers from Kentucky, Alabama, BYU, UCLA, North Carolina, Kansas, and many more notable Division I programs. He has collected over 32 offers, and it appears Louisville is emerging as an early contender in the recruiting race, as they earned the official visit on Thursday.
The Cardinals haven’t landed any 2026 recruits as of April 24, and whether Ekezie reclassifies to the 2026 class or not, he would be a massive splash for Kelsey and the Cardinals. It would be a huge addition to Kelsey’s frontcourt if he commits to play alongside Bidunga, and if he stays in the 2027 class, Louisville fans can expect the Cardinals to be heavily involved in the 2027 class, as other elite recruits would follow the No. 2 overall prospect to Louisville.
Related: Every NCAA Transfer Portal player who committed to Louisville basketball so far
For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.
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