Pat Kelsey and Louisville basketball target nation's No. 1 recruit in 2028 class

It is the middle of June, which means Louisville basketball fans are following the summer workouts and high school recruiting. The Cardinals are coming off a dominant Transfer Portal run that led to key commitments in the 2026 recruiting class.

Louisville basketball enters race for elite 5-star guard after extending offer

Pat Kelsey has emerged as one of the best recruiters in the Transfer Portal, and he is beginning to earn some big-time commitments from high school recruits. In his time at Louisville, he has earned 5-star commitments from Mikel Brown Jr. and Obinna Ekezie Jr. in two years.

Now, he will turn his attention to the 2027 and 2028 recruiting classes. Looking at the 2028 cycle, multiple names have been jumping out at Kelsey and Louisville fans, but one target is emerging as one of Louisville's dream targets.

Louisville basketball enters race for 5-star AJ Williams

June 15 marked the first day college programs could begin reaching out to 2028 recruits. The Cardinals have contacted many 5-star and 4-star recruits, including the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2028 recruiting class, AJ Williams.

The unanimous 5-star small forward is one of the most highly recruited prospects in the 2028 cycle, as he has already earned over 21 offers. Of those 21 offers, Williams has received offers from elite college basketball programs such as Auburn, Alabama, Kansas, Indiana, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Oregon, Tennessee, Louisville and many others.

Now, it is being reported that Louisville is one of many programs to reach out to the 5-star recruit since the contact period opened on June 15. Other notable programs reaching out to Williams include Duke, Arkansas, Michigan, Indiana, North Carolina, Auburn, Alabama, Florida State, USC, Mississippi State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Maryland, and the Cardinals' in-state rival, the Kentucky Wildcats.

Kelsey has elevated Louisville's recruiting since he arrived, and a player like Williams is that next level of high school recruiting. The 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward is a unanimous 5-star recruit who ranks as high as No. 1 in the 2028 recruiting class by 247 Sports, ESPN, On3 Sports and Rivals. He is the unanimous No. 1 small forward in the 2028 cycle, and according to On3 Sports, he has taken unofficial visits to Louisville, ACC foes Georgia Tech and Duke.

Louisville has landed at least one top 15 recruit in the past two cycles, as Brown ranked No. 6 in the nation and Ekezie ranked No. 14 in the 2026 recruiting class.

Outside of Williams, other notable recruits the Cardinals have reached out to include 5-star Josiah Rose, 5-star Michai White, and top Kentucky natives Josh Lindsay and Jordan Mitchell.

Also read: Pat Kelsey’s latest 5-star target could be Louisville basketball next PGU centerpiece

For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.

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