Pat Kelsey fires back at Tom Izzo as Louisville officially signs London Johnson

Louisville basketball recently officially signed former NBA G-League player London Johnson. The point guard committed to Louisville back on October 20 and broke the internet with his commitment. It was one of the first times a former G-League player committed to playing college basketball, and many were taken aback by the Cardinals' move.

The 6-foot-3, 181-pound guard won't play for Louisville this season, but has been ruled eligible to play with the Cardinals next season. Jeff Goodman reported that Johnson will arrive in Louisville midseason this year. Johnson initially bypassed college basketball despite receiving offers from elite programs such as Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Xavier.

Now, he will officially take that college route as he signed with Louisville this afternoon, and in Pat Kelsey's statement, he snapped back at all the criticism Johnson and the Cardinals received.

Pat Kelsey fires back as Louisville officially signs former G-League guard

Johnson will be eligible for two seasons with the Cardinals after playing in the NBA G League for the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers G League teams. Johnson's NBA G League career was highlighted by him starting in 21 games and averaging 3.1 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game.

After he committed to the Cardinals, the college basketball world was outraged and furious. Michigan State's head coach, Tom Izzo, went viral for his crash out on Louisville and college basketball, and the whole situation. He called it "ridiculous" and "embarrassing," went off for nearly five minutes, and didn't hold anything back.

Kelsey has never really addressed the situation, aside from his saying it is the same as teams signing players who played professionally internationally. However, in Johnson's official signing release, Kelsey had some choice of words that make it seem like he threw quite a jab at Izzo.

"He is a trailblazer in a lot of ways and has handled the unwarranted scrutiny like the mature, classy young man that he is," Kelsey stated in the official release. "In my opinion, he deserves an opportunity to play collegiate basketball like every other player within his five-year window from high school. Times have changed and we choose to embrace change rather than just complain about it."

“London brings experience, talent, toughness and a winning mindset to our organization.” @patkelsey about @londonejohnson #GoCards pic.twitter.com/Syqi1oUMrz
— Louisville Men's Basketball (@LouisvilleMBB) November 18, 2025

Kelsey's wise choice of words seems aimed at Izzo. The Cardinals' head coach is embracing the new rules, and he wasn't even the first team to secure a commitment from a G League player. A lot of people have forgotten that Thierry Darlan was ruled eligible to play with Santa Clara, and then the Cards added Johnson.

So, Kelsey stayed professional, backed his player and his program, and threw a subtle jab at Izzo. Kelsey's first comments about it being the same as teams signing a player who played on an international team are 100 percent correct. There is no difference. So, Izzo might have been a bit caught off guard, but his five-minute rant was ridiculous and now multiple teams are trying to sign former NBA G-League players.

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