Louisville basketball is making a push for many targets in the Transfer Portal, but the No. 1 target on Louisville’s big board at the moment is the Wisconsin transfer, John Blackwell. The Cards are in a heated recruiting battle with big-time programs for the 5-star transfer, as he recently cut his list to just six schools, putting Louisville in a race with UCLA, Illinois, Arizona, Duke, and Alabama.
Predicting Pat Kelsey's next 3 moves after adding Karter Knox to Louisville's core
The Cardinals are trying to land their second 5-star this offseason from the Transfer Portal, as they landed the No. 1 overall transfer in Flory Bidunga. Blackwell’s recruitment isn’t slowing down anytime soon, and in fact, Pat Kelsey is making a strong push for the 5-star as there were rumors flying around all Wednesday morning that the Cardinals head coach was flying out to visit Blackwell, and just moments ago, it was confirmed.
— Mark Blankenbaker (@UofLSheriff50) April 15, 2026
Pat Kelsey visits 5-star transfer John Blackwell
Louisville has already added three transfers this offseason, and Kelsey is showing he isn’t slowing down anytime soon with Blackwell. The Cardinals fans absolutely love to hear that Louisville is still heavily involved in Blackwell’s recruiting process, and now they are hoping he can pull off another massive splash.
Louisville continues to make a big push for Blackwell, with efforts coming not only from Kelsey and his trip to Blackwell but also from Jackson Shelstad. The Cardinals fans saw that Blackwell recently visited UCLA, and when the 5-star posted on social media showing him in a Bruins uniform, Louisville received recruiting help from a recent commit, Jackson Shelstad, as the Louisville commit commented: "No, Sir."
The Cards fans are also hoping Blackwell’s former teammate, Chucky Hepburn, is pitching in and putting on his recruiting hat, as the two played for Wisconsin together and were teammates in the 2023-24 season. Right now, Louisville is building one of the best rosters in college basketball, and if he decides to join Bidunga, Shelstad, and Karter Knox, this team might be one of the favorites entering the 2026-27 season.
There hasn't been much noise with Arizona and Alabama, and On3 Sports has Illinois and Duke as the slight favorites. However, with UCLA earning a visit and Kelsey now flying out to make one, the Cards are right there in this race.
Louisville’s recruiting efforts aren’t slowing down, and in fact, they are picking up. Blackwell ranks No. 2 overall and No. 1 among shooting guards, and as things pick up for this elite transfer, Kelsey is making it clear Louisville won’t lose this battle easily.
Related: 5 win-now players who could commit to Louisville after Flory Bidunga, Jackson Shelstad
For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.
Add us as a preferred source on Google