Louisville basketball’s offseason is scorching hot at the moment as the Cardinals have landed three commitments in four days, and Pat Kelsey has this program trending with some of the top names. Louisville just landed 4-star transfer and former 5-star recruit Karter Knox, giving Louisville’s frontcourt a major boost.
Players in the Transfer portal that the Louisville Cardinals have reached out to
Knox is a former 5-star recruit and a former Louisville target in the 2024 recruiting class. The Arkansas transfer ranked as high as No. 22 in the 2024 cycle and No. 6 among small forwards, and now he commits to Louisville, ranked No. 56 in the portal and No. 6 among small forwards.
Louisville’s roster is beginning to put the Cardinals in the NCAA Title race as they will be led by their three transfers so far in Flory Bidunga, Jackson Shelstad, and now Knox. However, Kelsey isn’t slowing down, and he is looking to stay red-hot and land more transfers sooner rather than later.
So, with Louisville buzzing in the Transfer Portal, we are going to take a shot at some predictions and try to predict Kelsey's next three moves after adding Karter Knox to Louisville's core.
Quel’Ron House - PG
With Louisville needing depth in its backcourt, Quel’Ron House emerges as a target Louisville might go get. The Southern Illinois transfer is a Louisville native who played at Seneca High School and helped lead the team to its first KHSAA region championship game appearance since 1968. He averaged 27.9 points per game while shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 43.6 percent from beyond the arc. He made First-Team All-State and was a Mr. Basketball finalist.
He committed to Jacksonville State, where he averaged 8.4 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting 40 percent from the field. Now, the Louisville native is back in the portal after his best season, where he averaged 15.2 points while shooting 46.6 percent from the field and adding 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
John Blackwell - SG
The Cardinals have reached out to multiple transfers right now, but the one name every Cardinal is keeping an eye on is John Blackwell. The Cards recently made his final six and are now in a recruiting battle with UCLA, Illinois, Duke, Alabama, and Arizona.
It might be a bold prediction, but Louisville is certainly in the mix for Blackwell, as they continue to make a push for the 5-star transfer. Blackwell ranks as high as No. 3 overall and No. 1 among shooting guards. The 5-star transfer is a former teammate of Chucky Hepburn, as the two played together in the 2023-24 season. So, hopefully Hepburn can work some magic, and Kelsey can stay hot, as Blackwell would be a massive boost to this backcourt.
Related: Louisville's projected starting lineup with Karter Knox has Kelsey eyeing first Title
Alvaro Folgueiras - PF
The Cardinals fans are now expecting the next big splash to be from the Iowa transfer and 4-star transfer Alvaro Folgueiras. The Cardinals have lost significant depth at forward, as four forwards have entered the transfer portal and key forward J’Vonne Hadley has left. Now, Kelsey will try to get a true power forward, and all signs point to Folgueiras.
On3 Sports has an official prediction favoring Louisville, as the Cardinals have extended an offer to the Iowa transfer and have a 100% chance of landing his commitment. Folgueiras is coming off a year where he averaged 8.4 points while shooting 50 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arc. He also added 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He is a stretch-four who will space out the floor for the Cardinals, as he made 45 3’s while shooting 41.3 percent from downtown in his sophomore season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google