Louisville had a very busy offseason, landing an elite Transfer Portal class, and followed that up with some big-time additions from the 2026 recruiting class. The Cardinals have 12 players on their roster right now, and maybe they aren’t done just yet.
The No. 1 priority this offseason for Pat Kelsey and Louisville was improving their frontcourt. The Cardinals were consistently undersized and were the less physical team in the big-time games, and Kelsey made sure to get some elite players for his frontcourt. UofL landed the No. 1 overall transfer and the top center, Flory Bidunga, who is expected to be one of the best rim protectors in the nation.
And on top of Bidunga, the Cardinals also added 4-star forward Alvaro Folgueiras, 7-foot-5 Gabe Dynes, and 5-star 2026 recruit Obinna Ekezie Jr. This frontcourt is looking like it is in much better shape this year than last year, but Kelsey might not be done.
Louisville basketball should reach out to Jaxon Kohler
A Colorado judge granted a preliminary injunction to seniors from the 2022 class, giving last year's graduation class another year of eligibility. And while Louisville's roster might be complete, maybe Kelsey finds a way to improve it.
One player who is beginning to stand out to Louisville and its fans is Michigan State transfer Jaxon Kohler.
Michigan State is gaining a lot of interest from Kentucky, Kansas and BYU, but maybe Kelsey and Louisville try to get some frontcourt depth. Kohler is a great rebounder at 6-foot-8, 250 pounds, but he also can stretch the floor and shoot from beyond the arc, which Louisville needs.
This past season with the Spartans, the power forward averaged 12.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 50 percent from the field. As for his ability to shoot from downtown, Kohler made 58 3s on 38.9 percent.
The Cardinals are hoping Folgueiras and Ekezie can be consistent from beyond the arc, so Louisville can space the floor out, but Kohler could be another solid option for Kelsey at the power forward position.
It isn’t a dire need for Louisville, but it could be an addition that makes this roster better and a true Final Four contender. There hasn’t been any official report that Louisville has reached out to Kohler. But, Louisville was clearly all-in on Milan Momcilovic, and while Kohler doesn’t shoot as Momcilovic does, he is an elite rebounder and can be reliable and a threat from beyond the arc.
This doesn’t seem very likely for the Cardinals, but if there was a player Louisville should go after who is returning to college basketball, Kohler is at the top of the list.
Add us as a preferred source on Google