Things are winding down, but there’s still valuable spots to fill. Where Louisville basketball could look next and where they’re already looking.
What an offseason its been for the Louisville basketball program. If things were won on paper, some may say the Cards are the proverbial winner.
Things looked bleak coming out of the NCAA Tournament, especially after coaching moves and multiple deflections. While some fans questioned the plans, Pat Kelsey was already hard at work at putting his plan into motion.
That included hiring a “defensive coordinator” and current head coach in John Andrzejek and bringing over a strong recruiter and defensive teacher in Sean Dixon. He followed it up with multiple slam dunks early in the portal, including the widely regarded no. 1 available player in Big 12 DPOY Flory Bidunga as well as Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad. Not to mention, locking up the returns of Adrian Wooley and London Johnson.
Since then, Louisville’s added Karter Knox, Alvaro Folgueiras, De’Shayne Montgomery, Gabe Dynes, and most recently 2027 5-star recruit (now reclassifying to 2026) Obinna Ekezie Jr, to bring the roster count to nine.
There were some misses along the way, but regardless, the new vision for what Louisville basketball needs to look like to win at the highest level continues to be rolled out with emphasis. All eyes are on the Cards and how they’ll finish out a roster that could compete to be top-five in the preseason rankings later this year.
Here are the needs and some other players that could potentially be options.
What’s the biggest need
- Shooting
- There’s really not a lot of glaring needs, as PK has done an incredible job adding seven new players and bringing back some continuity. The biggest to me is one that really shows how much Kelsey has done to flip what people think he needs to win on its head. Louisville has prioritized athletes, defenders, and players capable of impacting the game in ways that aren’t always shooting from three. Guys like Wooley, Shelstad, Folgueras, and Knox all can hit shots, but none of them fit the bill as a “dead eye shooter.”
- There’s really not a lot of glaring needs, as PK has done an incredible job adding seven new players and bringing back some continuity. The biggest to me is one that really shows how much Kelsey has done to flip what people think he needs to win on its head. Louisville has prioritized athletes, defenders, and players capable of impacting the game in ways that aren’t always shooting from three. Guys like Wooley, Shelstad, Folgueras, and Knox all can hit shots, but none of them fit the bill as a “dead eye shooter.”
- Wing Depth
- In today’s college basketball you never can have too many wings that are capable at shooting, defending, or ideally, both. Behind Karter Knox and De’Shayne Montgomery (who is more of a two), Louisville doesn’t really have a lot. Bolstering this spot with athletic, versatile players who can slide in at the 3 and 4, will be super important.
- In today’s college basketball you never can have too many wings that are capable at shooting, defending, or ideally, both. Behind Karter Knox and De’Shayne Montgomery (who is more of a two), Louisville doesn’t really have a lot. Bolstering this spot with athletic, versatile players who can slide in at the 3 and 4, will be super important.
- Shot creator/bucket getter
- This one seems odd being last, but it’s one area of the game that I think could hurt Louisville. Depending on what they do next, Louisville doesn’t have a “walking bucket.” A guy capable of getting you a good shot at any given time, whether it be via his own creation or a drawn up play. We saw what it looked like with Ryan Conwell in 2025-2026. In 2024-2025 it was a combination of guys but mostly Chucky Hepburn, who stepped up and took the big shots. In 2026-2027, I think things will look more like PK’s first year versus last year, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But, if Shelstad or Wooley struggle to become that guy, things could get dicey in close games.
Targets
Guards
Louisville’s reached out to:
- The most recent name to be connected to Kelsey and staff at Louisville is Georgia Tech freshman guard, Akai Fleming. I am a little surprised he’s still available after a fairly strong true freshman campaign on a bad Georgia Tech team. If you remember that game, Fleming was one of multiple players who gave Louisville fits, putting up 10 of his 15 points in the second half during GT’s comeback. At 6’4 he’s a solid scoring guard with a bag of moves, who mostly gets his off the dribble and attacking downhill. He’s a three-level scorer, who will grow in the mid-range and three point stripe as he gets more comfortable with the game.. What I love about Fleming is his ability work off the DHO and get around defenders to the rim. He was great at getting to the line as a freshman, and most importantly knocking them down. There are questions about his ability to shoot from deep or even to be a efficient player, but I don’t share those concerns. Honestly, I think he’d be a great fit as a backup 2 behind Adrian Wooley with potential to evolve into a starter down the road.
Others who could/should be on the radar:
- Dynamic guard who broke the Big South record for points in a game this past season (53). Parker spent two seasons at NC State prior under Kevin Keatts. This could be a 6th man type of player who can bring a scoring punch off the bench while providing a steady presence next to London Johnson or could potentially even plug in next to Jackson Shelstad. There are few pure scorers in the portal remaining, with Parker being one of the very best. Last year he averaged 18 points per game, shot 37% from three, and had a stretch of 8 games during conference play where he averaged 26 points a game on 56% and 48% from three. How he’s even available at this point to me is interesting, but knowing there’s limited talented remaining and a lot of spots to fill across P4 squads – he should be in high demand. On the Dalton Pence show, Louisville’s Dan Furman mentioned there were some NBA declared players who Louisville was in on. Nothing has connected the Cards to Parker yet, but he is declared for the NBA Draft with the option to return back to college (as are Juke Harris, Milan Momcilovic, and others)
- Harmon was an All-Sun Belt performer in 2026 in his first season of D1 College basketball, averaging 13 points, 4 rebounds, and nearly 3 assists per game. He’s not the volume scorer that Parker is, but he someone capable of getting you 12-18 points on any given night, while offering rebounding and playmaking. He isn’t necessarily super efficient and there are plenty of contests where you see him struggle to get going. He scored in double digits in 19 games, including putting up a career high 33 points against South Alabama but had five games where he went 1-for or 0-for. He can in theory fit the Pat Kelsey system thanks to being able to knock down three’s at a efficient clip (34% on 7 threes attempted a game) and get to the rim, but probably is looking for a larger role than Louisville would be offering.
- The 6’3 junior guard earned All-Second Team Summit honors this year and is a former recruit and player of Pat Kelsey’s at Charleston. Crawford is a guy who could provide experience, versatility at the guard position, scoring, and familiarity with the coaching staff’s culture/expectations.
- Johnson is a name to monitor due to his connection to new assistant coach John Andrzejek, who was the head coach at Campbell in 2025-2026. Johnson was a Third-Team All Big South performer, mostly due to his ability to fill it up. He fits the pedigree of what PK and company have been looking for. He’s proven (64 games played, 58 starts), can score, plays defense, and provides versatility. He was recruited by Andrzejek from Green Bay, and given that familiarity, he could be a candidate to follow.
Wings
Reached out to:
- Without question, Milan Momcilovic is the top remaining players as we enter the later parts of the portal run. He did enter the NBA draft, keeping his options open to return, and appears to be in the mix for Louisville. We know that Cards have had somewhat of a laser focus on Juke Harris, but with him likely ending up at Tennessee or in the NBA, maybe Louisville could go all in on one of college basketball’s best perimeter players. There’s so much to love about the player we’ll refer to as “Mom.” He shot almost 50% from the 3-point line during the 2025-2026 season, making him the top shooter by percentage in college basketball last year. Not only did he accomplish that in a uber competitive Big 12, but he did so on an incredible 7.2 attempts per game. Every offensive rating metric was just about off the charts for Mom, showing an elite ability to knock down three’s and get to the rim & free throw line. His ability to carve out space for himself off screens, pin-downs, and the pump-fake, step back, are all elite and would instantly make him a favorite for ACC POY. The big question I have… does hit fit this team’s makeup? I think the answer is yes – mostly because of his ability to shoot and fill it up without the ball in his hands. If guys like Adrian Wooley, Karter Knox, and De’Shayne Montgomery are all on board with having roles that take less, you do all you can to land Momcilovic.
- An under the radar name that could be a very interesting take is Rutgers wing, Harun Zrno. The Bosnian guard played at Rutgers as a freshman, starting 15 games and averaging 9.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, and 1.1 apg while shooting 35%. As a true freshman on a bad Rutgers team, Zrno showed real promise as a dead eye 3pt shooter who could handle the physicality of Big Ten while remaining efficient. He’s also got a professional 3&D type build, standing at 6’7 and 225 pounds that allows him to get into the lane and body smaller defenders. He plays like a true Euro player – intelligent, smooth, and with physicality.
His 21 point performance against Wisconsin offers a lot of what he could bring to Louisville. Several buckets came in garbage time, but you still see incredible potential as a shooter of screens.
Others who could/should be on the radar:
- Another former Pat Kelsey recruit and signee, Wol was a late bloomer. He’s bounced around from Eastern Kentucky to most recently Bowling Green, but showed his unique style and flare in each spot. Wol has unique size for a wing at 6’8, showing the ability to handle the ball and play make for others. He also shows his ability to do a little of everything scoring wise, averaging nearly 11 ppg and shooting 39% from the three point line. He also shows a strong propensity to finish inside. What makes his nearly 70% shooting at the rim even more impressive is he’s listed at just 196 pounds. That size won’t translate to the ACC in major minutes, but if you’re looking for depth Wol offers game experience, familiarity with PK and company. He’d give the Cards a very unique, matchup friendly skill set at the three and four.
- Mohamed was a former four-star recruit who struggled to find a consistent role in two seasons, even with the Irish being pretty bad. He’s had to compete with Braeden Shrewsberry, Markus Burton, and Cole Certa for touches & shots (which explains) and the numbers bears that out. However, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t a good player and wouldn’t be a solid addition. Mohammed likely would benefit from a larger role at a smaller school, but should he stay in the ACC, he could offer a solid 3&D, athletic wing off the bench. In stretches Mohammad has proven to be a scorer (averaged 14 ppg in 3-game stretch against Miami, Va Tech, and UNC), a primary defender (Notre Dame was 39th nationally in defensive efficiency), and a true Swiss Army Knife (7-games of 5+ rebounds, several games with 2+ steals, while averaging only 1.5 fouls per game). The downfall, he’s not a good shooter at all (shot 29% last year and 17% as a freshman) and there’s not many spots available for guys who can’t stretch the floor.
Bigs
Reached out to:
- Pogo stick and human highlight reel. Williams is a former four-star recruit who transferred to FAU after one year at UCLA. During his time in Boca Raton, Williams was a highlight reel, showing incredible potential as a primary shot blocker and elite defender. Despite the fact he doesn’t have a well-rounded offensive game, his athleticism and knack for the ball are evident every single time you watch him play. He averaged 2.6 blocks per game, which was top 10 nationally, and was one of the AAC’s top offensive rebounders. His fit is interesting. He could be a four but honestly doesn’t offer much stretchability. There’s not really a need anymore at the five, which is why I wonder if Williams will look elsewhere. He’s getting major interest from Arizona.
Others who could/should be on the radar:
- Text book stretch 4, who was just okay at SMU last year. Former four-star recruit who in the right position can thrive after shooting 35%+ from three in all three years of his career thus far. Louisville could use a true shooter, even if it’s a depth piece at the 4 behind Alvaro Figueras. Walters fits that to a t. However, he made little to no impact at SMU and will be going on his fourth school in four years. He did hit 4/8 three’s attempted against in Louisville in the three matchups this season. Seems like a move to a smaller conference is likely in order.
