Pat Kelsey has rebuilt Louisville from the nightmare Kenny Payne era. They are a competitive top-25 caliber basketball program. Under Kelsey they’ve won 51 games the last two years. They made the NCAAs both years and advanced to the second round in 2026.
They have been the ACC’s second or third-best program the last two years. It’s been fine work by Kelsey and Louisville coming out of the basketball abyss, but Louisville had developed a one-dimensional personality. They were a couple of notches below physically from the best teams, and when those 3s weren’t dropping, Louisville simply didn’t have alot of answers.
They had to become a tougher, more physical team. The transfer portal can give and it can take away. For Louisville this past weekend, they cashed in big time.
Source: Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad and Kansas big man Flory Bidunga have both committed to Louisville. A major package deal for the Cardinals, as the Louisville administration was aggressive in laying out a vision for building championship roster. pic.twitter.com/tyrIC0dZO0
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 12, 2026
Shelstad when healthy, provides Louisville a shotmaking experienced guard, and Bidunga is the inside rim protector that Louisville has lacked. Louisville may be putting together the top portal class in the country, and looks to have put itself into the pre-season top 10.
For the first time in a while, Duke may have a true challenger in the ACC.
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