The Louisville basketball program was in remarkably poor shape under Kenny Payne but Pat Kelsey has meant a great deal since arriving back in 2024. The Cardinals tied for 2nd place in his fantastic debut before winning an NCAA Tournament last year, settling for a 24-11 finish. These first two seasons were undeniably a step in the right direction though you can also argue that last year’s team underachieved with the talent on that team.
Regardless, that talent is almost completely gone. Ryan Conwell, J’Vonne Hadley, and Isaac McKneely are all out of eligibility while Mikel Brown headed to the NBA after a fantastic freshman season. There’s only three names returning from last year’s team, with the notable piece being Adrian Wooley, a rising junior guard who put up 8.7 points a game.
Reloaded Cardinals
It’s not a surprise to hear that Kelsey and his staff have busied themselves reloading with talent. A solid freshman class includes 7-footer Obinna Ezekie Jr. from Nigeria but the transfer class is where they really excelled. Louisville got six significant additions, grabbing players like 7-footer Gabe Dynes from USC and Iowa stud Alvaro Folgueiras. The backcourt got a major boost with Jackson Shelstad from Oregon and De’Shayne Montgomery of Dayton but there’s one figure that really stands out.
Many considered Flory Bidunga the top name in the transfer portal this offseason and he’s suiting up for the Cardinals for his junior year. Originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bidunga was a Top 20 prospect who opted for Kansas and spent a pair of seasons there under Bill Self. He played a minor role while showing potential as a freshman before averaging 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks last season, leading the Big 12 in both field goal percentage and blocked shots.
Monster in the paint
The reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year steps into what is clearly a major role for the Cardinals. Louisville returned zero frontcourt players from last season’s team and immediately plugs Bidunga into that key spot under the rim. If he continues growing as an efficient scorer and shot blocker, then his abilities on both sides of the ball will be massively important as Louisville looks to make more headway in the ACC.
This team added size and strength and it was clearly necessary but it’s hard to argue that anyone is going to have quite the impact as Bidunga. Dynes has great size and Folgueiras is a versatile weapon, but neither will have the run Bidunga will have entering year three of college ball. Louisville is hoping a lot of things come together with this new crew but there’s one clear star protecting the rim.
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