Louisville men’s basketball coach Pat Kelsey on new group of players
Louisville men’s basketball coach Pat Kelsey talks about his recruiting process and the team’s chemistry ahead of the 2025-2026 season.
Louisville basketball is still looking for its first commitment of the 2026 recruiting cycle.Pat Kelsey and his staff are in the mix with several marquee prospects, including top PG Taylen Kinney, a Kentucky native who has the Cardinals among his eight finalists.College basketball’s early signing period runs Nov. 12-19.
The week of Nov. 10 will be a big one for Louisville basketball.
Up first, Pat Kelsey’s Cardinals welcome Mark Pope and Kentucky to the KFC Yum! Center on Nov. 11 looking to snap a three-game losing streak in the rivalry. The next day, the early signing period begins.
Entering the final week of August, Kelsey had not yet landed a Class of 2026 commitment. He does, however, have the program firmly in the mix for some of the recruiting cycle’s best and brightest.
No. 1 on the list: Tyran Stokes, a Louisville native who is the consensus No. 1 rising senior in the country. His recruitment has been tight-lipped, but U of L is up against some heavy hitters — UK, Arkansas, Gonzaga, Kansas, Oregon and Southern California.
While they’ve been courting Stokes, Kelsey and his staff have received positive updates on other fronts. Specifically, with regard to Taylen Kinney — a Northern Kentucky native who is the top point guard in the class on the 247Sports Composite.
Here’s a look at some storylines to follow in the coming months:
Kelsey has prioritized Kinney since taking over at Louisville last spring. On the coach’s quest to turn his program into “Point Guard U,” the 6-foot-1 Newport native could be a worthy successor to Mikel Brown Jr. in the backcourt.
So far, Kelsey’s work has paid off. The Cards are one of Kinney’s eight finalists, he announced Aug. 21 via social media. The others: Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Miami, Oregon and Texas.
“This the last one,” Kinney wrote in a post to Instagram, referring to his list of contenders. “Next one is home.”
In July, Kinney told ZAGSBLOG he intends to commit before his final season in OTE begins. Having already made official visits to U of L and UK, he’s reportedly planning to check in with the six other contenders between Aug. 22 and Sept. 26.
Louisville is also still in the mix for the No. 2 point guard in the 2026 cycle, Deron Rippey Jr. — a Brooklyn, New York, native who made an official visit early in November of last year. On July 31, Dushawn London of 247Sports reported that Rippey was in the process of scheduling an unofficial visit with the Cards; which begs the question: Could U of L land Rippey and Kinney, or is this a one-or-the-other type of deal?
When it comes to filling his frontcourt, Kelsey has leaned on the NCAA transfer portal and the international market since arriving at Louisville. Could the 2026 cycle be the one where he plucks a big man from the high school ranks?
The Cards are after a good one in Arafan Diane. The 7-1, nearly 300-pound Iowa United Prep product (by way of Guinea) has U of L in his top 12 — alongside Arkansas, UConn, Georgia Tech, Houston, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Oregon, Purdue, Virginia and Washington. Both 247Sports and Rivals consider him the top rising senior at his position.
In a July 13 evaluation, 247Sports scouting director Adam Finkelstein called Diane “arguably the most physically dominant big man in the national class.” According to data from Synergy, he was the most efficient scorer on Adidas’ 3SSB circuit this summer — averaging 18.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.
Sounds great, right? Here’s the catch: Louisville was not one of the three visits Diane had scheduled when he announced his 12 finalists Aug. 4. Only Arkansas, Houston and Kentucky were on the books. But his is a recruitment worth monitoring, especially if a date emerges for him to come through the 502.
While we’re on the topic of visits, here are four 2026 recruits who have recently announced trips to Louisville:
Colben Landrew, a 6-6 forward who has the Cards among his 10 finalists, will reportedly make an official visit Aug. 28. The four-star Alabama native, who ranks 61st overall on the 247Sports Composite, has visited Purdue already and will also stop by Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Mississippi State and Texas A&M.Cole Cloer, a 6-7 forward who has U of L in his top eight, will reportedly make an official visit the weekend of Aug. 30. The four-star North Carolina native, who ranks 30th overall on the 247Sports Composite, also plans to check in with Alabama, Arkansas, UConn, Florida, Kentucky, N.C. State and North Carolina.Josh Irving, a 6-10 center who received an offer from Louisville in July, will reportedly make an official visit Sept. 19-21. The four-star California native, who ranks 75th overall on the 247Sports Composite, has also scheduled trips to Kansas, Kentucky, San Diego State, SMU, Southern California and Texas A&M.Anthony Felesi, a 6-5 forward who’s been on the Cards’ radar since picking up an offer last September, will reportedly make an official visit Oct. 25. The four-star Utah native, who ranks 47th overall on the 247Sports Composite, is also stopping by Pittsburgh, San Diego State, Southern California and UCLA.
Reach Louisville men’s basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.
