Louisville Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey is ensuring the program stays on an upward trajectory after landing two of the biggest names in the transfer portal.
On Sunday, Joe Tipton of On3 reported forward Flory Bidunga (Kansas Jayhawks) and guard Jackson Shelstad (Oregon Ducks) plan to transfer to Louisville for the 2026 season. Bidunga was the No. 1 player in On3’s transfer rankings, while Shelstad ranked No. 17.
Why Louisville’s transfer portal haul is a big deal
Convincing Bidunga to come to Louisville solves one of its biggest problems during the 2025-26 season: a lack of strong presence in its frontcourt. The Cardinals went 24-11 this past season, reaching the NCAA Tournament, but they struggled to score in the paint and to crash the glass against elite teams.
Per Brooks Holton of the Louisville Courier Journal, the Cardinals finished with a -60 in paint scoring, -28 in rebounding margin and -23 in second-chance points in nine games against Quad 1 opponents (considered the best in college basketball) during the regular season. In their 77-69 second-round loss to the Michigan State Spartans in the NCAA Tournament, they were outrebounded 39-32.
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