Louisville’s offseason looked like the kind that changes a program’s ceiling. Pat Kelsey had to rebuild almost everything, and he did it fast, landing nine new players and the No. 1 overall portal class. The Cardinals added the No. 1 transfer in Flory Bidunga, brought in 5-star center Obinna Ekezie Jr., and filled out the group with key pieces like Jackson Shelstad and Karter Knox.
That kind of haul has Louisville fans thinking big, especially with hopes of ending the school’s Final Four drought. But not everybody is ready to put the Cardinals at the very top of the ACC just yet.
CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein released his ACC preseason power rankings, and Louisville came in at No. 3. Duke checked in at No. 1, with Virginia sitting at No. 2 ahead of the Cardinals.
Duke’s spot is hardly a shock. Jon Scheyer’s group owns the best odds to win the 2027 National Title at +600 after adding the No. 1 2026 recruiting class and the No.
10 Transfer Portal class. Virginia at No. 2 is the more eyebrow-raising part of the list, especially with Louisville coming off one of the most aggressive offseasons in the sport.
The Cardinals currently have the No. 9 highest odds to win the 2027 National Title at +2500, while Virginia sits at No. 13 with +4000 odds. Virginia is also coming off a 30-win season and returns four key players, which helps explain why it remains in the mix in preseason conversations.
Still, Louisville’s transfer work has already earned it plenty of respect elsewhere. ESPN has the Cardinals ahead of Virginia in its preseason rankings, which shows just how tightly packed the top of the league is shaping up to be.
For now, the ACC’s top tier looks like a three-team race at the top, and Louisville is right in the middle of it. The Cardinals have the roster to make noise. The next step is turning all that offseason momentum into wins over the teams sitting above them.
In Other News...
Louisvilles Biggest Transfer Is Already Hearing Doubts He Wont Ignore
Louisville spent the offseason loading up, adding nine players and six transfers as it tried to turn talent into a roster built to win right away. The headliner is Flory Bidunga, the five-star center from Kansas, whose arrival gave the Cardinals a potential anchor in the middle and instantly raised the ceiling of what this group could become.
But the early conversation around Bidunga has not been all praise. Analyst Rob Dauster recently wondered whether Louisville has an All-American or even a top-five player at any position, and Bidungas offensive game has become part of that debate. He has the tools to develop into one of the best centers in college basketball, but for now the questions around his scoring package are the kind that follow a player with his profile into a new season. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Kelseys First Louisville Lineup Sent A Clear Preseason Message
Louisvilles lone exhibition in the Bahamas offered Pat Kelsey an early look at a roster still taking shape, and the lineup choices were the first real clue to how he wants to sort out the pieces. With Karter Knox and Obinna Ekezie Jr. unavailable, the Cardinals opened with Jackson Shelstad, London Johnson, Alvaro Folgueiras, DeShayne Montgomery and Flory Bidunga, a group that blended backcourt skill, size and versatility as the staff gets a feel for what fits.
The more interesting part for Louisville followers was not just who started, but what the rotation suggested about the pecking order behind them. Adrian Wooley, the highly touted transfer expected to be one of the programs most important guards, was in the mix but not in the opening five, a detail that makes this early snapshot worth watching as the Cardinals continue to sort out roles before the real games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Flory Bidunga Gave Louisville Fans The Interior Force Theyve Been Waiting For
Louisvilles first look at its new group came in an exhibition against Raw Talent, and the Cardinals wasted little time showing why the frontcourt could be the defining part of this seasons identity. The win was lopsided from the start, but the bigger takeaway for Louisville fans was the debut of Kansas transfer Flory Bidunga, whose combination of size, timing and activity gave the roster the kind of interior presence it has been missing.
Bidunga finished with a strong all-around line, flashing the defensive reputation that made him such a sought-after addition in the portal and giving the Cardinals a glimpse of how disruptive he can be around the rim. Louisville still has plenty to sort out before the games count, but if this was the first public sample of what Bidunga brings, the staff and fan base have reason to believe the middle of the floor will look a lot different this year. [Read more 🡒]