Louisville’s frontcourt just got a lot more imposing.
The Cardinals are expected to be one of the nation’s top teams as August nears, and their offseason haul has given them plenty to talk about. Louisville brought in nine new players, with six arriving through the Transfer Portal and three coming from the 2026 recruiting class. Among that group, two 5-star centers have quickly become the headliners: Kansas transfer Flory Bidunga and freshman Obinna Ekezie Jr.
Bidunga has already drawn plenty of attention as one of college basketball’s best rim protectors last season, and Louisville is counting on him to bring the kind of interior force the program has been missing. But Ekezie’s update may be just as eye-catching.
When Ekezie committed to Louisville, he was listed at 7 feet and around 220 pounds. That has changed in a big way. The Cardinals now list him at 7-foot-2 and 240 pounds, meaning he has reportedly grown two inches and added 20 pounds this offseason.
#Louisville freshman Obinna Ekezie Jr. is listed as 7'2" and 240 pounds on the Cardinals' roster.
That's two inches taller and 20 pounds heavier than he was listed in high school. pic.twitter.com/GAIAxPztmc
- Logan Adams (@LoganPAdams) July 23, 2026
That kind of jump matters. For a player already viewed as one of the top big men in the country, the added size only makes Ekezie more difficult to handle. At 7-foot-2 and 240 pounds, he looks ready to bring a more physical edge to Louisville right away.
The numbers from his last season back that up. Ekezie averaged 17.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, and he also brings a 7-foot-4 wingspan to the floor. That combination gives Louisville another major presence in the paint on both ends.
His rise has been steep. Ekezie was once ranked as high as the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2027 class and the No. 1 center.
He carried a 0.9986 rating, the highest-rated commitment in program history, before reclassifying into the 2026 class. He now sits as high as No. 14 overall and remains the No. 1 center.
For a Louisville team that has had frontcourt physicality as a glaring issue over the past two seasons, the Bidunga-Ekezie pairing gives the Cardinals a very different look. And with Ekezie’s size now trending even bigger, Louisville’s interior suddenly looks a lot scarier.
In Other News...
Vince Marrow Just Pulled Louisville Into Another Ohio Recruiting Fight
Louisville has jumped into the mix for Cartae Ligon, a four-star athlete in the 2028 class who is already drawing attention well beyond Ohio. Vince Marrow, the Cardinals executive director of player personnel, extended the scholarship offer as Louisville continues trying to build early relationships with one of the more intriguing young prospects in the region, a player who is also hearing from Michigan, NC State, Indiana, Minnesota and Miami.
Ligon is still early in the process, but the next stretch should matter. He plans to take campus visits and is looking ahead to a possible commitment next summer, which gives Louisville time to keep pressing in a crowded recruitment. For a program that has spent plenty of time battling for Ohio talent, this is another one worth tracking closely as the offers keep piling up. [Read more 🡒]
Journalism's Racing Career Just Took A Stunning Turn After San Diego
Journalisms latest chapter took shape in the most unusual way possible at Del Mar, where the Preakness Stakes winner was hurt in the starting gate before the San Diego Handicap and still managed to win the race. The performance only added to the colts reputation as one of the sports most resilient runners, even as the post-race examination made clear the day had carried a cost.
Now the focus shifts away from the track and toward what comes next for a horse whose best moments came in high-pressure spots. Journalism is headed to Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, where he will begin his stallion career with the 2027 breeding season, a move that closes the book on a racing run that had already delivered enough drama for an entire campaign. [Read more 🡒]