Louisville’s men’s basketball team gave the media a brief look inside Thursday afternoon, and even in a practice that lasted only about 30 minutes, a few things stood out right away.
The cleanest guard on the floor, at least from what was visible, was Jackson Shelstad. The Oregon point guard transfer showed real burst in drills, making sharp cuts with the ball and playing with a pace that separated him from the rest of the backcourt. After being limited to 12 games during the 2025-26 season with a hand injury, Shelstad looked fully healthy on Thursday.
The session itself had a sharp edge to it. Managers added extra noise along the baseline, which pushed the players to communicate more and stay locked in.
The ball moved well, passes came easy, and there wasn’t much wasted motion. The group looked organized and connected, with very little of the usual early-practice messiness.
Bigs and guards spent a good stretch working separately before the team broke into smaller groups, sometimes with just one or two players at a basket, and the staff packed a lot into the limited window.
Michael McCammon came away impressed by the overall professionalism of the rebuilt roster. With so many new faces, the extra practices that come with the Bahamas trip should help the group build chemistry and get more game-like reps.
Even so, the tone Thursday was businesslike from start to finish. The players were supportive of one another, the energy never dipped, and every minute seemed accounted for.
Freshman center Obinna Ekezie Jr. also drew plenty of attention. The 7-foot-2, 240-pound big man looked the part as soon as he stepped into the gym, and that didn’t change once the work started. He moved well in stretches and drills, both with and without the ball, and Michael McCammon said the native of Lagos, Nigeria left a strong impression after only a short viewing.
Jacob Polacheck also noted Ekezie’s progress after offseason shoulder surgery. Louisville’s five-star freshman center has had a complicated path, including reclassifying from 2027 and then working through recovery, so expectations are being kept in check.
Still, he was active in post work and even spent time on midrange jump shots. Whether he becomes much of a shooter this season remains to be seen, but it’s clearly part of what he’s working on, and his size alone should make him a difficult matchup inside.
One final detail from the Planet Fitness Kueber Center underscored the message around the program: as players walked through the entrance, wall-mounted televisions displayed the logo for the 2026-27 Final Four in Detroit at Ford Field.
In Other News...
Louisville Freshman Obinna Ekezie Jr. Looks Even More Imposing Already
Louisvilles offseason overhaul has already given the roster a different look, and the frontcourt is a big reason why. The Cardinals added nine players, including Kansas transfer Flory Bidunga and freshman center Obinna Ekezie Jr., a top recruit who reclassified to the 2026 class and arrived with the kind of size that immediately stands out in a gym.
Ekezie is listed at 7-foot-2 and 240 pounds after reportedly adding two inches and 20 pounds over the summer, a development that only adds to the intrigue around his freshman season. He was once considered one of the elite prospects in his class before the reclassification, and with Bidunga alongside him, Louisville suddenly has a pair of young big men who could help reshape the way the Cardinals play inside. [Read more 🡒]
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 🡒]