Louisville’s pursuit of two elite 2027 recruits just got a lot more complicated.
Pat Kelsey has been working the 5-star trail hard with King Gibson and Moussa Kamissoko, but Providence is now making a serious push of its own. According to On3 Sports’ Joe Tipton, both prospects have official visits lined up with the Friars, giving the Big East program a real shot to step into Louisville’s recruiting lane.
Tipton reported that Gibson will be at Providence on Sept. 11-12, while Kamissoko is set for Oct. 23-25.
That matters because Louisville has already been deep in the mix for both players. Gibson recently trimmed his list to 10 schools, and Kelsey is battling UConn, Arkansas, LSU, Baylor, Syracuse, Providence, Illinois, Alabama, and Michigan for the top-ranked guard. Kamissoko, meanwhile, hasn’t narrowed his list yet, but he has made it clear Kelsey has stayed active with him all summer.
Earlier this summer, Kamissoko described just how often Louisville has been in contact.
"Pat Kelsey calls me three or four times a week," stated Kamissoko, according to Cardinal Authority. "We just catch up.
He asks me how my day is. We have been talking about visits, but we're trying to get it right."
Providence’s visit with Kamissoko is especially notable because the Friars now sit as the new frontrunner, according to Rivals’ prediction meter, with an 18.3 percent chance of landing the 5-star. The New York native already owns more than 30 offers, including Kentucky, Illinois, Alabama, BYU, North Carolina State, Virginia, and others. He also recently took an official visit to Florida State.
Kamissoko is a 6-foot-8, 180-pound small forward ranked as high as No. 8 overall, No. 3 among small forwards, and No. 1 in New York.
Gibson, though, is still very much in Louisville’s crosshairs. The Cardinals are hosting him this weekend, and his official visit run also includes Louisville on Sept.
4-6, UConn on Sept. 13-15, Arkansas on Sept.
21-23, LSU on Sept. 25-27, and Baylor on Oct. 9-11.
Providence now joins that list right before his UConn trip.
The 6-foot-4, 185-pound combo guard is ranked No. 5 overall and No. 1 at his position. Last season, he averaged 15.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. On the Nike EYBL Circuit, he put up 16.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from 3-point range.
Louisville has built real momentum with both prospects, and Kelsey has already landed a 5-star in back-to-back recruiting classes. But Providence has inserted itself into the picture in a big way, and now the Friars are forcing the Cardinals to fight for two of their biggest 2027 targets.
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