Louisville’s backcourt plans took a sharp hit Thursday when guard London Johnson was dismissed from the program due to a violation of team rules.
The update came from On3 Sports’ Joe Tipton, who reported that Johnson had been let go. Louisville later confirmed the move and said, "We wish him the best in his future endeavors," removing him from the Cardinals’ roster for the 2026-26 season.
That’s a significant loss for a group that was supposed to be one of the deepest parts of the team. Louisville brought in a wave of new faces, including former 5-star Jackson Shelstad, 4-star transfer De'Shayne Montgomery and UNC transfer Seth Trimble, while also expecting returns from Adrian Wooley and Johnson.
Johnson’s path to Louisville had already made him one of the more unusual stories in college basketball. A former NBA G League player, he committed to the Cardinals in 2025 and became one of the first former G League players to make the jump back into college sports.
He was a top-50 recruit out of Georgia, checking in at No. 46 overall, No. 8 among combo guards and the top player in the state. His offer sheet included Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Xavier and others, but he chose to bypass college and go pro.
After stints with the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers G League teams, Johnson returned to the college game once the NCAA granted him eligibility. He started 21 games and averaged 3.1 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.
He also opened eyes in Louisville’s exhibition game in the Bahamas in July, starting and finishing with 13 points, seven rebounds and two steals in 21 minutes.
Now the Cardinals will move forward without him, and the pressure shifts to Wooley, Shelstad and Montgomery to help absorb the loss in the backcourt. It leaves Louisville thinner than expected at a spot that was supposed to be a strength.
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