Louisville is taking its new-look men’s basketball roster on the road for a quick summer tune-up in the Bahamas.
The Cardinals will be at Baha Mar Resort from July 27-30, with two exhibition games scheduled as part of the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Summer League. Louisville is tentatively set to face teams from the Bahamas at 2 p.m.
ET Tuesday, July 28, and again at noon ET Wednesday, July 29. Both games will be played at the Baha Mar Convention, Arts and Entertainment Center.
It’s the second time in three summers that Pat Kelsey and the Cardinals have made the trip to Baha Mar.
The timing gives Louisville an early look at a roster loaded with newcomers - nine in all - including one of the nation’s top transfer portal classes. That group features former Kansas center Flory Bidunga, Oregon’s Jackson Shelstad, USC’s Gabe Dynes, Dayton guard De’Shayne Montgomery, Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras and Arkansas swingman Karter Knox.
The rest of the newcomers listed are 7-foot Obinna Ekezie Jr., 6-foot-8 forward Boyuan Zhang and 6-foot-1 guard Isaac Ellis.
Kelsey described the trip as a "business trip" for his team, using the games to help the group build chemistry and squeeze in extra practice before the school year starts.
"When we played in the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League two years ago, we saw what a great benefit that extra court time could have on our team, and we are looking for a similar effect with this quick trip to Nassau," he said.
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Louisville Heads To Bahamas For First Look At New-Look Cardinals
Louisvilles mens basketball team is headed back to the Bahamas next summer for a pair of exhibition games at the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Summer League, giving Pat Kelsey another chance to put his roster through live action before the school year begins. The event, run by bdG Sports, has become a useful stop for teams looking for extra practices and a first look at how new pieces fit together, and Louisville will get that benefit on July 28 and 29.
For Kelsey, it also offers an early gauge on a group that looks very different from last seasons version of the Cardinals. Transfers Flory Bidunga, Jackson Shelstad, Karter Knox and lvaro Folgueiras are among the newcomers joining freshmen Obinna Ekezie Jr., Boyuan Zhang and Isaac Ellis, and the trip should help sort out how quickly that mix comes together. The only real unknown now is what kind of international opposition Louisville will see across those two games. [Read more 🡒]
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The bigger question for Louisville followers is how Browns game translates as the summer goes on, especially with so many familiar names scattered across the leagues showcase circuit. Ryan Conwell and J'Vonne Hadley are with the Miami Heat, Isaac McKneely is in Atlanta, and Chucky Hepburn is back with Toronto after his injury setback, giving Cardinals fans a steady stream of former players to track while Browns own adjustment to the next level begins to take shape. [Read more 🡒]