Louisville’s miss on King Gibson might not be the setback it first looked like.
Yes, the Cardinals had real traction with the five-star guard. Pat Kelsey got Gibson on campus for an official visit and earned a place in his final four.
But Gibson ultimately chose LSU over Louisville earlier this week, and that ended what had been a legitimate push for one of the top guards in the country. Gibson has been ranked as high as No. 13 overall and No. 2 among combo guards, so there’s no question he would have been a massive get for Louisville’s 2027 recruiting class.
Still, the Tigers’ win could end up helping the Cardinals in another key recruitment.
Louisville is all-in on five-star Reese Alston, and LSU is one of the biggest threats standing in the way. That’s where Gibson’s commitment could shift things.
If Will Wade and the Tigers are now locked in on Gibson, does that change how hard they chase Alston? Could it knock LSU out of the race and give Louisville a cleaner path?
That’s the hope in Louisville circles, and it’s not without precedent. The Cardinals have already seen a similar scenario play out with DeMarcus Henry’s recruitment: UConn landed five-star forward Jordan Page, and that helped pull the Huskies out of Henry’s race.
Now Louisville is hoping for the same kind of domino effect with Alston.
Of course, LSU could try to land both five-stars and pair them together. But the question is whether Alston wants that situation. It also gives Kelsey a chance to sell Alston on being the centerpiece, the way he did with Mikel Brown Jr., who later became the No. 6 overall pick in the NBA Draft.
Alston is no consolation prize. He’s ranked as high as No. 9 overall and No. 3 among point guards, and Kelsey has made it clear he’s one of the headliners in Louisville’s 2027 class.
The Cardinals have already hosted him on an official visit. After Alston visited LSU, Kelsey made a trip to see him, and he’s also spent multiple recruiting camps this offseason building the relationship and watching Alston in person.
For now, plenty around the recruiting world see Louisville as the leader. Jamie Shaw has predicted the Cardinals will land Alston, and Aaron Torres went even further, calling Louisville the “team to beat.”
“I think Louisville is going to get this guy eventually; I really do,” stated Torres. “Pat Kelsey opened the recruiting period visiting five-star guard Reese Alston - just like they opened the summer seeing him."
In Other News...
Florida State Has A Chance To Make A Real ACC Statement Tonight
Florida State gets a timely chance to make some noise in the ACC tonight when it meets Louisville in a game that carries more weight than a typical conference date this early in the season. Both teams are looking for a win to help their records, and the matchup has enough familiar pressure points to shape the night, from how the Seminoles handle Louisvilles defense to whether the Cardinals can assert themselves on both sides of the ball.
Ashton Daniels is a central figure for Florida State, and how he fares against Louisville could go a long way toward deciding whether the Seminoles can turn this into the statement game they are chasing. The Cardinals have their own strengths and weaknesses to sort through on offense and defense, but the bigger question is whether they can keep Florida State from seizing momentum and turning the upset prediction into a real jolt for the league race. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Faces A Friday Night Test It Cant Afford To Fail
Louisville heads into Friday night needing a response, and it comes with a tricky trip to Florida State. At 2-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play, the Cardinals are still trying to steady a season that has already put them in an early bind, which makes this one feel a little more urgent than a typical league game in October.
Florida State is coming off a win over Virginia, helped by quarterback Ashton Daniels accounting for five rushing touchdowns, so Louisville will have its hands full trying to slow a confident offense on the road. The Cardinals do get a boost on the defensive side with Koen Entringer back from injury, and his return gives Louisville at least one familiar piece to lean on as it tries to avoid letting another winnable opportunity slip away. [Read more 🡒]
Louisvilles Florida State Test May Come Down To One Offensive Absence
Louisville heads into a crucial matchup with Florida State with one key piece of good news already in hand: starting defensive back Koen Entringer is set to play. For a team trying to keep its footing in a game with real weight, having Entringer available helps stabilize the back end as the Cardinals turn their attention to a Seminoles offense that will demand focus from the start.
The bigger question now sits on the other side of the ball, where running back Keyjuan Brown remains questionable and is shaping up as a game-time decision. Brown leads Louisville in rushing yards, which makes his status one of the most important variables on the board for a Cardinals offense that would prefer to attack Florida State with as much balance as possible. For now, Louisville can count on one starter being ready, but the outlook for its ground game still hangs in the balance. [Read more 🡒]