Louisville Tabbed as Top Winner in Portal by Major Publication

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Head coach Pat Kelsey and the rest of the Louisville men's basketball program have been extraordinarily busy this offseason on the roster construction front. While we still have several more months until we get to see the fruits of their labor pan out, Kelsey and his staff are beginning to see their hard work over the last month-plus get recognized.

On Sunday, On3 college basketball insider Joe Tipton ranked his top ten winners in the 2026 transfer portal cycle, going purely by incoming additions. Not only did the Cardinals make this list, Tipton placed UofL at the very top at No. 1.

"Louisville entered this past season with high hopes, and at least relative to expectations, fell short with a second-round exit in the NCAA Tournament. Once again, expectations are just as high, if not higher, with one of the best portal classes in the country," Tipton wrote.

It's easy to see why Louisville would be No. 1 on this list. First of all, they're bringing in the No. 1 player in the portal (by the On3 Industry Ranking) in Kansas forward/center Flory Bidunga. Then you add Oregon point guard Jackson Shelstad (No. 18 overall) and Iowa power forward Alvaro Folgueiras (No. 53) to the mix, and the only further bolsters Louisville's case for top portal class.

The Cardinals are bringing in six total transfers, with Arkansas wing Karter Knox, Dayton guard De'Shayne Montgomery and USC center Gabe Dynes also in the fold.

Tipton isn't the only one who believes Louisville has the best incoming transfer class, as 247Sports also has them at No. 1 in the nation. When taking into account departing talent via the portal, the Cardinals come in at No. 11 in the sport via On3.

There's been a lot of moving pieces for Louisville this offseason, as 11 players have departed the program. Ryan Conwell, J'Vonne Hadley, Aly Khalifa, Isaac McKneely and Kobe Rodgers graduated; Mouhamed Camara, Sananda Fru, Kasean Pryor, Khani Rooths and Vangelis Zougris all entered the portal; while Mikel Brown Jr. declared for the NBA Draft.

Only guards London Johnson and Adrian Wooley are running it back for next season. On top of the six transfers, Louisville is also bringing in Orlando (Fla.) Southeastern prep center Obinna Ekezie Jr. and Hickory (N.C.) Moravian Prep point guard Isaac Ellis as part of their 2026 high school recruiting class.

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