Report: Top-Ranked '27 Prospect Kaleena Smith to Visit Louisville

Smith is the consensus No. 1 overall player in the nation.

Ontario Christian guard Kaleena Smith | Steve Galluzzo - Los Angeles Times

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville women's basketball program is set to have a massive visitor on campus later this season.

Ontario (Calif.) Christian point guard Kaleena Smith, the consensus No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2027, will take an official visit to the Cardinals, according to 247Sports' Dushawn London.

Smith has locked in her visit to UofL for January 5th, one day removed from their home matchup vs. Virginia Tech. She will also visit Cal on Jan. 29 for their matchup against Notre Dame, then Syracuse on Feb. 8th for their showdown against Louisville. She also holds offers from Iowa, LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee, USC, UConn and others.

There's a reason why Smith is the No. 1 prospect in the 2027 cycle by all three major recruiting outlets, and has a perfect 1.000 rating on the 247Sports Composite. Through the first 12 games of her junior season at Ontario Christian, she is averaging 34.8 points, 8.3 assists, 5.7 steals and 3.5 rebounds per game. Smith is also shooting 55.1 percent from the floor, 35.0 percent on three-point attempts, and 85.1 percent at the free throw line.

The year before, Smith earned National Sophomore of the Year honors from MaxPreps, and was also named a Second-Team All-American by the publication. That season, she averaged 23.2 points, 8.1 assists, 4.5 steals and 2.8 rebounds per game. She was also a 1,000-point scorer as a true freshman, totaling 1,153 points during the 2023-24 season.

Head coach Jeff Walz and the Cardinals have yet to land a 2027 commitment, but are swinging big in the cycle. They have already offered two top-15 prospects in the class: Olathe (Kan.) South center Eve Long and Clarksville (Tenn.) Christian School forward Lauren Hassell.

In the more immediate Class of 2026, Louisville has three signees for next season. This includes a pair of top-50 prospects in Geneva (Oh.) SPIRE Academy guard Ariyana "Peanut" Cradle plus Fort Wayne (Ind.) Homestead guard Myah Epps, as well as Turkish forward Ayse Melek Demirer. It's a class that ranks No. 19 in the nation, per 247Sports.

(Photo of Kaleena Smith: Steve Galluzzo - Los Angeles Times)

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