Louisville Lands a Fifth Year Forward with 40 Days Til Tip

Louisville grabs another fifth-year transfer commitment; this time from the namesake of the Wells vs NCAA suit. Former NKU forward, LJ Wells pledges to Pat Kelsey.

Nov 8, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) looks to pass against Northern Kentucky Norse forward LJ Wells (5) during the first half at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Louisville Basketball program has taken a last-minute addition to the 2026-27 roster in a verbal commitment from fifth-year Northern Kentucky University transfer forward LJ Wells.  Wells is the namesake plaintiff in the Wells vs NCAA case in the fight to get Class of 2022 prospects eligible for a fifth year of eligibility. 

Thanks to a TRO (temporary restraining order) that was granted by Judge Brian Edwards in Jefferson County, Wells has been given the green light for a fifth year.  This is the same suit that football player Jabari Mack and fellow transfer commit Seth Trimble are using to gain eligibility as well. 

Wells is originally from Eau Claire, WI and played the last four seasons in Highland Heights, KY for NKU.  Over his career with the Norse, he scored 1,055 points and pulled down 639 rebounds.

This past season the 6-8, 220 pound forward averaged 15 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.3 steals and .9 blocks per contest spread over an average of 30.3 minutes per game.  He was named to the Horizon League All-Tournament Team after posting 22.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game over the course of the Norse’s three game run. 

Wells will join a frontcourt that coach Pat Kelsey built completely in the offseason.  The Cards got to take the court for one game together this summer in the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League Exhibition Game. 

Louisville went “small” in that lone exhibition game and Iowa transfer Alvaro Folgueiras, Dayton transfer De’Shayne Montgomery were the starting forwards.  Folgueiras, who turned it on during the NCAA Tournament during Iowa’s Elite Eight run had 12 points and six rebounds in just over 23 minutes.  Montgomery had 20 points and four rebounds.  Both players went 3 of 4 from three. 

Wells will be a huge depth-piece for an already loaded Louisville roster.  Almost every publication has The Ville’s portal class as Top 3 in the country, headlined by Kansas big-man Flory Bidunga.  The Cards will get the 2026 basketball season underway with an exhibition against those Jayhawks at Phog Allen Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Oct. 21. 

With the offseason portal class being as strong as it, Coach Kelsey will have heightened expectations.  The Cards have won one tournament game since 2017, a first-round win in Buffalo over South Florida in March.

The end of November through mid-December will give the Cards a solid measuring stick to see how they compare to the rest of the nation’s elite.  November 15, The Ville goes to the FedEx Forum to face Memphis.  Thanksgiving week brings three guaranteed matchups in the Players Era 16 with game one being against Texas Tech and St John’s or Oregon looming in the second round. 

A matchup at the KFC Yum! Center against Texas in the ACC/SEC challenge starts December, before a road trip to Detroit on Dec. 5 to face defending champ Michigan & a week later a trip to Rupp to face arch-rival Kentucky.