NBA Draft: Is Louisville the Best Team in College Basketball?

The Cardinals are putting together an impressive roster — are they the preseason No. 1 team in the nation? We take a look at five standout players on their team to watch this upcoming season.

From far left to right: Louisville forward Álvaro Folgueiras, Louisville forward Flory Bidunga, Louisville center Obinna Ekezie Jr. and Louisville center Gabe Dynes during team practice on July 23, 2026 before a two-game exhibition tour in the Bahamas. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Louisville Cardinals have made some noise in the transfer portal this past offseason, securing one of the most talented rosters in the country. Let's take a look at a few standout players on this roster that could lead to this team being National Champion contenders.

Flory Bidunga

Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) dunks against the St. John's Red Storm in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bidunga was a projected first round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft prior to deciding to transfer to Louisville. The 6-foot-9, 220-pound big was one of five players to meet the Productive Sophomore Query last season -- alongside Tyler Tanner, Labaron Philon, Morez Johnson Jr., and Patrick Ngongba II. Historically, 45% of sophomores who have met the criteria have gone on to become multi-time NBA All-Stars or NBA Starters -- with another 27.6% sticking in the NBA (72% stick rate in total).

Bidunga projects to be a first round pick in the 2027 NBA Draft, as his ability as a lob threat, rim protector (9.0 BLK%), impactful rebounder (11.2 ORB%), rim-runner, and efficient finisher (75% at the rim and 82 total dunks), in addition to a plus-wingspan and flashes of mobility, will be intriguing to NBA teams.

Read More: Productive Sophomore Query

Alvaro Folgueiras

Mar 22, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes forward Alvaro Folgueiras (7) makes a go-ahead three-point basket against the Florida Gators late in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The former Iowa Hawkeye is another NBA prospect to monitor. The 6-foot-9 big will offer impactful rebounding, offensive playmaking (20.7 AST%), floor spacing (career 35.2% from beyond the arc on 287 attempts), and defensive playmaking (4.3 STK%) to this Louisville team.

Karter Knox

Jan 20, 2026; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks wing Karter Knox (11) goes up for a dunks during the first half as Vanderbilt Commodores forward Tyler Nickel (5) looks on at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Knox is another NBA Draft prospect to monitor, as the 6-foot-6 wing qualified for the Efficient Tall Freshman (ETF) query after his freshman season in 2024-25. 34% of players who have qualified for the query, historically, went on to become multi-time All-Stars or NBA Starters. Another 34% became backups, leading to a total stick rate of 68%.

The rising junior was on his way to another strong season last year, but unfortunately suffered a torn meniscus in February 2026. The former top-25 high school recruit will be on NBA radars this season, especially alongside a talented Louisville squad.

Read More: The Efficient Tall Freshman (ETF) Query

De'Shayne Montgomery

Nov 28, 2025; Kissimmee, FL, USA; Dayton Flyers guard De'Shayne Montgomery (2) drives to the basket past Brigham Young University Cougars guard Robert Wright III (1) in the first half during the ESPN Events Invitational at State Farm Field House. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mongtomery is a 6-foot-4 guard who played his freshman season at Mt. St. Mary's, his sophomore season at Georgia, his junior season at Dayton, and will now play his senior season at Louisville. He's also a potential NBA prospect to watch this season.

He's shown ability as a defensive playmaker (4.1 steal percentage and 2.4 block percentage) but is also interesting as a creator and finisher at the rim. He was unassisted on 47.5% his made field goals last season while also assisting an estimated 16% of his teammates' made field goals when on the floor. Additionally, he shot 66.9% on a significant 172 attempts at the rim last season -- showing both efficiency as a finisher and a capability to create rim pressure. Him shooting 33.5% from three on 8.3 three point attempts per 100 possessions (155 attempts) last season was another sign of improvement, after attempting only 96 three point attempts his first two seasons combined.

Jackson Shelstad

Louisville guard Jackson Shelstad (3) at team practice on July 23, 2026 before a two-game exhibition tour in the Bahamas. Shelstad previously played at Oregon and averaged 15.6 points in 12 games in 2025-26. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The 6-foot guard will provide needed floor-spacing for this Cardinals team, as the former Oregon guard is a career 35.2% three point shooter on 9.4 three point attempts per 100 possessions (421 total attempts). However, he's not just a high-volume shooter. Shelstad is a capable playmaker in the pick-and-roll and capable point-of-attack defender as well. While a small sample size, he had recorded a 31.6 assist percentage and a 2.4 steal percentage last season prior to a hand injury that forced him to end his junior campaign after 12 games last October.

An even better statistical story is his creation and efficiency as a sophomore, when he was unassisted on 64.3% of his made field goals his sophomore season -- an extremely impressive feat for a player who had a .46 three-point attempt rate that season. If you want to split the numbers, Shelstad shot 37.9% from three his sophomore season (66-for-174), and was unassisted on 50% of those 66 makes. He converted 59.4% his rim attempts (57-for-96) and was unassisted on 71.9% of those 57 makes while also shooting 44% of his non-rim twos (48-for-109) and was unassisted on 75% of those 48 makes. While his size is a concern for the NBA, as only 21.5% of guards drafted at 6'0" or under from 2013-2022 have stuck in the NBA, he could find himself on NBA radars with another efficient season on a contending team.

Read More: A Study on Undersized Guards

This article assumes Seth Trimble is not eligible this upcoming season, but is undoubtedly a standout player and NBA prospect to watch on this Louisville Cardinals team if he becomes eligible.