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Louisville basketball 2026 offseason roster and staff tracker

IMG_6080 3by: William McDermott04/02/26804derm

This spring feels like a tumultuous time for Pat Kelsey and Louisville men’s basketball. The Cardinals are coming off their first NCAA Tournament win in nine years, but still left much to be desired in a highly anticipated 2025-26 season. Whether it was injuries, a failing in roster construction, or a little bit of both, the expectations, as Kelsey knows, are higher.

It’s also the third offseason for Kelsey since arriving in the Ville, and one where it feels like he’s now under the microscope. Every move could be seen as program redefining, but also as crumbling on its flip side.

With the NCAA basketball transfer portal opening in under a week, and two Cardinals already entering their names, we launch our 2026 offseason roster tracker.

This page will serve as the main hub for all offseason news, including staff changes, portal updates, and more.

Staff shakeup

After bringing practically his entire staff with him from College of Charleston in 2024, Kelsey had to make some tough decisions in the last couple of weeks.

Longtime assistant of Kelsey and Louisville’s general manager, Brian Kloman, moved on to take a similar position with Steven Pearl and Auburn. And, Thomas Carr, one of Kelsey’s most proven recruiters, parted ways with the U of L. He will be an assistant coach at Indiana.

While both are certainly big losses for Louisville, they aren’t uncalculated or unexpected. There’s also some thought within the building that there needed to be a shift in voice and direction — on the defensive end of the floor in particular.

Already lined up to join Kelsey’s group is the talented up-and-coming John Andrzejek, who, after spending just one season as the head coach at Campbell, bolted for the associate head coach position with the Cardinals.

Andrzejek is one of the best young coaches in the country, and, like several other low-major head coaches, has opted for the job security of a high-major assistant position. Before spending one season coaching the Camels, he made stops at both Florida and Washington State. Andrzejek was one of the key pieces of the Gators’ turnaround on the defensive end from the 2024 to 2025 season. Florida improved from having the 94th-ranked defensive efficiency in the nation to the 6th-ranked when Andrzejek and Todd Golden won the national title.

We expect other changes in Louisville’s staff, but none as big as Andrzejek.

4/4 update: Our friends at Tiger Illustrated report that Clemson assistant coach Sean Dixon will be joining Kelsey and Louisville.

  • On Dixon…: Served under Brad Brownell at Clemson for four seasons, was at Middle Tennessee State and UNC Asheville before that, and had been a key piece in Clemson’s success on the defensive end of the floor. According to Clemson’s team page, Dixon predominantly worked with the Tigers’ wings.

Cards entering the portal

German forward Sananda Fru and 6-foot-10 sophomore Khani Rooths have both announced plans to enter their names into the NCAA transfer portal. They likely won’t be the last Cardinals to do so, as roster movement seems inevitable, with Louisville placing greater emphasis on finding a dominant center who fits the system and on adding perimeter shooters.

Fru’s market seems much higher than anyone at Louisville ever anticipated, and the Cardinals also seem fine moving away from him if they need to. Rooths has always been a bit of an odd one out with his skill set compared to what Kelsey and his staff emphasize. But he does have the fanbase’s heart. Rooths was Louisville’s first high school commit of Kelsey’s tenure.

It’s worth adding that some continuity within the roster never seemed to hurt anyone…

4/4 update: Louisville freshman wing Mouhamed Camara will enter his name in the NCAA Transfer Portal.

4/11 update: Louisville big man Vangelis Zougris will enter his name in the NCAA Transfer portal.

See what we think of where each of these guys is headed? Click here.

Waiting it out

Adrian Wooley – 4/19 Update: Over the weekend, the U of L announced that Wooley will be returning for his junior season.

Kasean Pryor‘s waiver? – Pryor will seek a waiver to play an additional season of college basketball and has also entered the transfer portal.

The redshirts – London Johnson and Mouhamed Camara never played this year, and that seemed always to be the plan until Johnson became available to play in a January game against Boston College. But as Louisville starts making more changes around the edges of the program and will likely have an entirely different roster makeup next year, their roles aren’t guaranteed. It wouldn’t be shocking to see them look elsewhere. Although both have always seemed to be parts of the Cardinals’ future.

Out of eligibility

Louisville, Kelsey, and co. will say goodbye to five scholarship seniors (excluding Pryor) due to a lack of eligibility remaining or graduation.

Ryan Conwell, Aly Khalifa, Kobe Rodgers, J’Vonne Hadley, and Isaac McKneely will all leave the program. The Cardinals will also lose walk-ons Cole Sherman and Spencer Legg.

Star freshman Mikel Brown Jr. announced his plans to enter this summer’s NBA Draft on April 7.

Portal/offseason additions

  • Jackson Shelstad (Guard, JR – Oregon)
    • 2025/26 stats: 12 G (hand injury), 15.6 PPG, 4.9 APG, 2.9 RPG, 39.1 FG%, 31.4 3PT%
    • Scouting report and fit
    • Bio: Shelstad is a three-level scoring threat who took on a larger role as a ball-handler in 12 games last winter. His assist numbers jumped significantly from his sophomore to junior year at Oregon, but he did see more inefficiency in his jumpshot, along with an increased shot volume. Still, Shelstad projects as a prototypical two-guard at Louisville, providing double-digit scoring on a nightly basis. He took over eight 3s a game this winter, something the Cardinals would happily take on.
  • Flory Bidunga (Center, SO – Kansas)
    • 2025/26 stats: 35 G, 13.3 points, 9.0 rpg, 1.5 APG, 2.6 BPG, 64.0 FG%
    • Scouting report and fit
    • Bio: Not much needs to be said of Bidunga, the number one player available in the transfer portal. But, he’s the exact kind of player that the Cards have been missing in their first two seasons under Pat Kelsey. One of, if not the, best shot blockers in the nation, Bidunga was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the year and anchored one of college basketball’s best defenses.
  • Karter Knox (Small Forward, SO – Arkansas)
    • 2025/25 stats:  22 G (Knee),  8.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.5 blocks, 46.1 FG%, 37.7 3PT%
    • Scouting report and fit
    • Bio: Coming off a torn left meniscus, Knox is a bit of an unknown but a relentless attacker in transition, who is most of all an OUTSTANDING connector. Cuts well off the ball, creates chances for himself on the glass, opportunistic in the half-court. Efficient 3-pointer at over 37% and confident. Defensively instinctual, springy.
  • Alvaro Folgueiras (Power Forward, JR – Iowa)
    • 2025/26 stats: 37 G, 8.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.2 blocks, 50.0% FG, 33.3% 3PT
    • Scouting report and fit
    • Bio: 6-foot-10, high IQ, downhill threat, who can stretch the floor with the best of them. Decisive as a driver and excellent passer, doesn’t get sped up by length and pressure. Love his ability to finish through contact and with aggression. True unicorn.
  • De’Shayne Montgomery (Combo guard, JR – Dayton)
    • 2025/26 stats: 36 G, 13.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.1 steals a game, 49 FG%, 33 3Pt%
    • Scouting report and fit
    • Bio: One of the best perimeter defenders in CBB last season, top-30 steal % (2.1 SPG). Athletic, long, instinctual. Thrives attacking in transition and off a jab or pump. Made over 60% of his 2s last season and was a 33% 3-pt shooter. Two-way stud.
  • Gabe Dynes (C, JR – USC)
    • 2025/26 stats: 30 G, 2.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 1.0 blocks, 78.8 FG%
    • Scouting report and fit
    • Bio: At 7-foot-5, Dynes will play a critical backup role for Louisville as they round out a much more physically imposing team than Kelsey has ever had. Dynes is a solid mover for his size, and while he played only 11 minutes per game in the Big Ten last season, he still had solid games against favorable matchups.

*** This section is under construction. ***

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