LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The 2026-27 men's college basketball season is still several months away from tipping off, Louisville's roster for their third season under head coach Pat Kelsey is likely set – at least in terms of scholarship players.
While a whopping 11 players have departed the program in some form or fashion this offseason, six players have opted to transfer to the Cardinals, while three more are joining as part of the Class of 2026. They're also bringing back a pair of players, putting UofL at an 11-man scholarship roster for next season.
Louisville might have come short of expectations in year two under Kelsey, but the offseason hype is churning yet again. The Cardinals have regularly found themselves getting tabbed as a top-15 team in various offseason top-25 polls, and has typically been viewed as the second-best team in the ACC (behind Duke) and a squad who could make some serious noise next March.
With the amount of impact playmakers that Louisville has, you can create a variety of different lineup that cater to various strengths on the roster. Beginning with our projection of*the*starting five, here are our projections for a few lineups that the Cardinals could employ for the 2026-27 season:
Starting Five
- Jackson Shelstad
- Adrian Wooley
- Karter Knox
- Alvaro Folgueiras
- Flory Bidunga
Breakdown: With how talented and relatively versatile Louisville's roster is, there are a few starting fives that Pat Kelsey could opt to role with when the season opener roles around. That being said, this one seems to make the most sense.
Regardless of the exact starting lineup, two of the five spots are guaranteed no matter what. Coming by way of Oregon, Shelstad is the best pure fit in regards to Kelsey's scheme. He's one of the quickest players in college basketball, and the point guard was a high-level scorer in all three years with the Ducks.
Whether he winds up playing the four or five more, the other penciled-in starting spot goes to Bidunga. He is an elite athlete with a high motor, and brings a crucial interior presence that the Cardinals have missed for the last two seasons.
Next to Shelstad in the backcourt, while Dayton transfer De'Shayne Montgomery could push for a starting role, expect this to go to Wooley – who is the only returner to see the court last season. He had a slow start to last season, but slowly got better as the year went on – especially when he was forced to start at point guard when Mikel Brown Jr. was out.
Over on the wing, Louisville actually has a couple true small forward options here after loading up on guards last season, and Knox should slide in as the starter, He'll have to take a step forward with his consistency and stay healthy, but he gives something the Cards haven't really had in Kelsey's first two years: athleticism and slashing on the wing.
In between Knox and Bidunga at the four will be Folguieras. As a tall and lengthy bruiser who also has three-point shooting capabilities, he pairs well with Bidunga in the front court, while also fitting into what Kelsey traditionally wants to do scheme-wise.
Lockdown Defense
- Jackson Shelstad
- De'Shayne Montgomery
- Karter Knox
- Flory Bidunga
- Obinna Ekezie Jr.
Breakdown: Louisville is already going to get good defensive capabilities from their starting five. But if you absolutely needed a stop, this is the lineup Louisville would roll out.
For starters, the Cardinals would be getting immaculate rim protection from Bidunga and Ekezie, regardless as to who would play the four and who is the five. Bidunga is the reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year after being fourth in the nation in blocks, and is one of the most switchable big men in the sport thanks to his motor and wingspan.
With Ekezie, while it will take a few games for his offensive game to adjust to the collect level, his defense will be ready on day one. Not only is he 7-foot-3, he is incredibly strong and has a great feel for the court for someone his age.
On top of that, Montgomery and Knox will only make things more difficult for opposing ball handlers. Montgomery is super aggressive on the ball, not to mention that he was one of the top perimeter defenders at the mid major level last season. Then with Knox, he excels when pair very well with Montgomery (as well as Bidunga and Ekezie), considering he is a very good help-side defender.
Shelstad isn't as good of a defender as the aforementioned four, but he's still solid here. He's showcased some solid timing with both disrupting passing lanes and ball handling on the dribble. Not to mention he typically can hold his own in one-on-one situations with how quick he is.
Three-Point Shooting
- Jackson Shelstad
- Adrian Wooley
- Karter Knox
- Boyuan Zhang
- Alvaro Folgueiras
Breakdown: Louisville hasn't been gun shy from three-point range during Kelsey's first two years in charge, averaging 30.4 attempts from deep per game since he became the head coach. While the Cardinals likely won't be as prolific from three this season, they still have a handful of good shooters on their roster, and this the lineup that gives them the best chance of nailing a three.
Shelstad saw his three-point percentage dip to just 31.4 percent last season, but this was mostly because of the hand injury that cause him to only play 12 games. He shot 34.5 percent from deep as a true freshman, then bumped that to 37.9 percent in 2024-25.
With Wooley, shooting is arguably the top trait he brings to the table. Not only did he shoot 42.2 percent from three during his true freshman season at Kennesaw State, he went 35.0 percent from deep in his first season as a Card. This included a 41.0 percent mark in the final 11 games of the year.
Knox has been a good shooter over his first two years in college. He posted a 35.0 percent mark on threes as a true freshman, then followed that up by going 37.7 percent last season. Like the rest of his game, he'll have to work on the consistency aspect, as he has also been prone to streakiness.
As for Zhang, he could wind up being an immediate contributor as a true freshman because of his shooting capabilities. He has a smooth, quick and high release on his jump shot, and does not need much room at all to get his shot off. Shot selection is a bit iffy, but he can be a sniper when given space.
The only post player for Louisville who has any semblance of a deep game is Folgueiras, and fortunately, he is more than serviceable in this department. he shot 41.3 percent from deep in 2024-25 at Robert Morris, this 33.3 percent last season at Iowa – including hitting the game-winner in the NCAA Tournament against Florida.
Small Ball/Guard-Heavy
- Jackson Shelstad
- Adrian Wooley
- De'Shayne Montgomery
- Karter Knox/Boyuan Zhang
- Flory Bidunga
Breakdown: As fans know, matchups play an important role in winning a basketball game, and Louisville will face several different types of teams in the ACC. If the Cardinals wanted to go small to exploit mismatches, their small ball lineup – where all but one is 6-foot-7 or shorter – is more than serviceable.
For starters, you're already going to have your starting backcourt – Shelstad and Wooley – on the floor. Montgomery might be 6-foot-4, but thanks to his high-level athletic intangibles and extremely aggressive overall mindset, he more than has the capabilities to play the three.
At the four, it's dealer's choice. If you're wanting more athleticism or defensive capabilities in the lineup, you go with Knox. If you're looking for a bit more physicality down low or three-point shooting, Zhang is the pick. Then at the five, Bidunga is already the shortest among the post players (get your jokes in, Kentucky fans).
Tall Ball
- Adrian Wooley
- Karter Knox
- Alvaro Folgueiras
- Flory Bidunga
- Obinna Ekezie Jr./Gabe Dynes
Breakdown: On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are plenty of teams in the ACC – and in their non-conference schedule – who have plenty of length and size overall. Fortunately for Louisville, they have just the pieces to counter that.
Down low in the paint, the Cardinals already have a ton of length from both Bidunga and Ekezie. You could switch out Dynes at the five, but this would be almost exclusively for defensive purposes. Folguieras isn't super fleet of foot, but he's got the three point shooting necessary to play the three in a super tall lineup.
In the backcourt, while Zhang is taller than Knox, the latter has was more athletic and ball handling capabilities to be able to play the two. Then for your primary ball handler, you would put Wooley there, considering he already has experience in this role from last season.
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(Photo of Adrian Wooley: Jim Dedmon – Imagn Images)
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/louisville as Crafting Various Lineups for Louisville's 2026-27 Season.