LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Following several hectic weeks on the roster construction front, the Louisville men's basketball program's scholarship roster is now (likely) set. While the Cardinals' 11-man roster does have a couple extra spots open, on paper, this is still one of the most talented roster in the entire sport.
We know that head coach Pat Kelsey will employ various lineups over the course of the 2026-27 season, from the starting five, to lineups that will favor three-point shooting or defense, and so on. But just how many minutes should we expect the Cardinals' players to see the floor on a nightly basis?
Below is Louisville Cardinals' On SI's projection as to how many minutes each player will average per game, sorted by projected starters, go-to reserves and end of bench.
Projected Starters
- Jackson Shelstad (32 MPG)
- Adrian Wooley (27 MPG)
- Karter Knox (22 MPG)
- Alvaro Folgueiras (23 MPG)
- Flory Bidunga (30 MPG)
It goes without saying that Louisville's two best players for next season are likely going to be the ones that play the most minutes on a nightly basis. Shelstad will likely average the most minutes because of his role as the point guard, on top of the fact that – regardless of the other four on the floor – he's a perfect system fit for what Kelsey likes to do. Then with Bidunga, he's a valuable asset on both ends of the floor, and is especially elite and versatile on the defensive end. Wooley will average minutes in the high 20s because of his value off the ball and as a shooter, and can slide in as the primary ball handler at times when Shelstad is not on the floor. Knox and Folgueiras will get a good chunk of minutes at the three and four, respectively, but not as much as the aforementioned three – though this is partly because of the minutes that a couple reserve players will likely command. Their minutes on a night-in an night-out basis will likely fluctuate some depending on specific matchups and style of play from the other team.
Go-To Reserves
- De'Shayne Montgomery (21 MPG)
- Boyuan Zhang (11 MPG)
- Obinna Ekezie Jr. (16 MPG)
Without question, Montgomery will be the sixth man for Louisville this upcoming season. He's got position versatility as an off ball guard/slashing wing hybrid, and is incredibly aggressive on both ends of the floor. Ekezie's exact role will be determined by how much his offensive game develops as the season goes on. But at a minimum, he'll see get a good amount of run to start simply due to his defensive capabilities. Zhang is another player where his minutes will partially be matchup dependent, but he'll play some decent early minutes simply because of his shooting prowess.
End of Bench
- Isaac Ellis (3 MPG)
- London Johnson (8 MPG)
- Gabe Dynes (7 MPG)
Johnson is the biggest wildcard in the entire minutes distribtion operation. Considering he has yet to play in college and we still don't know for sure what he can do at this level, he could have a larger role than expected, but he could also wind up having a minimal one if he doesn't deliver early in the season. Dynes' offensive game will hold him back from seeing more run on a nightly basis, but his size and rim protection alone will give him a handful of minutes each night. As with Ellis, while he lit up the OTE, he still has a lot to work on with his game until he can become a meaningful contributor at the college level.
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(Photo of Flory Bidunga, Adrian Wooley: Matt Stone – Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/louisville as Projecting Louisville's Minutes Distribution for 2026-27 Season.