Louisville received commitments from two of the top players in the NCAA transfer portal on Sunday, as former Kansas big-man Flory Bidunga and former Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad both committed to the Cardinals for 2026-27, per ESPN sources.
The moves announced coach Pat Kelsey’s Louisville program as a contender in the ACC and beyond in 2026-27, as Bidunga ranked No. 1 in Jeff Borzello’s portal rankings and Shelstad No. 11.
The commitments put Louisville in early position for the country’s best portal haul this offseason, as they simultaneously took two of the top portal targets off the board in a move that sent ripples through the entire college basketball landscape.
The move showcased Louisville’s aggression in the portal and came as the result of a strong administrative plan and relentless pursuit by Kelsey.
The deals were negotiated by Momentous Sports Partners, which represents both players.
Bidunga averaged 13.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game at Kansas last season as a sophomore. He’s 6-foot-9, 220 pounds and his low-post dominance made him such a coveted portal asset, as he led the Big 12 in both blocked shots (2.6) and field goal percentage (64.0%). As a freshman at Kansas in 2024-25, he led the Big 12 in 2-point field goal percentage with 69.8%.
Shelstad played in just 12 games last season as a junior, as he dealt with a hand injury. He averaged 15.6 points per game and 4.9 assists before the injury. He has started 77 games in three years for the Ducks and is expected under current rules to have one year of college eligibility remaining.
In three seasons at Oregon, he has averaged 13.6 points per game and 3.0 assists per game. In his last full season in 2024-25, he averaged 37.9% from 3-point range and started all 35 games for the Ducks.
These early portal additions put Kelsey is position to build on the momentum he has gathered in his first two seasons as coach at Louisville, as he has led the Cardinals to a pair of NCAA tournament appearances.
Louisville earned a No. 6 seed this year and beat South Florida in the first round before losing to No. 3 Michigan State in the second round.
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