The Louisville basketball program is really starting to ramp up its recruiting efforts. Pat Kelsey has started hosting some really highly-regarded recruits in the last few weeks. He knows that recruiting elite high school prospects is the best way to get this program back on top.

Louisville hosted a five-star recruit not that long ago and now they will be hosting another one this weekend. In fact, this is a recruit that the Cardinals should have an inside track on because he is a Louisville native. That prospect is also the number one recruit in the country for the 2026 class.

That player is Tyran Stokes. Stokes now lives in California, where he goes to high school, but he is originally from Louisville. He is the top recruit in the country as a 6’7, 245-pound small forward. Stokes is a highly-coveted recruit from all of the top programs across the country.

Stokes will be visiting the Cardinals this weekend in his first official visit. It’s a great chance for Kelsey and his staff to make a good impression while the weather is still nice. Kelsey gets to sell his vision for what he wants this Louisville basketball program to be in the next few years.

Stokes is the complete package as a basketball player. He can shoot, rebound, and defend at an elite level. His length gives him the ability to switch 1-5 defensively. Perhaps the biggest thing he brings to the table is his scoring ability. He can score from all three levels.

Adding a player like Stokes would immediately make the Louisville Cardinals a contender in his freshman season in 2026. Of course, Kelsey would like to be good before 2026. He’s hoping for an improved season in 2024-25 and in 2025-26.