The Louisville basketball program is trying to rebuild itself almost from scratch. They will have an entirely new roster this year after Pat Kelsey took over. The Kenny Payne era will go down as the worst era in the history of the program. Kelsey is hoping to erase that era quickly.

In order to do that, he needs to get some great recruits. Kelsey knows that and has been trying to go after some of the best recruits in the country. Several five-star prospects are on Louisville’s radar. That includes five-star forward Shelton Henderson.

Henderson is the third-best small forward in the 2025 class. He stands at 6’6 and 220 pounds. Henderson is a very skilled forward who would be great on both sides of the court. It seems that the Cardinals are making him a priority and now they are a real threat to land him.

According to Rivals recruiting writer Rob Cassidy, the Cardinals are a “serious threat” to land Henderson. While it would be premature to call them the outright favorites, they are doing their best to make themselves attractive to Henderson and his family.

Landing Henderson would be a massive win for Kelsey in his first year as the head coach of the Louisville Cardinals. He needs someone that he can build his program around. Adding someone with the talent that Henderson has is imperative in the journey to rebuild this program.

It’s unclear when Henderson will make his final recruiting decision, he did visit Louisville last month. That visit left an impression on him, which is good. With his talent, there are national powers circling him and trying to get him. The Cardinals need to keep them at bay.

It’ll be interesting to see if Kelsey can land this great prospect.