LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — On Thursday El Ellis became the seventh member of the Louisville men’s basketball program to slide into the NCAA transfer portal.
The Cardinals will likely be without two of their three leading scorers (Ellis, a guard, and forward Jae'Lyn Withers), all three freshmen and two reserves.
But if you’re focusing solely on the transfer portal and possible de-commitments in the prep Class of 2023 for how U of L coach Kenny Payne will accelerate the process of building the roster as well as the culture that he wants in his program, you’re several steps behind Payne on the recruiting trail.
On Thursday, Payne was nearly 4,500 miles across the world — in Saly, Senegal at the NBA Academy Africa, looking for impactful players to add to his team for next season.
The mid-season addition of African forward Emmanuel Okorafor to the U of L roster in January opened the door for Payne at the Academy. He’s not finished looking for more guys eager and determined to journey to America and succeed.
"I’m working on an upgrade in talent," Payne said. "I want guys with character as well as a passion to win."
Payne talked about character and a passion to win often last season. He talked about it after nearly every one of the Cardinals' 28 defeats. But he also talked about it after his team's four victories.
The season was a wall-to-wall struggle, beginning with the season-opening exhibition game loss to Lenoir-Rhyne and continuing to the final dribble of Louisville’s 18-point defeat to Boston College in the opening round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.
The turmoil and defeated attitude that surrounded Louisville basketball during the final season of the Chris Mack/Mike Pegues Era could never be shaken.
Louisville needed nearly a complete roster reset. The players needed a fresh start in a new environment they did not associate with failure. Payne and his coaching staff needed a fresh set of players who won't need around-the-clock reminders about what is required to win — and win big — at the high major levels.
"Workout Animals."
Those are not my words. That are Payne’s words. He used them repeatedly the last time we talked about how the roster of the 2024 Louisville team will differ from the 2023 team.
Payne is looking for guys who will have no issue burning most of their free time in the practice gym the way that Payne said players like Devin Booker, Julius Randle and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did when Payne was John Calipari’s primary assistant and player development guy at Kentucky.
Payne calls guys with that single-minded pursuit of greatness "workout animals." They don't count hours they spend in the gym. They simply live there.
Payne talks about that mindset with a matter-of-fact, non-negotiable ferocity. Talent is obviously essential. Booker, Randle and the others are highly skilled. But the pride and determination part cannot be an afterthought.
As of Thursday, the Cards have 10 players on the roster for next season, leaving three scholarship openings, depending on what develops with reserve guard Hercy Miller. Although the NBA did not open the training center in Senegal until 2018, the Cards have a strong history of succeeding with players from Africa like Gorgui Dieng, Mangok Mathiang and Deng Adel.
For the last two seasons, Kentucky's best player was Oscar Tshiebwe, who grew up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Adama Sanogo, the Most Outstanding Player of Connecticut’s 2023 national championship run, lived in Mali until he was 12.
Payne described the talent pool of roughly 25 players at the NBA Academy Africa as "good." And good players who can make an immediate impact are what his 4-28 squad needs.
Mike James convinced Payne that he wanted to be special last season, showing drive, a worth ethic and leadership skills. I believe forward JJ Traynor was the Cardinals’ most improved player, expanding his game as he settled for fewer jump shots while attacking the rim.
A mid-January foot injury stalled the jump Brandon Huntley-Hatfield made while trying to improve his ability to finish around the rim. And after showing potential as a rebounder and rim protector, Okorafor was also stopped by an injury after five games.
To that group of four returnees, the Cardinals will welcome at least six new players. Three are forwards — Kaleb Glenn of La Lumiere Prep School in LaPorte, Indiana (via Louisville Male High); Curtis Williams Jr. of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; and Trentyn Flowers, a Top 40 talent who is bypassing his senior high school season at Combine Academy in Charlotte, N.C.
Dennis Evans, another Top 40 prospect, de-committed from Minnesota to play for Payne. He is 7 feet, 1 inch but only 210 pounds. His shot-blocking ability is elite but the rest of his game will require time in the practice gym and weight room.
The Cards' biggest improvement must come in the backcourt, where they will add Skyy Clark, a 5-star talent who is arriving from Illinois; and Koron Davis, a big (6-7) guard who averaged 23.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists at Los Angeles Southwest College.
But Payne and his staff are not finished looking for more players — even if they have to travel to Africa.
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