What Chucky Hepburn's commitment means for Louisville basketball as Pat Kelsey lands ex-Wiscconsin guard

Hepburn will be key to the Cardinals' hopes of an immediate turnaround

By David Cobb Apr 25, 2024 at 6:12 pm ET• 2 min read

Louisville coach Pat Kelsey added another significant piece to his first roster on Thursday with the commitment of former Wisconsin point guard Chucky Hepburn. Ranked the No. 19 player in the CBS Sports Transfer Rankings, Hepburn will bring three years of Big Ten starting experience to the Cardinals as Kelsey looks to immediately turn the fortunes of a proud program.

He is merely the latest splashy addition for the Cardinals, who also have commitments from No. 27 transfer Terrence Edwards (James Madison) and No. 66 transfer J'Vonne Hadley (Colorado). In total, Kelsey has pledges from eight transfers, all of whom appear to be ACC-caliber contributors.

Landing Hepburn was especially significant because of his experience as a floor general for a quality high-major team. The 6-foot-2 All-Big Ten Defensive Team honoree averaged 9.2 points, 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals per game for the Badgers this past season. 

247Sports college basketball guru Isaiah Trotter identified a point guard as Louisville's priority in his breakdown of team needs in the portal this week. He noted, "Kelsey needs a veteran lead guard who can get the ball where it needs to go for a Louisville team that plans to shoot a billion 3-pointers." That box has officially been checked with Hepburn as the makings of a competitive group continue coming together for a program coming off a dismal 12-52 two-year run under former coach Kenny Payne.