Louisville basketball has two clear top targets in the 2026 recruiting class, and those are the Kentucky natives Tyran Stokes and Taylen Kinney. The Cardinals are all-in on both prospects and have made it clear they want these two 5-stars.
However, with Kansas surging for Kinney and Kentucky on the rise for Stokes, it is becoming clear that Louisville needs a Plan B. The Cards may still be the frontrunners for Kinney and Stokes, but the last thing Louisville wants is to strike out and miss out on these elite 2026 recruits.
A prospect the Cardinals have grown a relationship with over the past year is New Jersey native and 5-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr.