With Duke's roster nearly finalized heading into next season, the Blue Devils once again look like the team to beat in the ACC. Jon Scheyer has assembled another loaded group in Durham featuring elite young talent, veteran leaders, and one of the deepest rotations in college basketball as Duke looks to capture a third consecutive ACC regular season title.
Even with the masterclass Scheyer has put together this offseason, Pat Kelsey and Louisville have quietly put together one of the better offseasons in the conference. The Cardinals already added major pieces through the transfer portal, including Jackson Shelstad and Flory Bidunga, one of the biggest portal additions in the country, giving Louisville a roster that looks capable of finishing near the top of the ACC.
Even with their roster already looking dangerous on paper, Kelsey might not be done adding talent just yet. Another major transfer portal target has started to get linked to Louisville, although the move would depend on the talented forward withdrawing from the NBA Draft and returning to college basketball for another season. If it happens, it could make the Cardinals an even bigger threat to Duke's conference dominance next year.
Louisville emerging as potential landing spot for Milan Momcilovic
Milan Momcilovic has been testing the NBA Draft waters while maintaining his college eligibility after a strong season at Iowa State. The talented forward was once viewed as a potential transfer portal option for Duke earlier in the offseason, but with the Blue Devils roster looking close to finalized, that possibility appears to be off the table.
Instead, Louisville and Kentucky have reportedly emerged as two of the main programs to watch if Momcilovic ultimately decides to withdraw from the draft and return to college basketball, according to Jeff Goodman.
What's the latest on Milan Momcilovic? 🤔
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) May 20, 2026
"He's looking for a 1st Round promise... but I think he'll come back to school, and I think it's probably a Kentucky vs Louisville battle" - @GoodmanHoops
🎥: https://t.co/fzE2IiSFoe pic.twitter.com/S1K1lnOUOH
Momcilovic would immediately give Louisville another high-level offensive weapon to add to an already talented roster. The former Cyclone averaged 16.9 points per game last season while establishing himself as arguably the best perimeter shooter in the country, knocking down a ridiculous 48.7% of his attempts from beyond the arc. At 6-foot-8, his ability to stretch the floor would fit seamlessly into the roster Kelsey has assembled at Louisville.
While Duke would still likely enter the year as the favorite in the ACC, adding a player like Momcilovic could significantly shrink the gap between the Blue Devils and Louisville. Between the additions of Shelstad, Bidunga, and potentially Momcilovic, the Cardinlas are beginning to put together one of the more complete rosters in the conference.
For now, Momcilovic remains focused on the NBA Draft process and is currently projected by ESPN's Jeremy Woo to be selected No. 38 overall by the Chicago Bulls in his latest mock draft. But if he ultimately decides another season in college basketball is the better route, Louisville becoming a legitimate challenger to Duke in the ACC suddenly feels more realistic.
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