Louisville Extends Offer to NBA G-League Big Man

Pat Kelsey, head coach of the Louisville men's basketball program, is actively pursuing diverse avenues for roster construction, as evidenced by his recent scholarship offer to Abdullah Ahmed, a 21-year-old center who played for the Westchester Knicks in the NBA G-League. Ahmed announced the offer on Saturday, highlighting Kelsey's comprehensive approach to building the team.

Abdullah Ahmed, standing 6-foot-10 and weighing 220 pounds, has spent the last two seasons with the Westchester Knicks, where he averaged 4.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in 15 games during the previous season, and 5.8 points and 6.9 rebounds over 21 games in the 2023-24 campaign. Louisville is among six schools competing for his commitment, including Auburn, BYU, Houston, Mississippi State, and UCLA. This move follows a recent NCAA ruling that allowed another former G-League player, Thierry Darlan, to play Division I basketball at Santa Clara.

Under Kelsey's leadership, Louisville has demonstrated a flexible recruitment strategy, incorporating players from various sources. For the 2025-26 season, the team's seven newcomers include one high school prospect, three transfers from the portal, and three international players. This approach reflects Kelsey's commitment to strengthening the roster through multiple channels.

In his first year as head coach, Kelsey led Louisville to a successful 27-8 record, surpassing the combined wins of the previous three seasons, earning him ACC Coach of the Year honors. The Cardinals returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019, though they were eliminated in the first round by Creighton. Looking ahead to the next season, Louisville is viewed as a top contender for both the ACC title and the national championship, bolstered by returning key players like J'Vonne Hadley and Kasean Pryor, along with additions such as top-25 transfers Ryan Conwell, Isaac McKneely, and Adrian Wooley, and five-star high school point guard Mikel Brown Jr.