Jeff BorzelloCloseJeff BorzelloESPN Staff Writer Basketball recruiting insider. Joined ESPN in 2014. Graduate of University of Delaware.Follow on X and Paul BiancardiClosePaul BiancardiBasketball Recruiting National Recruiting Director for ESPN.com 18 years of coaching experience at Division I level Former Horizon League coach of the year at Wright StateFollow on XMultiple AuthorsMay 3, 2026, 05:12 PM ET
Louisville gets it done on both sides of the ball (0:16)Adrian Wooley gathers the rock and scores on a Cardinals fastbreak to pull them closer. (0:16)
Top-five high school junior Obinna Ekezie has committed to Louisville and plans to reclassify into 2026, he announced Sunday.
Ekezie chose the Cardinals over a final five that also included Maryland, BYU, Arkansas and Kentucky.
“I have chosen to commit to University of Louisville as I feel it’s the best situation to develop, showcase my game and strive to win a national championship,” Ekezie told ESPN.
Louisville was the perceived favorite for most of the past few weeks, although Maryland — where Ekezie’s father played in the late 1990s before being a second-round pick of the Vancouver Grizzlies — made it close down the stretch. Ekezie visited Louisville’s campus in late April and was impressed by coach Pat Kelsey.
A 7-footer out of Southeastern Prep Academy (Florida), Ekezie is ranked No. 4 in the SC Next 60 for the 2027 class. He’s the No. 1 center in the junior class and will push for the No. 1 center ranking in the 2026 recruiting class, as well.
Ekezie is the latest addition to an ultratalented Louisville rebuild. Kelsey and the Cardinals have made multiple splashes this spring, including commitments from high-level transfers Flory Bidunga (Kansas) and Jackson Shelstad (Oregon) on the same day in early April. Those two are joined by fellow pickups Alvaro Folgueiras (Iowa), Karter Knox (Arkansas), De’Shayne Montgomery (Dayton) and Gabe Dynes (USC) in the Cardinals’ portal class.
Once Ekezie arrives on campus, he’ll provide a complement at the 5-spot, offering shot-blocking and transition prowess to Bidunga’s more powerful game. The two are poised to be among the best defensive duos in the country at the center position.
Louisville gets it done on both sides of the ball (0:16)Adrian Wooley gathers the rock and scores on a Cardinals fastbreak to pull them closer. (0:16)
Jeff BorzelloCloseJeff BorzelloESPN Staff Writer Basketball recruiting insider. Joined ESPN in 2014. Graduate of University of Delaware.Follow on X and Paul BiancardiClosePaul BiancardiBasketball Recruiting National Recruiting Director for ESPN.com 18 years of coaching experience at Division I level Former Horizon League coach of the year at Wright StateFollow on XMultiple Authors
CloseJeff BorzelloESPN Staff Writer Basketball recruiting insider. Joined ESPN in 2014. Graduate of University of Delaware.Follow on X
ClosePaul BiancardiBasketball Recruiting National Recruiting Director for ESPN.com 18 years of coaching experience at Division I level Former Horizon League coach of the year at Wright StateFollow on X
Adrian Wooley gathers the rock and scores on a Cardinals fastbreak to pull them closer. (0:16)
He averaged 12.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks this past season.