The 2026 college basketball offseason has been like no other. From big-name players like Florida's Thomas Haugh bypassing the NBA Draft to the NCAA eligibility legal drama that has played out in the courts over the last several weeks due, this offseason certainly hasn't lacked drama. Even with the 2026-27 season just over a month away, some national championship contenders still don't know what their respective rosters will look like as courts across the country decide whether or not to make players eligible for a fifth season.
Important roster pieces across the nation are still waiting the call on their eligibility while former Purdue star Trey Kaufman-Renn hopes the court will grant him an injunction to play a sixth year of college basketball. At LSU, Will Wade is entering his first season in his second stint in Baton Rouge and still doesn't have a complete roster. The Tigers have built their roster with a heavy reliance on the courts granting players a fifth season of eligibility.
LSU also has a handful of international players it is trying to get eligible before the start of the season. As it stands, LSU has just four players on its official roster. The Tigers have their first scrimmage in less than three weeks against McNeese on Oct. 8.
If you missed out on the drama of the college basketball offseason, we are here to get you up to speed with the biggest winners and losers from the last few months. Year 2 of Pat Kelsey's tenure at Louisville was a mixed bag. The Cardinals won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 2017, but fell short after entering the season with sky-high expectations.
Those expectations will be tenfold this season after Louisville went big-game hunting in the transfer portal. The Cardinals landed Kansas big man Flory Bidunga, the No. 1 ranked player in the transfer portal per 247Sports, Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad, Arkansas wing Karter Knox, and Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras. Louisville also received a commitment from ex-North Carolina guard Seth Trimble, who is one of dozens of players seeking a fifth season.
Trimble, like many others, is currently in eligibility limbo. On paper, Louisville has the second-best roster in the ACC behind Duke. Will it translate on the court?
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