Louisville basketball adds NKU transfer LJ Wells

It’s the middle of September and Pat Kelsey and company are still active in the transfer portal.

LJ Wells, a 6’8 power forward who played the last four seasons at Northern Kentucky, has committed to play for Louisville in 2026-27. Wells is the namesake plaintiff in the ongoing Wells vs. NCAA case in Jefferson County Circuit Court that earned a fifth-year of eligibility for players like Wells, D’Angelo Hutchinson, Jabari Mack, and Missouri hooper Mark Mitchell.

Wells started all 33 games for the Norse last season, posting career-best averages of 15.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He also earned All-Horizon Tournament Team honors after averaging 22.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists while helping NKU to the Horizon League semis, where they fell to eventual champion Wright State.

It feels weird to be adding players like this, especially when you can’t be 100 percent sure if they’re even going to be able to play this winter, but this is a nice depth add at a position where U of L could definitely use some additional depth.

Welcome aboard, LJ.