Could Louisville win the ACC with Flory Bidunga and Jackson Shelstad?

The Louisville Cardinals are one of the big winners of the offseason, landing coveted big man Flory Bidunga and talented guard Jackson Shelstad in the transfer portal.

The Louisville Courier-Journal covered Bidunga’s decision to transfer to Louisville, and what it means for his simultaneous entry into the NBA draft.

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If Bidunga does decide to stay in school, the Cardinals have a unique opportunity to build a defensive powerhouse overnight. He averaged nearly three blocks per game as a sophomore for Kansas last season.

Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey can also feel comfortable handing the keys to Shelstad, an experienced guard who spent the first three seasons of his college career at Oregon.

These power moves are meant to catapult Louisville from a mid-tier ACC team right to the top. It’s an interesting approach, as Louisville is taking the proven-player route rather than relying on highly touted freshmen to bring them to the top of the standings.

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If Duke, North Carolina and Miami put all their eggs in the freshman phenom basket, it wouldn’t be surprising for the Cardinals to come together more quickly to jump the competition in the standings during conference play.

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Louisville Basketball: Flory Bidunga, Jackson Shelstad join Cardinals