Pat Kelsey and Louisville are going to be a problem next season. The Cardinals were already one of the big winners of the offseason with the additions of Flory Bidunga, Jackson Shelstad, Karter Knox, and Alvaro Folgueiras out of the Transfer Portal. Louisville appeared to be the biggest threat to Duke’s ACC supremacy.
The Cardinals just bolstered those chances. With the court ruling in Colorado opening the door for outgoing seniors from last season to return to college basketball for a fifth year, former UNC guard Seth Trimble has decided to return to college, committing to Louisville on Wednesday morning:
Louisville becomes an even bigger threat to Duke with the addition of Seth Trimble
Trimble was a thorn in Duke’s side last season. He hit the game-winning shot in Chapel Hill to spring the UNC upset over Duke, preventing the Blue Devils from going undefeated in ACC play and stopping what would have been two consecutive season sweeps of the Tar Heels. He’s a good player and undoubtedly makes Louisville better, assuming he’s going to be eligible to play. The NCAA is still contesting the eligibility of the fifth-year players from the class of 2022, but their winning percentage on these matters has been Washington Generals-esque.
Trimble averaged 14 points per game last season and is one of the best perimeter defenders in the country. He’ll bolster Louisville’s backcourt alongside Shelstad and Adrian Wooley.
Trimble went undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft, but he signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Washington Wizards, participating in the NBA’s Summer League with the franchise. Despite a couple of strong games, he didn’t receive any guaranteed contract offers and was likely heading to the G-League.
While his contract with Louisville wasn’t disclosed, you can be sure it is for more money than he would have gotten paid in the G-League next season. G-League base salaries are $45,000. Even a two-way contract, which Trimble didn’t have, would only pay half of the NBA minimum of $636,000. There’s a good chance Trimble signed with Louisville for north of $1 million.
Financially, it was an obvious choice for Trimble. From a basketball sense, it was an easy choice for Louisville. Trimble fortifies their backcourt and makes them all the more dangerous as they look to make a real push toward Duke at the top of the ACC food chain.
Jon Scheyer has built an elite roster in Durham, and while Trimble is a good player and undoubtedly makes the Cardinals better, the Blue Devils are still ahead of the pack in the ACC. But Louisville is making a push and showing how serious they are about competing for national titles again.
