Louisville basketball fans will get an early peek at the 2026-27 roster this month.
On Tuesday, the announcement was made that the Cardinals will play two exhibition games against international competition as part of the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Summer League this July at the Baha Mar resort. The announcement was made by bdG Sports.
The four-day trip runs July 27-30 with the Cardinals playing games on Tuesday, July 28, and Wednesday, July 29 against teams from The Bahamas. Both contests will take place at the Baha Mar Convention, Arts and Entertainment Center on-site at the resort.
Louisville’s schedule follows:
Tuesday, July 28
Louisville vs. Bahamas – 2 p.m. ET
Wednesday, July 29
Louisville vs. Bahamas – noon
The trip marks the second time in three summers that Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey has brought his Cardinals team to the Baha Mar to participate in the event. With significant roster turnover in college basketball, NCAA rules now permit teams to take foreign tours every summer. Arkansas, Cincinnati, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Valparaiso were recently announced as other participants in the in the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Summer League, which runs July 28-Aug. 10. However, NCAA rules still only permit teams to play against international competition.
“This is a business trip for our team,” said Kelsey. “The chances to get 10 additional practices and a pair of games under our belt before the school year begins is absolutely invaluable. When we played in the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League two years ago, we saw what a great benefit that extra court time could have on our team, and we are looking for a similar effect with this quick trip to Nassau.”
The new-look Cardinals boast one the nation’s best portal classes, featuring former Kansas center Flory Bidunga (13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks), Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad (15.6 points, 4.9 assists),Arkansas wing Karter Knox (8.2 points, 4.5 rebounds) and Iowa forward Álvaro Folgueiras (8.4 points, 3.6 rebounds). Louisville returned guards Adrian Wooley and London Johnson and added freshmen Obinna Ekezie Jr., Boyuan Zhang and Isaac Ellis as the roster features nine newcomers total.
The fifth-annual event is managed by bdG Sports, a Kentucky-based sports and entertainment management firm which annually operates 20 collegiate men’s and women’s basketball games at Baha Mar each November.
“Interest in foreign tours has exploded this summer,” said Brooks Downing, founder and president of bdG Sports. ”With rosters largely turning over in today’s collegiate environment, combined with the significant Name, Image and Likeness investment in each roster, this is an affordable way to protect that investment and get a big head start on the new season.”