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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Over the last few years, the big man in has undergone a modern renaissance across all levels of basketball.
Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama are two of the best players in the NBA, and the three leading scorers for Michigan, the reigning champions in college basketball this past season, were all 6-foot-9 or taller. Louisville recognized the importance of post play this offseason, with two of their three highest-ranked transfers being post players – including No. 1 transfer Flory Bidunga.
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Of course, guard play is still extremely important in college basketball. While big men help raise the floor of a team’s potential, ultimately, their backcourt will determine the ceiling – especially the play of their primary ball handler. Fortunately, Louisville landed an elite lead guard out of the portal as well.
While Bidunga was Louisville’s top-ranked portal addition this offseason, Jackson Shelstad was right behind him at No. 2. Regarded as the No. 17 overall player in the entire portal cycle, Shelstad opted to transfer to Louisville following three seasons with Oregon.
The 6-foot-0, 170-pound guard only suited up for 12 games for the Ducks this past season due to a hand injury, but he was in the midst of a career year before being shut down for the season. He averaged 15.6 points, 4.9 assists and 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game, all of which were career-highs.
Fast forward to the present, Shelstad is now 100 percent healthy, and beginning the process of ingratiating himself with the rest of the team. It goes without saying that Kelsey is incredibly excited to have the Oregon transfer in the fold.
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“The point guard’s the head of the snake. … Jackson is an experienced veteran lead guard that is one of the faster point guards that I’ve ever coached,” Kelsey said. “His ability to create, get in the paint, score, get fouled, make people around him better. I’ve said many, many times that point guards are an extension of the head coach, and…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/jackson-shelstad-calls-louisville-perfect-100007251.html
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Publish date : 2026-06-26 10:00:00
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