Louisville basketball and Kentucky set for major recruiting battle over elite 5-star

Louisville basketball is making some noise in the 2027 recruiting class, as Pat Kelsey is making a push for multiple elite recruits. The Cardinals' head coach has attended multiple high school recruiting events this offseason, watching some of the nation’s top prospects.

One of the Cardinals' top targets on their big board for this highly recruited 2027 recruiting class is 5-star small forward Demarcus Henry. Louisville recently got a major update from the 5-star small forward, as Henry cut his list down to just eight schools.

However, Louisville will have to go up against its biggest rival, the Kentucky Wildcats, and it appears both schools are likely to earn a visit.

Louisville and Kentucky making a push for 5-star Demarcus Henry

Kentucky and Louisville are one of the biggest rivalries in college basketball. The two programs have a rich history and an even richer rivalry dating back to 1912. With each program known as one of the top college basketball programs, the two rivals are trending toward multiple big-time recruiting battles.

One recruiting battle that is likely set to amp up is the recruiting battle for Henry. The 5-star small forward is one of the top prospects in the 2027 recruiting class, and as the summer days begin to count down, Henry is beginning to map out his recruiting plan.

According to a Kentucky basketball insider, Henry is planning to visit each of his eight finalists and will plan to sign in the spring of 2027.

Earlier this summer, Louisville and Kentucky were both named to Henry’s final eight schools, as the two Kentucky state schools are also battling  UConn, Kansas, Arkansas, North Carolina, BYU, and Ohio State.

Right now, On3 Sports has Ohio State as the early favorite, giving the Buckeyes a 23.9 percent chance of landing the 5-star. However, Kelsey has had some recruiting magic this offseason, landing the former 2027 No. 1 overall recruit, Obinna Ekezie Jr.

On top of Ekezie, Kelsey had the top-ranked Transfer Portal class, landing the No. 1 overall transfer, Flory Bidunga. Now, Kelsey and Louisville are going to try to carry that momentum into the 2027 recruiting class and land Henry.

It won’t be an easy recruiting battle for the Cardinals as Henry is highly recruited and some big-time programs are in his final eight, but hopefully Louisville can earn an early visit, and Kelsey can work his magic as he did in the Transfer Portal.

Henry ranks as high as No. 3 overall and No. 1 among small forwards. Henry is coming off an impressive year with Compass Prep, averaging 12.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.

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This article was originally published on bigredlouie.com as Louisville basketball and Kentucky set for major recruiting battle over elite 5-star.