Louisville Cardinals get De’Shayne Montgomery and likely getting Gabe Dynes
Was this a whiff for Mark Pope, or is something else in play for the Cats?
Feb 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans center Gabe Dynes (45) reacts at the end of the game against the Oregon Ducks at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Louisville Cardinals are likely getting two transfer portal players that Kentucky Basketball showed interest in, even hosting one for a visit. On Friday, news broke that Dayton guard De’Shayne Montgomery had committed to the Cardinals, despite drawing recent interest from Kentucky .
Shortly after that news broke, On3’s Joe Tipton reported that Louisville was the “clear frontrunner” for USC center Gabe Dynes, who visited both the Wildcats and Cardinals this week. Tipton also said Kentucky has major ground to make up to stay in the Dynes sweepstakes, so it appears the Cats aren’t offering what the Cards are. While it may look like a whiff to lose Dynes and Montgomery to the Cards, I’m not sure that’s the case here.
Not with the potential for the 5-in-5 proposal to give guys like Otega Oweh and others one more year of eligibility . If that takes place, then the NCAA will likely grant a one-time transfer portal window in the coming weeks for the seniors with expiring eligibility to enter. That could open up a host of avenues for the Wildcats to upgrade their roster.
And unlike many schools who’ve used up most of their budget, Kentucky still should have plenty of money left after missing on Donnie Freeman and will likely miss on Tyran Stokes. It’s been a tough offseason thus far for Pope and Co. , but there’s still a chance to come away with a roster capable of making a deep NCAA Tournament run.