Arizona transfer Oumar Ballo is reportedly scheduled to make a visit to Louisville.
The Louisville men’s basketball program is poised to welcome another significant transfer player to its ranks.
Former Arizona center Oumar Ballo, currently ranked as the No. 2 player in the transfer portal by On3, is scheduled to visit the Cardinals next week, as reported by Sam Kayser of 24/7 High School Hoops. Ballo’s visit to Louisville follows his visit to Indiana from Apr. 14-16 and precedes his visit to Kansas State from Apr. 19-21. Additionally, Ballo plans to visit North Carolina and Florida, according to Kayser.
Ballo is just one of several transfers set to visit campus, including Dante Maddox Jr. from Toledo, Chris Youngblood from South Florida, and Nick Boyd from Florida Atlantic, all visiting this weekend.
During his three seasons with Arizona, the 7-foot, 260-pound center established himself as a dominant force in the low post. Ballo earned two First-Team All-Pac 12 selections, as well as spots on the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team and Pac-12 All-Tournament Team. In the 2023-24 season, he posted career-best averages of 12.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 0.8 assists per game, starting all 36 games for Arizona. His rebounding prowess ranked him 15th in Division I, and he recorded 20 double-doubles with a 65.8% field goal percentage, both placing him among the top five nationally.
Ballo’s impactful performances followed a strong 2022-23 campaign, during which he was named the 2023 Pac-12 Most Improved Player. He joined Arizona after spending his first two years at Gonzaga and redshirting his true freshman season.
Throughout his time at Arizona, Ballo accumulated impressive statistics, including 1,273 points, 867 rebounds, 140 blocks, and 109 assists over 108 games and 71 starts. He left Arizona as the career leader in field goal percentage (64.6%) and is one of only 10 players in the university’s history to achieve both 1,000 career points and 800 career rebounds.
Following the conclusion of Louisville’s challenging 2023-24 season, which resulted in the dismissal of head coach Kenny Payne, the team underwent significant roster changes. All 12 scholarship players entered the transfer portal, with only walk-on guard Hercy Miller remaining with the team. However, new head coach Pat Kelsey has wasted no time in utilizing the transfer portal to rebuild the team, securing commitments from transfers Reyne Smith and James Scott, both from Charleston, as well as Terrence Edwards Jr., the 2024 Sun Belt Player of the Year from James Madison.
