Louisville Transfer Target Great Osobor Commits to Washington (2024)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville men’s basketball program’s top transfer portal target is heading elsewhere.

Former Utah State forward/center Great Osobor has committed to Washington, according to multiple reports and first reported by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. He chose the Huskies over both Louisville and Texas Tech, and is the highest-paid known player in college basketball, with $2 million in NIL deals already in place, per Givony.

Osobor’s commitment to Washington does not come as a complete shock. His old coach at Utah State, Danny Sprinkle, took the Huskies job after they fired Mike Hopkins in March, and Osobor has already followed Sprinkle once before when both were at Montana State.

However, missing out on Osobor is a massive blow for the Cardinals. He was the Mountain West Player of the Year and an AP All-American honorable mention this past season, and regarded as the No. 4 transfer to enter the portal in this cycle according toThe Athletic.

The 6-foot-8, 250-pound big man was a key component behind Utah State's success this season. Starting all 35 games for Aggies, he averaged 17.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals per game, while also shooting 57.7 percent from the field.

Not getting Osobor is also a big development on the roster construction front, considering Louisville’s front court is currently their weak spot. As of this writing, the Cardinals have just two true big men for next season - James Scott and Aly Khalifa - and Khalifa will be redshirting to rehab a knee injury.

That being said, new head coach Pat Kelsey has still done a great job in the portal since his hiring on Mar. 28. So far, he has landed nine transfer commits to replace the 12 that entered the portal.

Scott and Reyne Smith are both following Kelsey from Charleston, while James Madison's Terrence Edwards Jr., Colorado's J'Vonne Hadley, Washington's Koren Johnson, Long Beach State's Aboubacar Traore and Wisconsin's Chucky Hepburn are also joining the fold. Like Khalifa, Charleston guard Kobe Rodgers also committed, but will redshirt the 2024-25 season.

(Photo of Great Osobor: Troy Babbitt - USA TODAY Sports)