LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville coach Pat Kelsey added another fifth-year player to the roster Monday with forward LJ Wells now available this season for the Cardinals.
Kelsey said he is friends with Northern Kentucky coach Darrin Horn, who gushed about Wells’ character, work ethic and coachability. Wells spent the past four seasons at Northern Kentucky and started 33 games for the Norse as a senior, averaging 15 points and 7.3 rebounds.
“He was arguably NKU’s best and most valuable player,” Kelsey said. “We are excited to add someone like LJ that fits our culture perfectly. He’s one of us before he even arrives.”
The Cardinals also have guard Seth Trimble, who transferred from North Carolina by taking advantage of the recent preliminary injunction from a U.S. District judge in Colorado giving student-athletes who graduated from high school in 2022 a fifth year of eligibility for the upcoming season.
Trimble and Wells are among a group of athletes who sought the right to play a fifth season from a Jefferson County court in Kentucky.
A 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward, Wells also was named to the Horizon League tournament team after averaging 22.3 points and 8.7 rebounds over three games in March. He started 16 of 32 games in 2024-25 as a junior and 27 of 33 as a sophomore, and he played in 18 games as a freshman.
