Louisville basketball transfer portal tracker: Former USC guard Tre White picks Cardinals

A goal for Louisville men’s basketball coach Kenny Payne during a pivotal offseason at the helm of his alma mater was to determine who “deserves” to don a Cardinals uniform after the worst season in modern program history.

“If you don’t deserve to be in that jersey, as much as I love you, I can’t have you in that jersey,” Payne said during his postgame interview with Cardinal Sports Network after a loss to Boston College in the first round of the ACC Tournament ended a 4-28 (2-19 ACC) campaign.

Eight players entered the NCAA transfer portal, which opened March 13 and closed May 11, after having a postseason evaluation meeting with Payne. Senior guard El Ellis was the latest to do so on April 6 and committed to Arkansas less than two weeks later.

Payne was looking to add more experienced players who were available in the portal — “guys who understand fighting and playing together and mental toughness,” he said after a loss to Virginia in the regular-season finale. Louisville has signed three incoming transfers thus far, former Illinois guard Skyy Clark, ex-Miami forward Danilo Jovanovich and Tre White, a guard/forward who began his college career at Southern California.

What comes next?Kenny Payne’s 1st Louisville basketball season ends with early ACC Tournament exit, 28 losses

What is the transfer portal?:Explaining the NCAA’s process for switching schools

Keep this page bookmarked throughout the offseason to see who U of L is adding and losing via the portal.

Clark, a former Illinois guard who at one point was signed to play for Kentucky, was the first of Payne’s transfer portal acquisitions this offseason.

“The time is now to chase my dream with Coach KP and staff but even bigger than that, the dream for Louisville Basketball!” he tweeted upon announcing his commitment March 16.

Clark pledged to U of L days after visiting campus with his family and signed his National Letter of Intent on April 12. The Los Angeles native played in just 13 games (12 starts) for the Fighting Illini this past season.

Louisville was among Clark’s final six college destinations after he requested to be released from a National Letter of Intent with UK in March 2022, but he ultimately chose to join Illinois. On Jan. 6, however, he announced he was stepping away from the program to prioritize “myself and my family’s wellbeing,” according to a report from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

He totaled 91 points on 41.1% shooting with an average of 2.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 24.4 minutes per contest.

“We’re fortunate to have an elite point guard in Skyy who’s very talented and gifted, but more importantly has the character needed to be a Louisville Cardinal,” Payne said in a statement when Clark signed in April. “His ability to score, distribute and run a basketball team as a leader is what we need. In order to truly change a culture, you need guys that have the mental makeup on and off the court to do the right things, and he’s an example of one of the players that this community will love watching grow.”

A 6-foot-8 forward, Jovanovich committed to Louisville on April 28 after one season at Miami and signed with Louisville on May 18.

“Danilo is a talented, tough, skilled basketball player with an old-school mentality,” Payne said of the Milwaukee native in a statement upon his signing. “He will bring a winning spirit and unbelievable work ethic to our program that fans will love. This program has to be built on the character of the players walking in the door. Danilo is a super high character warrior who wanted to be in our environment. I’m excited to welcome him and his family to our Cardinal family.”

Jovanovich did not play a significant role in the Hurricanes’ run to the Final Four, appearing in only two minutes of a Nov. 23 game against St. Francis Brooklyn during his freshman year.

Nearly a month after Jovanovich’s collegiate debut, Miami coach Jim Larrañaga said he and his staff were planning to redshirt the freshman, who was sidelined for the first five games of the season due to a left ankle injury. Jovanovich signed with the Hurricanes as the 43rd-best small forward and the 190th overall player in the Class of 2022, according to the 247Sports composite.