Jeff Walz’s roster takes shape
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The Louisville women’s basketball team has to replace six graduating seniors and four players who are transferring from a roster that made a fifth straight Elite Eight appearance in March. And one of those is star guard Hailey Van Lith, who ESPN ranked the No. 1 player in the NCAA transfer portal.
Jeff Walz will need to use the transfer portal to fill out his team for the 2023-24 season after not signing any high school players from the 2023 recruiting class. So far, he’s had some success in adding to the backcourt with guards Jayda Curry (California), Eylia Love (Georgia Tech) and Kiki Jefferson (James Madison) while landing commitments from forwards Olivia Cochran, Nyla Harris and Hennie van Schaik (Cal State Bakersfield).
Another deep run:Louisville’s season ends in NCAA Tournament Elite 8 against Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Here’s a look at U of L’s incoming and outgoing transfers, listed in alphabetical order:
Incoming Louisville transfers
Kiki Jefferson, G, James Madison
Ranked eighth on ESPN’s list of top transfer portal players, Jefferson leaves James Madison after a season where she led the team in scoring with 18.3 points per game to go along with 7.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per contest. The 2022-23 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and conference tournament most outstanding player totaled 1,838 points during her four years with the Dukes. Her career point total ranks sixth in program history and her career scoring average (15.8) at James Madison ranks fifth. Jefferson’s scoring prowess and veteran leadership will help fill out what’s shaping up to be a deep back court for Louisville in the 2023-24 season.
Jayda Curry, G, California
A record-setting guard in high school, Curry led Cal as a freshman and sophomore with 18.6 and 15.5 points, respectively, and was second on the team in assists (106) as a sophomore. She became the first freshman to lead the Pac-12 Conference in scoring. A two-year starter, she entered the transfer portal March 15 before committing to the Cardinals less than a month later. ESPN ranked her the 10th best transfer target who “instantly becomes the top perimeter scoring option for Jeff Walz.”
“They just made the Elite Eight this past year and have been there consecutively for a couple years,” Curry told Bally Sports Network’s Brandon Robinson. “Just trying to be that person who can come in there and help and impact them and take them a little further, get to the Final Four again and hopefully win a national championship. I’m super excited to start my journey there.”
Jayda Curry:Louisville women’s basketball lands transfer portal commitment from Cal guard
Eylia Love, G, Georgia Tech
Love arrived on campus in January as a midseason transfer eligible to play in 2023-24 after spending three seasons at Georgia Tech. She started 31 games during the 2021-22 season while averaging 10.5 points per game — shooting 41.7% (129 of 309) from the field and 40.4% (23 of 57) from 3-point range — 4.8 rebounds and…
Read More: Jeff Walz’s roster takes shape 2023-04-19 21:16:30