Larry O'Bannon Jr.

Louisville vs. Chattanooga recap with Larry O’Bannon 🎙️ The Cards were firing on all cylinders in the first half, building a 56–35 lead with hot shooting, transition buckets, dunks and lobs. Louisville shot 8-for-19 from 3 before halftime. The second half told a different story. Chattanooga outscored the Cards 35–28, while Louisville went 1-for-16 from 3 and 9-for-18 at the free-throw line after the break. The Cardinals still earned an 84–70 win, but there’s plenty to review before Saturday’s matchup with Morehead State. Watch Larry O’s full recap.

This is one of them ones. We welcome Jeffersonville’s own Sherron Wilkerson—1993 Indiana State Champion, McDonald’s All-American, Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year, former Indiana Hoosier and current head basketball coach at Jeffersonville High School—to The Player’s Perspective Uncensored with Larry O’Bannon. Sherron takes us through the journey from Jeffersonville to Bloomington and back home, sharing the highs, the setbacks and the lessons that helped shape him into a leader in his community. He reflects on being cut from his eighth-grade team, the pressure of choosing Indiana, and the Big Ten matchups against future NBA stars like Michael Finley and Voshon Leonard. And you don’t want to miss the Bob Knight stories—including the unforgettable moment Coach Knight brought out a double-barrel shotgun to make his point. The episode drops tomorrow. Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts. 🔴⚪️🔴⚪️🔴⚪️Kate

INTRODUCING 502 PLAYER OF THE WEEK 🏀 There’s an extraordinary amount of college basketball talent from the 502 making an impact on winning programs across the country. Each week on The Player’s Perspective Uncensored with Larry O’Bannon, we’ll spotlight one of those players in our new 502 Player of the Week segment. We know there are plenty of Louisville-area players competing at the college level. Comment the names of players we should know about in the, and make sure to stay tuned each week! #502Hoops

LOUISVILLE BASKETBALL SEASON PREVIEW: THE FORWARDS! 🏀 The conversation continues on The Player’s Perspective Uncensored with Larry O’Bannon, featuring Victory Formation Sports’ Jeff Lightsy Jr., as the two take a deeper look at Karter Knox and what a fresh start at Louisville could mean for his future. Larry puts himself in Knox’s shoes, imagining the mindset of a former McDonald’s All-American who spent two seasons playing for John Calipari at Arkansas, dealing with injuries and waiting for that breakout season. With Calipari continuing to bring in elite talent, including Darius Acuff Jr. last season and highly touted newcomer Jordan Smith Jr., Larry believes Knox may have reached a point where he needed a different opportunity. Larry also acknowledges that finances play a role in today’s transfer portal, but believes this move could be about something much bigger for Knox: a fresh start, renewed confidence, and the chance to reach his full potential. At Louisville, Knox gets another opportunity to compete on a major stage, play in nationally televised games, and showcase the talent that made him one of the country’s most sought-after players coming out of high school. Larry believes this could be the opportunity Knox needs to become the player many expected him to be as a McDonald’s All-American and potentially follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Kevin Knox II, who became an NBA lottery pick. Can a fresh start at Louisville help Karter Knox take his game to the next level? Catch the full conversation on The Player’s Perspective Uncensored with Larry O’Bannon! Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts. Hit the link in our bio!

LOUISVILLE BASKETBALL SEASON PREVIEW: THE FORWARDS! 🏀 The Louisville Basketball season preview continues on The Player’s Perspective Uncensored with Larry O’Bannon, featuring Victory Formation Sports’ Jeff Lightsy Jr. Today’s focus: Boyuan Zhang! 🇨🇳 When Larry asks Jeff what stands out when he turns on the film, Jeff’s answer is simple: His size and his ability to shoot the basketball. At 6-foot-9, Zhang brings an intriguing combination of size, shooting touch, and offensive versatility. Jeff highlights the lefty’s ability to knock down spot-up jumpers, create shots off the dribble, and score with a skill set you don’t typically see from a player his size. Larry agrees that Zhang’s size immediately jumps off the screen, but believes there’s much more to his game than shooting. “You can’t just put Boyuan in the box of being a good shooter. He’s a good scorer.” Larry points to Zhang’s ability to put the ball on the floor, attack the basket, and use his size and athleticism to create scoring opportunities. The freshman from China averaged 20.2 points per game at Veritas Academy last season and brings international experience representing his country in FIBA competition. With his combination of size, scoring ability, and versatility, Zhang could be an exciting piece of Pat Kelsey’s system this season. How much of an impact could Boyuan Zhang make in his first year at Louisville? The full episode of The Player’s Perspective Uncensored with Larry O’Bannon is OUT NOW! Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts. Hit the link in our bio!

🏀 LOUISVILLE BASKETBALL SEASON PREVIEW: THE GUARDS Next up: Jackson Shelstad. On the latest episode of The Player’s Perspective Uncensored with Larry O’Bannon, Larry O and Nick Coffey discuss the opportunities Jackson Shelstad will have running Louisville’s offense this season. Shelstad will have the freedom to push the pace, attack the basket and play the style of basketball he’s comfortable with. But what makes this situation even more interesting is the talent surrounding him. Whether it’s finding Flory Bidunga inside, creating an opportunity for Adrian Wooley to make a big play, or playing alongside guys like De’Shayne Montgomery, Shelstad will have options all over the floor. Larry and Nick believe that’s what makes playing point guard in this system exciting. You can create your own opportunities, get your teammates involved and play with other DAWGS who can make things happen. 🎙️ Watch the full episode of The Player’s Perspective Uncensored with Larry O’Bannon on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts. Link in bio. Presented by @lgeku .

🏀 LOUISVILLE BASKETBALL SEASON PREVIEW: THE GUARDS Next up: Isaac Ellis. Nick Coffey’s first word to describe Ellis’ game: SMOOTH. Nick believes Ellis has some limitations, but one of his biggest strengths is that he knows who he is as a player, something Nick says is one of the most undervalued qualities in basketball. He sees a confident young guard who isn’t bashful and believes Ellis can contribute in his first season at Louisville. Larry O’ sees the skill set immediately. A lefty who can really shoot the basketball, Ellis has the type of ability that can earn a young player minutes. And in a Pat Kelsey offense? Nick says Ellis is going to have the opportunity to let it fly. 🎯 🎙️ Watch the full episode of The Player’s Perspective Uncensored on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts. Hit the link in the bio. Presented by @lgeku .

🏀 LOUISVILLE BASKETBALL SEASON PREVIEW: THE GUARDS Next up: Jackson Shelstad. Larry O’Bannon asks Nick Coffey what’s the first thing that jumps out when he watches Shelstad on the court. Nick’s answer: FAST. 💨 Pat Kelsey has called Shelstad the fastest player he’s ever coached, and Nick believes that speed is going to create plenty of opportunities for him to get downhill and attack the basket. For Larry, the first thing that jumped out on film was Shelstad’s mentality as a scorer, something Larry can relate to from his own playing days. “If I saw the rim, I was open.” Larry sees a guard who can score at all three levels. Shelstad can get to the basket, create off the dribble, make shots out of the pick-and-roll and knock down the three. 🎙️ Watch The Player’s Perspective Uncensored on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts. Hit the link in the bio. Presented by @lgeku .

This week on The Player’s Perspective Uncensored with Larry O’Bannon, L.O. continues his Louisville Basketball Season Preview, breaking down THE GUARDS alongside Louisville radio and sports personality Nick Coffey! First up: Adrian Wooley! Larry sees a COMPETITOR ! After what he described as a roller-coaster season a year ago, injuries throughout the roster forced Wooley to constantly adjust his role and what Louisville needed from him. Nick believes when things slow down offensively for the Cards, Wooley has shown he can be the guy who makes something happen. He can attack the basket, draw contact and has already proven he’s capable of knocking down big shots. Nick also explains why he was so happy to see Wooley stay at Louisville instead of entering the transfer portal, and why he believes Pat Kelsey and his staff can utilize him differently this season. For Larry, the biggest thing is consistency. A more consistent role could lead to a more consistent Adrian Wooley, and he has an opportunity to become a major contributor for Louisville this season. 🎙️ The full episode premieres tomorrow. Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

🏀 LOUISVILLE BASKETBALL PREVIEW: THE CENTERS We saved the focal point of Louisville’s frontcourt for last: Flory Bidunga. The reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year brings an elite defensive presence to the Cardinals after leading the conference with 91 blocks last season. Larry O’ loves Bidunga’s instincts and ability to recover. With his athleticism, Larry says Flory can make a mistake defensively and erase it almost immediately. @MarkEnnis points to how rarely Bidunga gets caught out of position. And when the opportunity is there, he attacks the ball like an animal. Sometimes the offensive player never sees the block coming. Flory does. For a player expected to be one of the most important pieces of Louisville’s season, that defensive presence could change a lot for the Cards. Check out Louisville Basketball Preview: The Centers on The Player’s Perspective Uncensored on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by @lgeku . #LouisvilleBasketball #GoCards #FloryBidunga #35KYSports #ThePlayersPerspective