Louisville basketball suffered a major blow to their incoming recruiting class with the news that five-star small forward Trentyn Flowers has decided to go pro in Australia rather than play for the Cardinals this fall. Flowers announced his intention to play in the National Basketball League on Monday, thanking Louisville and its fans four months after he signed with the program.

Flowers said his decision is based on his ultimate goal to reach the NBA. A projected first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Flowers joins several other high-profile prospects that have forgone college to play their required one year out of his high school professionally. Recruited as a small forward, Flowers made his intentions clear on Twitter that he wants to play point guard following his announcement.

Flowers chose Louisville over the likes of Alabama, Kentucky, Kansas and North Carolina, all of which offered the 6-8 forward a scholarship. The No. 18 overall recruit in the class of 2023 according to ESPN, Flowers was by far Louisville basketball's top recruit in this year's class. That honor now falls to four-star big man Dennis Evans, the No. 62 ranked player in the class.

Losing Flowers is a tough pill to swallow for a Louisville program that endured its worst season in over 80 years last season. The Cardinals went 4-28 last season, finishing with the fourth-worst winning percentage in Division I men's basketball. Head coach Kenny Payne and Co. will have to weather the storm of the 2023-24 season without its potential star player after the loss of Trentyn Flowers.