Louisville basketball is riding a wave of optimism following its remarkable 2024-25 season, which saw the Cardinals return to the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Pat Kelsey has put together a 2025-26 roster that, according to experts and analysts, has a lot of potential.
On a recent episode of his podcast, Fox Sports’ Aaron Torres said that despite having almost identical movement on the transfer portal as Florida, Louisville’s preseason has been his ACC favorite. He praised Kelsey’s roster as potentially better suited to his fast-paced system than last year’s 27-win squad.
Louisville Currently Features a Roster that is Built for Kelsey’s Vision according to Aaron Torres
Torres highlighted Louisville’s roster as a perfect fit for Kelsey’s up-tempo, five-out offensive style, which fueled a 27-8 record and a second-place ACC finish in 2024-25. “This team might actually be even better built to play the way that Pat Kelsey wants to play in 2025-26,” Torres said on his podcast.
The Cardinals’ strength lies in their backcourt depth, led by five-star freshman Mikel Brown Jr., a McDonald’s All-American and No. 6 overall recruit. Brown, a 6-foot-3 point guard from DME Academy, is projected as a 2026 NBA Draft lottery pick, bringing playmaking skills to replace Chucky Hepburn, who exhausted his eligibility.
Supporting Brown are three top-20 transfers: Xavier’s Ryan Conwell, Virginia’s Isaac McKneely, and Kennesaw State’s Adrian Wooley, all All-Conference honorees in 2024-25. Conwell’s scoring versatility, McKneely’s elite shooting, and Wooley’s dynamic guard play create a three-guard lineup that could overwhelm ACC defenses.
Louisville’s 35.5% three-point shooting over their final 24 games last season, coupled with the newcomers’ 40%-plus accuracy from deep, suggests they could have the potential to break program records.
The Cardinals return five scholarship players, including J’Vonne Hadley, a 6-foot-6 glue guy averaging 10.2 points and 6.1 rebounds, and Kasean Pryor, a 6-foot-10 forward who posted 12 points and 6.1 rebounds before a season-ending ACL injury.
Aly Khalifa, a 6-foot-11 passing big, and Kobe Rodgers, a 6-foot-3 guard who redshirted in 2024-25, add depth. Khani Rooths, a 6-foot-8 freshman forward, also returns after a promising debut season.
In the frontcourt, four-star German import Sananda Fru, a 6-foot-11, 245-pound rim protector, brings physical presence and form. Averaging 12.1 points and 1.6 blocks in Germany’s Basketball Bundesliga, Fru is expected to have two years of eligibility.
KEEP READING: Pat Kelsey’s Dramatic Impact Setting New Expectations in College Basketball, Say Top Analysts
Kelsey’s 2025-26 roster, blending NBA-caliber talent like Brown with battle-tested transfers and returners, has analysts like Torres predicting a potential ACC title this season. “I have Louisville as the highest-ranked ACC team,” Torres said, placing the program on the top position in his personal rankings.
With a top-10 recruiting class and the No. 1 transfer portal class, the Cardinals are built to contend not just in the ACC but on the national stage.
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