Last season was a year to remember for the Louisville Cardinals basketball team. Pat Kelsey took over for a program that won just 12 games in two years combined under the former head coach Kenny Payne. Kelsey took over a program that was yearning for new life -- far, far removed from the standards for a program that has 10 Final Fours and three titles to its name.
After a bumpy 6-5 start, the Cardinals proceeded to win 19 of their final 20 regular season games, finishing with an 18-2 record inside the ACC. Louisville would advance to the ACC Tournament Championship game, falling to Duke, before losing to No. 9 seed Creighton in the Round of 64.
Despite the bitter and rather abrupt ending to the Cardinals’ fabulous 2024-2025 campaign, the expectations in 2025-26 are sky-high. Check out three reasons why the Louisville Cardinals have had the best offseason in the ACC Conference.
An instant-impact freshman class
Chucky Hepburn will hand over point guard duties to five-star McDonald's All-American Mikel Brown Jr. out of DME Academy. Brown Jr. ranks sixth nationally in the 24/7 Sports Class of 2025 rankings. The 6-foot-3 floor general expects to slot in as the starting point guard from day one.
Another intriguing recruit lies in the Cardinals’ frontcourt: Sananda Fru, a 6-foot-11, 245-pound four-start PF/C out of Germany.
After BYU transfer Aly Khalifa’s waiver was denied (Khalifa is reportedly appealing the decision), the frontcourt spotlight on Fru gets brighter. Though he may be a freshman academically, Fru brings valuable experience to the post after playing professionally overseas. He’ll turn 22 in August. He’s a high-level finisher, a mobile athlete and can make an impact on both ends of the floor thanks to a 7-foot-2 wingspan.
The Cardinals also made some late May splashes overseas, landing Mouhamed Camara out of NBA Academy and Vangelis Zougris out of Peristeri B.C. (Greece), helping add more depth to Louisville’s frontcourt.
High-level, improved shooting from the transfer portal
Pat Kelsey and the Louisville Cardinals aggressively attacked the portal early in the offseason, landing three key pieces: Ryan Conwell (Xavier), Isaac McKneely (Virginia) and Adrian Wooley (Kennesaw State). Talk about a star-studded, high-level shooting backcourt.
Conwell averaged 16.5 PPG, 2.7 RPG and 2.5 APG, shooting 41.3% from three last season for the Musketeers. Conwell also shot at a 40% clip from three at his previous stop, South Florida. On the topic of sharpshooters, Virginia transfer Isaac McKneely enters the fold after shooting 42.1% from three last season at Virginia on over seven attempts per game. He shot 44.5% the year before.
Adrian Wooley, a Kennesaw State transfer, was among the top freshmen at the mid-major level last season, averaging 18.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG and 3.6 APG for the Owls. Wooley shot 42.2% shooting from three on over 50% shooting from the field in a high-volume role (12.3 FGA).
Sensing a theme here? Louisville, a team that shot over 28 threes per game last season, landed three shooters who shot over 40% from the three-point line. While Louisville was mediocre-at-best from three last season, that should change instantly in 2025-26.
A big season lies ahead for J'Vonne Hadley and Kasean Pryor
J’Vonne Hadley is among the more uniquely gifted players in the ACC. At 6-foot-6, he’s more of a small forward blend as a 3-and-D and double-double threat. Last season, Hadley averaged 12.2 PPG and 7.3 RPG. He led the Cardinals in rebounds per game. He had seven double-doubles, including a monstrous 32-point, 10-rebound night in Lousivlle’s win over Clemson in early January. His return immediately injects a stable veteran presence for the Cardinals on both sides of the floor.
Additionally, Kasean Pryor also announced his return, taking advantage of his final year of eligibility. Pryor played in just seven games last season, averaging 12.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 2.1 APG before suffering a season-ending ACL injury in November. Pryor is a tenacious defender which should keep Louisville inside the top 25 in KenPom defensive efficiency despite losing Hepburn.