ACC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2024-25 season

5. Louisville Cardinals

There’s no real point in discussing Louisville Basketball's past, as the program has undergone a complete coaching staff and roster change. The new leader is Pat Kelsey, who turned Charleston into one of the more dominant mid-major programs. And outside of four-star freshman forward Khani Rooths, the entire roster comprises veteran transfers.

In the backcourt, the Cardinals have Chucky Hepburn, a three-year starting PG from Wisconsin. Koren Johnson was the 6th Man of the Year at Washington, while J’Vonne Hadley shot over 41% from deep as a starting wing at Colorado. Aboubacar Traore (12.0 ppg, 8.4 rpg, and 4.5 apg) is a 6’5 wing from Long Beach State whose versatility makes him an option in various lineups.

The likely starting wing will be Terrence Edwards (17.2 ppg), a transfer from James Madison, the Sun Belt Player of the Year. Noah Waterman gives them a spacing threat in the frontcourt, with former South Florida forward Kasean Pryor (13.0 ppg and 7.9 rpg) set to be the focal point of the frontcourt. Even without BYU transfer Aly Khalifa, Georgia transfer Frank Anselem-Ibe gives them another big body at center.

With former Charleston starters Kobe Rodgers and James Scott joining Coach Kelsey, this roster has a ton of depth. The big question is how long will it take to find the right rotations and lineups for them to win? The Cardinals may be the most fascinating team to watch in ACC Basketball this season, but one thing is for sure: they have nowhere to go but up.