Louisville Basketball: Why Terrence Edwards Jr. is the most important team transfer for 2024-25

Things were not pretty at Louisville in recent years, though the Cardinals are hoping that those struggles are a thing of the past. The program endured two abysmal seasons under Kenny Payne’s leadership and now feels worlds removed from the elite status this program once had under Rick Pitino just a decade ago. In comes former Charleston head coach Pat Kelsey to fix the program, but will he have actual success in this new role?

We don’t need to spend too much time talking about last season because the Cardinals won just 8 games and finished at the bottom of the ACC standings. The talent assembled clearly didn’t get the job done, though there were some talented pieces in town. Virtually everyone left or transferred in the offseason, including double-digit scorers Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, Skyy Clark, Michael James, and Tre White, all of whom caught on at other schools.

Kelsey’s focus was quickly on rebuilding and he’s done a fantastic job landing talent through that Transfer Portal. There’s a long list of additions, though we’ll point out some of the notable ones, like former Colorado guard J’Vonne Hadley and point guards Koren Johnson from Washington and Chucky Hepburn. Kelsey took several players with him from Charleston, including James Scott and Reyne Smith, and also landed an elite forward in Kasean Pryor out of South Florida.

Among this long list, Terrence Edwards Jr. is the piece that stands out as the cream of this crop. A 6’6 wing originally from Georgia, Edwards spent the last four seasons developing into a fantastic player for James Madison. He worked his way from a solid backup to the league’s best player as a senior, helping the Dukes to a sensational 32-win season. He averaged 17.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game while winning Sun Belt Player of the Year.

Edwards brings talent and experience to the Cardinals and also brings a winning culture. His offensive numbers keep getting better, even if his 3-point shooting took a slight step back as a senior. He just led the Sun Belt in a flurry of categories and has the talent to be a prominent wing even in a tougher conference in the ACC.

While Louisville certainly hasn’t figure out exact rotations, it’s not hard to imagine Edwards standing out as one of their top players. He only has this final season of eligibility and has a chance to prove himself after doing basically everything possible in the Sun Belt with James Madison. He’s a talented wing with a chance to be special if he can compete in the ACC, settling into this lineup of new pieces and misfits playing together.

Louisville is moving past those recent failures internally but we’ll have to see the actual results on the court. Things can go either way with a lineup built using the Transfer Portal, though at least this roster has talent and experience. Has Kelsey and his staff brought enough talent to actually be competitive for the first time in several years? Does Edwards take one more measured step forward as an ACC wing?