Louisville is ready to continue soaring upward in 2025-26 after winning three times as many games last season (27) than it did in the previous three combined. It was a sterling debut campaign for coach Pat Kelsey, who followed it up with an equally good offseason to position the Cardinals for a shot at ACC supremacy.
A team that hoisted more 3-pointers per game (28.5) than anyone else in the conference is poised to do it again — and likely with greater effectiveness — as a trio of elite shooters enter via the portal. Adrian Wooley (Kennesaw State), Ryan Conwell (Xavier) and Isaac McKneely (Virginia) each ranked among CBS Sports’ top 20 transfers.
They will be joined by one of the program’s most highly anticipated recruits ever. Five-star point guard Mike Brown Jr. rates as the second-best Louisville signee of the 247Sports era and is widely considered to be a potential lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Cards are going to be tougher under the basket, too, after adding a pair of European bigs (Vangelis Zougris and Sananda Fru) who are classified as juniors because of their extensive international experience. They will combine with veteran post players Aly Khalifa and Kasean Pryor — each returning from injury — to give the Louisville front court dimension and enviable depth.
Kelsey guided Louisville to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019 last season as he resurrected one of the sport’s sleeping giants. The Cardinals rose as high as No. 10 in the AP poll, even while dealing with a tough spat of injuries. Now, after a first round exit from the Big Dance, Louisville is poised to fly even higher. Here’s a breakdown of the Cards’ 2025-26 roster.
Louisville ranks among the most interesting teams heading into the season; it’s no surprise the Cards get back into the Summer Shootaround mix. Pat Kelsey’s making good noise at a program that’s returned to respectability. Norlander is joined on this episode by Mark Ennis, a local radio host in Louisville who knows the program inside and out. Mikel Brown Jr. is the guy who’s got Cards fans amped, but there’s enough here to believe U of L could be a top-10 team.
Projected starting lineup
1. Mikel Brown Jr. | 6-5 | 180 | Fr.
Brown is a 3-point marksman, highlight-reel passer and sneaky athletic finisher. In a realistic best-case scenario, he’ll bring the playmaking prowess and athleticism of Jeremiah Fears and pair it with the shooting touch of Jared McCain. That may sound far-fetched, but all the tools are there. Even if the physicality of college basketball requires a learning curve that keeps Brown from hitting his sky-high potential, he should still be among the ACC’s better point guards after ranking as the No. 6 overall player from the Class of 2025.
2. Ryan Conwell | 6-4 | 215 | Sr.
Conwell will be on his fourth school in four years, but don’t let that transience obscure his shooting greatness. He rated in the 97th percentile nationally last season on catch-and-shoot looks, per Synergy. And that wasn’t just a one-year blip. The Indianapolis native was similarly effective for a 32-7 Indiana State team as a sophomore. He’s one of the sport’s most-proven flamethrowers, which is why he was ranked the No. 14 transfer in the class.
3. Isaac McKneely | 6-4 | 195 | Sr.
McKneely is yet another elite shooting option with ample experience. The Virginia transfer is at his best coming off screens, which differentiates him a bit from the other shooters Kelsey added. Many of the sets Louisville ran to get Reyne Smith open last season may translate for McKneeley, who owns a career 41.8% 3-point shooting mark in 60 games against ACC opposition.
4. J’Vonne Hadley | 6-7 | 210 | 6th-year
The 2024-25 season was expected to be Hadley’s last, but he and Louisville benefitted from a ruling that allowed former junior college players additional eligibility. He’s a versatile forward who can spot up, post up or create for himself off the dribble. That well-roundedness helped him average 33.1 minutes per game last season. Hadley is able to play either forward position, and he should be a rotational mainstay yet again.
5. Sananda Fru | 6-11 | 245 | Jr.
Louisville signed Fru in June as a soon-to-be 22-year old from the German professional ranks. He is a load to handle in the paint but not in an old-school, bruiser way. He can post up, sure. But where he shines is as a lob threat who runs the floor well for a player of his size. Pair that athleticism and strength with a 7-foot-4 wingspan and the result is likely an upper-tier college big.
Off the bench
Aly Khalifa | 7-0 | 250 | R-Sr.
Khalifa missed all of the 2024-25 season with a knee injury but won a fight with the NCAA for eligibility and will add a unique playmaking flair to Louisville’s frontcourt. He averaged four assists in just 19.4 minutes per game at BYU in 2023-24 and is also a proven 3-point shooter. His comfort as a handler and shooter should draw opposing bigs away from the basket and open things up for the Cards offensively.
Adrian Wooley | 6-4 | 200 | So.
Wooley slipped under the radar as a three-star prospect with a slender build from the Class of 2024. But he exploded onto the scene as the Conference USA Freshman of the Year while averaging 18.8 points on 42.2% 3-point shooting for Kennesaw State. Wooley ranked as the No. 9 transfer of the class and is a combo guard who should get plenty of run. Outside shooting is his calling card, but he’s added the necessary muscle to his frame to be effective attacking the basket.
Vangelis Zougris | 6-8 | 240 | Jr.
Zougris is a college basketball newcomer labeled as a junior because he’s a veteran of Greek professional basketball who will be 21 on opening night. The Cardinals like that he’s a physical screener but still versatile enough to switch onto guards defensively. In one of his last games with Peristeri BC, he put up 15 points and seven rebounds in just 20 minutes against a Panathinaikos team featuring former NBA players such as Kendrick Nunn, Cedi Osman and Juancho Hernangomez.
Kasean Pryor | 6-10 | 230 | 6th-year
Pryor is on the mend from a torn ACL that limited him to seven games last season, and he should be ready to bring athleticism and floor-stretching capabilities to the rotation. Dynamic defensive activity is a differentiating factor for Pryor, who will be part of a strong competition for frontcourt minutes.
Khani Rooths | 6-10 | 210 | So.
Rooths cracked Louisvlle’s veteran rotation as a true freshman, bringing energy and versatility at forward in 13.4 minutes per game. The Cards are again stacked with experience, but Rooths will be in the mix and building toward what could be a major role in the future. In the meantime, he’ll be a fan-favorite grinder who does the dirty work.
Kobe Rodgers | 6-3 | 185 | R-Sr.
Rodgers spent last season rehabbing a knee injury that he sustained while playing for Kelsey at Charleston in 2024. The veteran guard was also an integral part of the 36-0 team at Nova Southeastern that won the 2023 Division II national championship.
Mouhamed Camara | 6-8 | 225 | Fr.
Louisville is high on Camara’s defensive upside as an athletic and versatile player who will be able to guard multiple positions. In the short term, the battle for minutes could be tough.
Market watch
Louisville’s odds to win 2026 NCAA Tournament (via Fanduel): +2000
Louisville has all the ingredients of a Final Four squad and should be regarded as a national-title contender. Kelsey added a potential lottery pick at point guard, elite shooting and quality size to a core nucleus that was around for last season’s 27 victories. With versatile forwards such as Hadley and Rooths on the roster, the Cardinals will have options for how to play.
It’s also helpful that each player in a deep group of post options brings a slightly different skill set to the table. Opposing defenses will be getting a different look every few minutes. The Cards can crush you with size, or they can go small and play fast while terrorizing you with three or four must-guard shooters on the floor.
Given the age, talent, size and depth on this roster, last year’s No. 8 seed for the NCAA Tournament should be the floor for Louisville. The ceiling? Well, that’s where they hang banners, and Louisville is absolutely talented enough to hang some in 2025-26.
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