Louisville Men's Basketball 2025-26 Roster Outlook 2.0

We might be just over a week away from the Kentucky Derby, but it's never too early to take a glimpse into the future and look at how the 2025-26 roster for the Louisville men's basketball program could shake out.

There are still a few roster spots left to fill for next season, but the Cardinals are slowly getting closer as to what Team 112 will look like when they lace 'em up for the first time.

Departures and Arrivals

Since our last roster update back on Apr. 4, there actually have not been a ton of moving pieces involving either players outright leaving the program or new players entering the fold. That being said, there were still a few roster decisions that took place during these last few weeks.

Namely, guard/forward J'Vonne Hadley announced back on Apr. 9 that he would be returning to the Cardinals, while forward Kasean Pryor did so this past Tuesday - which was the final day of college basketball's transfer window. Both are fifth-year seniors, but had the option of getting one more year of eligibility thanks to the Diego Pavia ruling.

However, the was some portal action during this time, just not in Louisville's favor. In the final few hours before the portal officially closed, center James Scott was able to submit his name. Additionally, walk-ons Patrick Antonelli and Cole Sherman also opted to find a new school.

That all being said, Louisville has still done a good job in the portal up to this point. They're bringing in Xavier guard Ryan Conwell, Virginia guard Isaac McKneely and Kennesaw State guard Adrian Wooley, all of whom are top-20 players in the portal as of this writing, according to the On3 Industry ranking.

In their 2025 recruiting class, they're bringing in Daytona Beach (Fla.) DME Academy point guard Mikel Brown Jr. and German forward/center Sananda Fru, who are five- and four-star prospects in the cycle. They lost out on the recruitment of five-star forward Nate Ament, who is heading to Tennessee, but there are rumors there could be another international prospect added to the fold here.

Given all the roster moves that have taken place since the end of the 2024-25 season, Louisville currently sports a 10-man roster for year two under head coach Pat Kelsey. This leaves Kelsey and Co. with three open scholarships at their disposal.

Projected Depth Chart

Given all that we know now about the current state of Louisville's roster, below is an early look into what the depth chart next year could look like:

*mobile users can scroll left and right on the tables below*

Probable Starting Rotation

Depth Chart by Position

It's not hyperbole to say that Louisville will have one of the best backcourts in all of college basketball next season, if not the best. They have four elite level guards, and they all do something just a little bit different. Like we saw during the McDonald's All-American Game, Brown is one of the best passers in high school regardless of class, and can also score at a high level as well - especially the three. As for Wooley, who was a First-Team All-C-USA selection as a true freshman, he is an incredibly athletic and crafty finisher around the rim, but also provides some elite level three-point shooting, and to an extent playmaking capabilities with his passing. With Conwell, who earned Third-Team All-Big East honors, he also excels at getting to the paint, but does it with his ability to play through contact vs. trying to blaze right past it. And of course, he's also very adept at the three ball. That being said, McKneely, an All-ACC honorable mention, is without a doubt the best three-point shooter currently on the roster, and will essentially be this season's Reyne Smith. But considering he's just okay at creating his own shot, he probably comes off the bench in what currently is likely goin to be a three-guard starting lineup. While Brown will get the bulk of the ball-handling responsibilities, don't count out Kobe Rodgers' abilities whenever Brown has to catch his breath. He was the starting point guard Kelsey's final team at Charleston, and he can bring a lot to the table in terms of playmaking ability - whether that's scoring or passing.

The wing was previously Louisville's most thin spot on the roster, but it received an incredible boost with Hadley opting to return. Despite not even being close to the tallest player on last year's team, he was without a doubt their best back-to-back offensive option, and he led the team in rebounding, excelling on both sides of the court in this area. Additionally, he also provided some underrated three-point shooting, and was quiet but solid defender. While a bit undersized for the role, Conwell has the physicality to be able to handle it, although he's not much of a slasher. In this aforementioned role, that would likely go to Rooths. However, he's going to have to take a step forward. While he showed flashes of how high his ceiling can be as a true freshman, he'll have to become much more consistent with it. Louisville might not have as many true wings as they do guards, but they're still in good shape here.

Down in the front court, given the current roster makeup, the Cardinals will likely start just one big man given the wealth of options they have in the back court and at the wing. Of course, that always has the potential to change. Of their three options here, the best one right now is Pryor. While it was a small sample size at this level last season, he demonstrated great ability around the rim, and showcased good things defensively and as a rebounder. You'd like for him to get off to a better start when it comes to three-point shooting, though. The main question here is how he will bounce back after suffering a torn ACL. But considering the injury occurred very early in the season, he's already very far along in the recovery process. You could also employ a two-big lineup with Khalifa. It's well established that he is one of the best passing big men in all of college basketball, and while we doesn't give off "stretch four" vibes, he's hit almost 100 threes in his career. Then you take into account how he has transformed his physique, and he'll be able bang bodies down low as well. The wildcard here is Fru. He's a lot more mobile than you would expect from a big man, has great touch on his shot, and has a relentless and physical motor. How will playing overseas translate to the college basketball? Time will tell, but there is a lot to like with his game, and the staff is incredibly high on him.

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