How Has Louisville Dominated the Transfer Portal?
Since arriving at the University of Louisville, head coach Pat Kelsey had one job: revitalizing Louisville basketball. The program struggled greatly to start the decade, not having a 20-plus win season from 2021 to 2024, including a four-win season in 2022-23. They went through three different coaches, with 14 players entering the transfer portal during the same stretch. Kelsey faced a significant challenge, with the pressure of reviving one of college basketball’s more iconic programs. The former Charleston coach hit the portal, crafting a roster to his liking that resulted in their most successful season since Rick Pitino in 2015. After going 27-8, they finished second in the ACC and snagged the eighth seed in March Madness. After getting bounced early, Kelsey returned to the portal, dominating it since the offseason began.
It’s no secret that the outcome of this March Madness was based on the success of programs in the transfer portal. Florida mastered the development and cultivation of talent, resulting in their National Championship. Kelsey has successfully begun replicating that formula in his second offseason running the show. Losing your leading scorers, Terrence Edwards Jr and Chucky Hepburn, stings. However, they were inevitably going to leave, running out of eligibility. Maintaining the current roster and chemistry was imperative for replicating another successful season. So far, only one player, the injured Koren Johnson, has entered the portal. Their third-leading scorer, wing J’Vonne Hadley, recently announced his return for a fifth season. Physical big James Scott, infamous for his Hannibal Lector-like mask, was retained and will continue to play as a key role player for the Cards. Kasean Pryor only played seven games before tearing his ACL, averaging 12 points and six rebounds. His spark on the defensive end will be essential for Louisville, as they finished this past season as a below-average defensive team, based on their 101.3 defensive rating. Aly Khalifa was known at BYU for his unique, playmaking skills for a big and redshirted last season for the Cards. Khalifa rounds out Louisville’s talented big-man rotation, allowing the Cards to run different sets with his added versatility. However, their retained talent is just the supporting cast. The real stars have come through the portal.
According to 247 Sports, Louisville’s transfer class is the best in the country. At some point, all three commits were considered the top 10 players in the portal. However, this wasn’t just picking up highly touted names for the sake of it; it was a calculated effort to add as many efficient shooters as possible. One of Louisville’s weaknesses last season was its lack of three-point shooting, ranked at 244th in the country, shooting 32.8 percent. Kelsey needed more firepower from deep to take the next step up as a program and continue to win. The three players recruited shot an average of 41.9 percent from deep last season. The first commit, Ryan Conwell from Xavier, was an All-Big East team member last season, averaging 16.5 points a night. Conwell is a multifaceted, scoring lefty with a smooth jumper off the catch and bounce. Combo Guard freshman Adrian Wooley may become a cornerstone of the program. Without a doubt, he’ll be a primary scorer next season. His finishing game is impressive, as he can hit various shots around the rim with or without finesse. Additionally, he sees the floor exceptionally well and has only improved as a decision-maker. The final member of the transfer trio, Isaac McKneely, will stay in the conference, coming from Virginia. McKneely was one of the few bright spots in Virginia’s regular season, and his departure was destiny. Throughout his career, he’s been a dead-eye shooter who thrives off-ball, weaponizing pin-downs and sharp cuts to create open threes. McKneely is well-disciplined on the defensive end, with his main limitation being his lack of athleticism. Guard play has always prevailed in college basketball, and the Cardinal’s backcourt is armed to the teeth with sharpshooters.
Adding multiple high-level transfers is a major win but poses a potential risk among recruits. Mikel Brown Jr, a five-star point guard, could’ve decommitted and chosen a program where he’d be a guaranteed starter. However, he doubled down on his commitment, seeing Kelsey’s vision and buying into their national title aspirations. Kelsey also strayed away from wings in the portal, as the fourth highest-ranked recruit, Nate Ament, has yet to commit and is considering Louisville. The long lanky forward would have a clear path to minutes, filling a positional gap with a playstyle that aligns with Kelsey’s system. Even if the Cards strike out on Ament, the portal is ever-growing with talent and pieces easily fitting into Louisville’s reimagined program.
