Transfer portal season is in full-swing in college basketball, and the Louisville Cardinals are the biggest winners so far. Head coach Pat Kelsey worked wonders in his first season in Kentucky, but after a disappointing loss to Creighton in the NCAA Tournament’s opening round, Louisville is determined to reload and come back better next season. College basketball’s top transfer portal class so far belongs to Kelsey’s Cardinals.
Pat Kelsey’s Louisville Cardinals Have Some Big Names to Replace
Pat Kelsey’s debut season with the Louisville Cardinals was a tremendous success. After the program won just 12 games over the course of the previous two seasons, Kelsey guided Louisville to a 27-8 record that included 18 conference wins. They were ranked as high as 10th in the nation, and had a resume that was stronger than their 8-seed in the NCAA Tournament indicated.
Despite a poor performance in March Madness that led to an early exit, Kelsey’s accomplishments in his first season at the helm deserve to be celebrated. That being said, Kelsey will now have the challenge of replacing some key players on the roster who are out of eligibility and will not be back next year.
There is no shortage of talent departing the program next year, including the team’s top two scorer Chucky Hepburn and Terrence Edwards Jr., as well as key players Reyne Smith and Noah Waterman.
Hepburn’s 16.4 points per game and nearly 6 assists per will be a massive void in the team next season. While the former Wisconsin guard was regarded as the team’s best player, Edwards Jr.’s nearly 17 a game led the team in that category. These over 32 ppg do not even factor in Smith’s 13 a game on 38% from three, and Waterman’s excellent contributions as a spacing big man.
Louisville Has Already Added Several Top Players in the Transfer Portal
Kelsey has made the most of the early stages of the transfer portal and has already added some intriguing talent.The biggest name in the list is 5-star prospect Adrian Wooley. The former Kennesaw State combo guard scored 18.8 points per game last season on over 51% from the floor and 42% from three. Wooley was one of the top mid-major scoring guards in the portal, and is now set to be Louisville’s leading man.
Also at the guard position is new arrival Ryan Conwell. Last season at Xavier, Conwell was second on the team in points per game (16.5), third in assists (2.1), and first on the team in three-point percentage on a minimum of 35 attempts (41.2%).
The latest name in the list is former Virginia Cavaliers guard Isaac McKneeley. A three-point marksman with a big frame, McKneely has no relation to UConn star Liam McNeely but is still one of the top talents in the ACC that is now on its way to one of the conference’s top squads.
NEWS: Virginia transfer Isaac McKneely – arguably the best shooter in the portal – has committed to Louisville, his agent Drew Kelso told ESPN. McKneely made 233 career 3s in 3 seasons at UVA, on a 42% clip.
Pat Kelsey is assembling a potential Final Four squad in Louisville. pic.twitter.com/V9XrLfRG35
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 3, 2025
The three-point shooting Kelsey is adding to the roster makes Louisville a threat to anyone in the ACC and beyond. Their top-ranked transfer class gives them a fantastic shot to make a big run next year. Louisville will likely enter next season as one of the teams with the most expectations, and the talent they’ve assembled in addition to one of the hottest young coaches makes them a threat to live up to them.
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