Louisville basketball 2025-26 Season Preview: Projected starting lineup, impact players and rotation explored

Pat Kelsey turned around Louisville basketball with an impressive first season. Now he's gearing up for year two and has an impressive roster. Kelsey has been aggressive in the portal and has added a couple of standout freshman stars. Here's a preliminary rundown on the 2025-26 Louisville team that Kelsey will field in the season to come.

Louisville basketball 2025-26 season preview

Point guard recruit Mikel Brown Jr. will be a key component on the 2025-26 Louisville Cardinal team. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

Guard: Mikel Brown Jr.

Brown is one of the top point guard prospects in the 2025 class. 247sports ranks him as the No. 6 national pick and the second-ranked point guard. Brown figures to be a day one starter for the Cardinals. He's an elite scorer, passer, and creator. Brown was a big-time upgrade for Louisville and figures to be the driving force behind the team.

Guard: Adrian Wooley

Wooley is quietly one of the best talents who was in the portal. The 6-foot-5 guard comes from unknown Kenesaw State, but he averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 boards and 3.6 assists per game. He shot 42% from 3-point range and was the Conference USA Rookie of the Year. Wooley is an elite scorer and could be an all-ACC level player for the Cardinals.

Forward: J'Vonne Hadley

The Colorado transfer was a standout for Kelsey's first Louisville squad. Hadley averaged 12.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Hadley shot 38% from 3-point range. The 6-foot-6 Hadley is a capable veteran wing who should be one of the more solid and dependable components on a Louisville team that figures to have a fair amount of gelling to do.

Forward: KeSean Pryor

Pryor was likely to be a big contributor last year, but was sidelined by injury after playing in just seven games. Pryor averaged 12.0 points and 6.1 boards per game. Pryor plugs into the lineup this season. At his best, he'll be an elite wing scorer. Pryor figures to surprise Louisville fans who have forgotten him from his brief cameo appearance last season.

Center: Sananda Fru

Fru is a 6-foot-11 German import. Unlike most freshmen, he'll turn 22 years old in August. He also weighs 245 pounds, so unlike most freshmen, he'll have physical maturity and figures to bring solid post work to the Cardinal frontcourt. Fru is a bit of an unknown, but he projects to be a defensive difference maker with potential to be a significant offensive contributor.

Rotation Players

Louisville figures to have plenty of depth. Virginia transfer Isaac McNeeley is a pure wing shooter who will see significant minutes. Xavier guard Ryan Conwell figures to also play a significant role. Transfer Kobe Rogers could help and raw freshman Mouhamed Camara could grow into a significant role.

Impact Players

A team with this many new players will lean heavily on its point guard. The freshman Brown is expected to be the offensive leader of a talented squad that will need a steady hand at the tiller. Wooley, on the other hand, isn't the public face of the team, but he might be the best player. Those two guards will tell much of the story of this squad.

What do you think of Louisville's 2025-26 team? Share your take on the Cardinals below in our comment section!