Louisville Men's Basketball 2025-26 Roster Outlook 3.0

While we might have roughly five-and-a-half months until college basketball makes its triumphant return, 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.

As it currently stands, there are still a couple roster spots left to fill for next season. However, the Cardinals are very close to completing all of their offseason moves, and Team 112 is on the precipice of of being set in stone.

Departures, Arrivals and Updates

It's been nearly a month since our last roster update back on Apr. 23, and for the most part, all's been quiet on the roster construction front. That being said, the last week has been an eventful one for Louisville - for both good and bad reasons.

Last Thursday, center Aly Khalifa had his eligibility waiver denied by the NCAA. Having played three on-court seasons in his allotted five-year eligibility clock, he is seeking to extend his clock so that he may play his fourth and final on-court season. Khalifa/Louisville have filed an appeal, and even retained well-known sports law attorney Darren Heitner. While UofL feels good about the appeal being successful, for the time being, he is currently ineligible to play the 2025-26 season.

While that procedure is ongoing, this past Monday, the Cardinals landed a fresh commitment in 2025 prospect Mouhamed Camara. The 20-year-old Senegalese forward has trained with NBA Academy Africa for the past two years, and averaged 10.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.8 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game in various events for over the past year.

Camara marks the third addition for UofL in the Class of 2025, joining Daytona Beach (Fla.) DME Academy point guard Mikel Brown Jr. and German forward/center Sananda Fru - although the latter has yet to sign. Louisville has six newcomers overall joining the fold for next season, with Xavier guard Ryan Conwell, Virginia guard Isaac McKneely and Kennesaw State guard Adrian Wooley all transferring in as well.

These additions make up for the fact that the Cardinals have seen eight players depart the program this offseason. Frank Anselem-Ibe,, Terrence Edwards Jr., Chucky Hepburn, Reyne Smith, Aboubacar Traore and Noah Waterman all graduated; while Koren Johnson and James Scott both transferred to Ole Miss.

Put it all together, and Louisville currently sports an 11-man roster for year two under head coach Pat Kelsey. While this leaves Kelsey and Co. with two open scholarships at their disposal, the only remaining prospective player that the Cardinals are actively tied to is Greek forward/center Vangelis Zougris.

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:

*Users can scroll left and right on the tables below*

Probable Starting Rotation

Depth Chart by Position

*Currently ineligible for 2025-26 season, pending appeal. Upon a successful appeal, Khalifa's place in the rotation and depth chart will be adjusted appropriately.

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 for Louisville isn't quite as deep as the backcourt, but there are some quality options here. Despite not even being close to the tallest player on last year's team, Hadley 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. Speaking of the slasher role, Camara could eventually develop into an elite one, or even a quality 3&D option. In various NBA Academy events, not only has he flashed upper tier athleticism, his overall feel for the game is at an advanced stage for an overseas prospect - especially on defense. Though his offensive game certainly needs some fine tuning, and he likely won't be expected to take on a big role this year.

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 two currently eligible options, 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. Fru is a little bit more of a wildcard. 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. Regardless, getting Khalifa eligible for the 2025-26 season is incredibly important for depth and production purposes. 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.

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