Louisville Officially Announces Addition of Guard Ryan Conwell

Originally posted on Louisville Cardinals on SI
By Matthew McGavic | Last updated Apr 11, 2025 9:13 AM ET

The Louisville men's basketball program has officially signed former Xavier guard Ryan Conwell, it was announced Friday.

Conwell is the second of the Cardinals' three transfer newcomers for the 2025-26 season to be officially announced. Former Kennesaw State guard Adrian Wooley was inked on Thursday, while former Virginia guard Isaac McKneely has yet to be officially announced.

"Ryan is a pro in every sense of the word on and off the court," head coach Pat Kelsey said in a statement. "One person that we spoke to that was around him for a long time told us he is one of the best humans they've ever worked with. That is powerful praise. He is one of the best all-around guards in the collegiate game. He is a veteran player that has had success everywhere he's been. His efficiency and modern basketball statistics are terrific.

"Card Nation is going to love his bravado and big game, big moment mentality. His leadership qualities bolster an already veteran, mature locker room."

The 6-foot-4, 195-pound guard was one of the top shooters in the Big East this season. Starting all 34 of the Musketeers' games, Conwell averaged 16.5 points per game, while shooting 45.0 from the field, 41.3 on three-point attempts and 82.8 at the free throw line. He also put up 2.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game, earning Third-Team All-Big East honors.

Conwell's three-point percentage ranked third in the conference, while his free throw percentage was fourth and his field goal percentage 10th. Put it all together, and his 61.8 true shooting percentage was third in the Big East, behind only Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner and St. John's' Zuby Ejiofor.

The Indianapolis native spent his true freshman season at South Florida before transferring to Indiana State for the 2023-24 season, and took a massive step forward during his lone season at a Sycamore. He put up 16.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, earning Second-Team All-MVC honors.

Roster construction for next year has been in full swing since the end of the 2024-25 season. Not only is UofL bringing in the three transfers, they are also welcoming a pair of Class of 2025 prospects in five-star guard Mikel Brown Jr. and four-star forward Sananda Fru, and were able to get guard J'Vonne Hadley to return for another season. It makes up for the fact that Louisville is is losing six players to graduation, and guard Koren Johnson to the portal.

Louisville is coming off of a successful year one under head coach Pat Kelsey. The Cardinals went 27-8 overall, winning more games than over the previous three seasons combined, resulting in Kelsey winning ACC Coach of the Year. UofL made their return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 - although it resulted in a first round exit to Creighton.