Virginia Transfer Guard Isaac McKneely Commits to Louisville

Pat Kelsey and the Louisville men's basketball program have done it again.

Former Virginia guard Isaac McKneely, a top-ten transfer currently available in the portal, announced Thursday that he has committed to the Cardinals.

McKneely is the third transfer to commit to the Cardinals this cycle, joining Kennesaw State guard Adrian Wooley and Xavier guard Ryan Conwell. All three players recently took visits to UofL's campus.

The 6-foot-4, 195 pound guard, who opted to transfer following the sudden retirement of head coach Tony Bennett back in October, ranks as the No. 9 player in the portal per the On3 Industry ranking.

McKneely played out the 2024-25 season under interim head coach Ron Sanchez, and was one of the best players in the ACC. Starting in all 32 games for the Cavaliers, he averaged 14.4 points, 2.9 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game, while also shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 42.1 percent on three-point attempts.

Not only did he lead the Hoos in scoring, his three-point shooting percentage led the ACC, while his made (101) and attempted (240) threes trailed only Louisville's own Reyne Smith for best in the league. He earned an All-ACC honorable mention for his efforts.

A former four-star prospect coming out of college, the Poca, W. Va. native played in every game for UVA as a true freshman, then became a regular starter as a sophomore. During his three seasons in Charlottesville, McKneely totaled 1,089 points, 259 rebounds and 169 assists.

The portal opened last week, and Louisville has already seen some roster movement into it, as guard Koren Johnson officially entered on Friday. As it currently stands, head coach Pat Kelsey and his staff now have four open scholarships for the 2025-26 season, although that could change depending on a trio of upcoming decisions.

The Cardinals are still in the running for five-star 2025 prospect Nate Ament, plus current Cards J'Vonne Hadley and Kasean Pryor each have an extra year of eligibility, but have yet to announce if they will use them.

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.

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