About The Louisville Cardinals
Louisville is expected to be highly active in the NCAA transfer portal after showing mild improvement in Pat Kelsey’s second season. The Cardinals got off to a hot start but finished with a 23-11 mark, going 11-7 in ACC play. The Cardinals were bounced in the second round of the NCAA Tournament after being eliminated in the first round in 2025.
Before this year, Louisville hadn’t reached the NCAA Tournament in consecutive seasons since 2013-15. Kelsey, 51-19 with the Cardinals, must replace most of their key players. 6-5 guard Adrian Wooley and Vengelis Zougaris are the only players who haven’t decided on their future. The Cardinals lost six seniors, and freshman sensation Mikel Brown Jr. declared for the NBA draft yesterday.
McDermott, in an earlier Rivals article, said that reserve guard Kaeson Pryor may be granted an eligibility waiver. But his status is currently in the air. Three players have entered the transfer portal: Khani Roots, Sanadra Fru, and Mouhammed Camera have entered the transfer portal,
Who Are The Cardinals’ Other Targets
In yet another McDermott article, he listed several other potential targets for the Cardinals. McDermott said that Kelsey is projected to have around $12 million in NIL money. Liberty transfer Brett Decker and Great Britain point guard Quinn Ellis, who is playing professionally in Italy, are also expected to be among the Cardinals’ other top targets, along with a pair of rising sophomores, power forward Tre Singleton (Northwestern) and Wright State point guard Michael Cooper.
- Quel’Ron House (CG, Eastern Illinois – Sophomore)
- Dedan Thomas Jr. (PG, LSU – Sophomore)
- Miles Byrd (CG, SDSU – Junior)
- Cole Certa (SG, Notre Dame – Sophomore
- Thomas Dowd (PF, Troy – Junior)
- Eian Elmer (SF, Miami (OH) – Senior)
- Blake Buchanan (C, Iowa State – Junior)
- Paulius Murauskas (C, St. Mary’s – Junior)
