By Josie Simpson

The Louisville Cardinals men’s basketball team officially tips off its season on Friday, entering what feels like a veritable new era for the program. After the excitement of the 2024–25 season, being dubbed the ReviVILLE, fans are eager to see how this year will unfold.

Revolving door

Louisville lost several core players from a season ago, including graduates Chucky Hepburn, Reyne Smith, Terrence Edwards Jr., Noah Waterman and Aboubacar Traore, along with transfers, James Scott and Koren Johnson.

Hepburn led the ACC in steals and was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year, while Smith broke Louisville’s single-game record for three-pointers with 10 against SMU.

Scott and Johnson both transferred to Ole Miss with Scott being the bigger loss. Scott appeared in all games and shot 75.5% from the floor, finishing third in single-season dunks for Louisville.

Of the returning players, Kasean Pryor was one of the most promising before tearing his ACL on Nov. 29 against Oklahoma. At 6-foot-10 with guard skills, Pryor provided a major mismatch for the Cards.

Aly Khalifa, the 7-foot transfer from BYU, started 26 of 29 games at his former school, before his own ACL tear. He set a BYU single-season record for assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.6-to-1.

Khani Rooths was the lone freshman, appearing in every game last season. Reportedly growing three inches to 6-foot-10 over the summer, Rooths can be a major asset if his consistency in shooting, ball handling and defense improve.

J’Vonne Hadley, the only player to start in every game last season, is returning for a sixth year. Hadley led the team in rebounds with 7.3 per game and shot 51.8% from the field (155-of-299).

But where the hype is coming from is the incoming recruits.

Mikel Brown Jr., a five-star freshman, already has NBA first-round buzz. He had an incredible summer with the FIBA U19 tournament, and is poised to be the starting point guard.

Isaac McKneely, a senior transfer from Virginia, averaged 14.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. Along with Adrien Wooley, a top-10 transfer recruit from Kennesaw State, and Xavier-transfer Ryan Conwell Louisville should easily have the best backcourt in the nation.

Louisville also took the opportunity to bolster their front court with a couple of international recruits.

Standing at 6-foot-8, Vangelis Zougris joins from Peristeri Athens of the Greek Basketball League. There, he shot 65% from the field across four seasons.

Sananda Fru, a four-star prospect from Loewen Braunschweig in Germany’s BBL, is likely the replacement for Scott at the center position.

All the smoke

Louisville has a few must-watch matchups, ducking none of the smoke this upcoming season.

On Jan. 6, the Cards face Duke, one of the ACC’s most consistent competitors. Louisville enters the season ranked No. 11, with Duke ahead at No. 6. Duke’s roster is stacked with five of ESPN’s top 50 recruits and coming off a Final Four appearance.

Virginia is another major test, ranked top five in both The New York Times and USA Today ACC preseason polls. With new head coach Ryan Odom and a revamped roster, they could very well be an unforeseen challenge for Louisville.

Louisville’s non-conference schedule is just as competitive, if not more. The exhibition against No. 19 Kansas Friday will immediately show where this team stands.

The annual rivalry game against Kentucky in November will draw national attention, with both programs ranked highly.

Two major challenges include SEC competitors Arkansas and Tennessee.

Louisville will also renew old rivalries with Cincinnati, their first meeting since 2022, and Memphis for the first time since 2017. These matchups will bring extra energy and fan anticipation.

Louisville has every reason to believe this could be their year. With a healthy roster, strong returning players and some of the best recruits the program has seen in years, the pieces are finally in place for the Cardinals. 

Photo by Vinny Porco / The Louisville Cardinal