Louisville basketball enters year two of the Pat Kelsey Era looking to seize momentum with a competitive NIL budget in its arsenal. A comprehensive list of players the Cards have spoken with.
The portal is officially closed, and there have been more than 2000 D-1 players put their name into the portal.
Unlike last season, the Cards come into 2025 with a solid foundation of players expected to return. This list should now be set in stone:
- Kobe Rodgers – G
- Mikel Brown Jr. – G
- Isaac McKneely – G
- Adrian Wooley – G
- Ryan Conwell – G
- J’Vonne Hadley – F
- Khani Rooths – F
- Kasean Pryor – F/C
- Aly Khalifa – C
- Sananda ‘Sunny’ Fru – C
A new bill was recently signed into action that is expected to allow NCAA men’s basketball teams to have 15 scholarship players, two more than the 13 currently allotted. So, it looks like the staff could add up to fivemore scholarship players. I’m guessing they will look to add 1 more impact player to the roster.
Now that we’ve got the framework of the roster sorted out, let’s take a look at who the Cards have reached out to, so far.
Another reminder from last year, this list is HUGE, and we will miss/move on from 90+% of these players. So don’t worry when guys choose other schools. There’s 2000+ guys to choose from.
Committed to Louisville basketball
Adrian Wooley – G, Kennesaw State (6-5, 180 Lbs.)
The Cards made the biggest splash possible to begin transfer portal season by landing one of just three 5-star rated transfers in the portals (Via 24/7 Sports).
This time last year, Adrian Wooley was just your run of the mill 3-star recruit, ranking 308th in the Class of 2024 and only holding offers from teams like Arkansas State, Florida Gulf Coast, and George Mason. Fast forward 365 days later and he’s now a top five player in the transfer portal.
The 6-5 combo guard was almost immediately the Owls best player. The freshman started 32/33 games for Kennesaw State and led them in points, steals, assists, and three point shooting. Wooley put up 18.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, and 1.4 SPG. That was good enough to not only land him Conference USA (C-USA) Rookie of the Year but also on the C-USA First Team, as a true freshman.
This kid has so much to his game. It makes you wonder how he ended up as a player ranked outside of the top-300 in his class. Wooley truly can score at all three levels, and he does so very efficiently. Exactly half of his shots come at the rim, where he shoots 60%. He’s also a shooter, as well. He ranks in the top 7% of all college basketball players as a spot-up shooter, and he’s in the top 25% as an off the dribble jump shooter.
Ability to attack the rim? Check… Ability to score in the mid-range? Check… Ability to knock down three point shots? Check. And all of this comes in a 6-5 frame.
After watching Wooley’s tape, he’s by far the best player Louisville has reached out to. It’s amazing that Louisville basketball got his first visit and was able to get this Tuscaloosa native away from Alabama and Auburn.
— Adrian Wooley (@WooleyAdrian) March 31, 2025
Wooley will slide in perfectly at the two guard next to Mikel Brown. Heck, I think he could even play the three if we ended up landing Isaac Mckneely, as well. He’s got an excellent ability to get into the paint where he can hit contested jumpers, well-defended layups, or find the open man. If there is one knock to Wooley’s game, it’s that he turned the ball over more than three times a game, but I think that’s understandable when you’re the go-to-guy at Kennesaw State as a true freshman.
Pat Kelsey could not have gotten Louisville’s transfer portal class off with a bigger bang. I expect this Wooley commitment to create a bit of snowball effect where other top ranked transfers want to join him at Louisville.
Ryan Conwell – G, Xavier (6-4, 195 Lbs.)
You know what’s better than having one Top-20 transfer portal commit? Two.
The Indiana Native has had quite the college basketball journey in his first three seasons. He began his career a lower ranked three star recruit with offers from schools like Evansville, Ball State, and Eastern Illinois. Eventually, he committed to the University of South Florida, where he actually had a pretty solid freshman season. Brian Gregory was fired as USF’s head coach after Conwell’s freshman season.
After one season as a Bull, Conwell hit the portal and decided to transfer to Indiana State and play under Josh Schertz. With the Sycamores, Conwell was their second best player, only behind Cream Abdul-Jabar (Robbie Avila). Conwell put up 16.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 2.5 APG, while shooting 41% from three on 7.1 3PAs P/G. Even after a really strong season at Indiana State, Conwell decided to transfer again, after head coach Josh Schertz took a job at Saint Louis.
Conwell decided to transfer up to Xavier after a successful sophomore season in the Metro Valley Conference. Some wondered if his game would translate to a higher level of competition, and it certainly did. Conwell averaged a near identic stat line while at Xavier: 16.5 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 2.5 APG, while shooting 41% from three on more than 7.1 3PAs P/G. Nearly everything translated the same with the step up in competition.
After receiving a spot on the All-Big East Third Team, and seeing his head coach take the Texas job, Conwell is in the portal again, for the third time in three seasons. I do want to say I oftentimes get concerned whenever I see guys looking for their fourth school in four years, but Conwell is understandable. Conway has lost his head coach in every offseason, so it’s no wonder why he’s changed schools so many times. What hasn’t changed, regardless of school, is Conwell skill and production.
There are two things that stick out to me when watching Conwell. Firstly, he’s got a great jump shot, off the catch and off the dribble. The southpaw is one of only 16 players in all of college basketball to make 99+ threes last season. Conwell is also a top 2% shooter off of the catch and shoot. Secondly, he’s really strong for a player of his size. This can be seen by his 55% field goal percentage when shooting at the rim. Conwell does a great job of getting contact in the paint (3.9 FT’s P/G) for a guy that is primarily known as a three point shooter.
The last thing that stuck out to me was Conwell’s ability to be a facilitator as an off-guard. The lefty has averaged exactly 2.5 APG in back-to-back seasons. He isn’t someone I would consider an elite playmaking guard, but creating for teammates is something he can bring to the table.
I do feel like his game, and the role he’d fit in at Louisville, is a little redundant to that of Isaac McKneely’s. Both great off the catch and shoot, but I think Conwell is better at getting to the basket; while McKneely is better at creating and hitting contested jump shots. I could be wrong, and I hope I am, but I don’t see us landing both Conwell and McKneely.
Isaac McKneely – G, Virginia (6-4, 190 Lbs.)
McKneely finshes off a trio of transfer portal guards that Pat Kelsey landed early in the portal. Cards fans should easily be able to picture McKneely filling the Reyne Smith role.
Isaac McKneely, a 6-4 combo guard, has spent the last three seasons at Virginia, going from a serviceable guard off the bench in his freshman year, to their primary ball handler, facilitator, and scorer this past season.
This year, with more of the offense running through him, McKneely not only set career records for points, steals, and assists per game, but he was also a more efficient player.
McKneely put up a career best 14.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 2.9 APG, while shooting 44% from the field and 42% from the three point line (ON 7.5 THREE POINT ATTEMPTS PER GAME). That’s some Reyne Smith level of shooting right there, and that’s exactly who McKneely would be coming into replace.
McKneely’s ability to run off screens and knock down threes, when he has any separation makes, him a perfect fit for Pat Kelsey’s offense, and with Reyne Smith injured over the last few games of the season, we saw how important that knockdown shooter is to a PK offensive system.
Beyond the shooting ability, McKneely may actually provide even more than Reyne did last season. Mckneely, standing at 6-4, provides more of the prototypical height of a two-guard, which should allow him to better matchup on the defensive end.
Mckneely is also a good facilitator, averaging just under three assists per game last season for a Virginia team that played very slow and struggled to score the ball. Mckneely also nearly averaged a 2-to-1 assist to TO ratio.
I think Mckneely’s ability to shoot is the clear reason why the Cards are interested in bringing him in, but I think his ability to be a secondary playmaker could be just as important. The Cards have Mikel Brown Jr., a top-ten freshman in the nation, slated to be their starting PG, but requiring all of the offense to run through an 18-year-old seems like a bad idea. With McKneely on the floor, Mikel wouldn’t have to bear all of the offense on his shoulders.
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On the radar for Louisville basketball
Evangelos ‘Vangelis’ Zougris – F/C, Peristeri BC (6-8, 249 Lbs.)
The Cards have been linked to a few overseas players, but it seems like Vangelis Zougris is likely to be the one the Cards land. Read below for a detailed bio of Zougris and a breakdown of his game.
Evangelos ‘Vangelis (A nickname for Evangelos)’ Zougris was born in Greece in 2004 and grew up playing soccer a Greek youth academy. He focused on soccer until the age of 14. At age 15, he began his club basketball career. I’m guessing him being absolutely freaking huge had a large part to play in the switch from soccer to basketball.
Though he began playing basketball a little later in his career, Zougris was signed by Peristeri Athens at the age of 17. Peristeri Athens plays in the Greek Basket League (GBL), which is the highest level of professional basketball in Greece. Zougris saw action in seven games in the GBL as a 17-year old.
From 2021-2024, Zougris bounced up and down from Peristeri’s A-team and B-team, playing limited minutes for the A-team, but this last season has seen him step into a much larger role for the A-team. Zougris is averaging 7.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.6 SPG, & 0.6 BPG on 16.9 MPG. Vangelis is primarily coming off the bench for Peristeri, but he did just start for them on May 3rd, putting up 20 points, 5 rebounds, and four assists against Panionios BC.
Zougris has also found a lot of success playing for Greek’s U-20 team. Zougris has been named to the EuroBasket All-Tournament Team in back-to-back years.
Ο Βαγγέλης Ζούγρης έκανε για μία ακόμη φορά κατάθεση ψυχής στο παρκέ, συνδυάζοντάς την με 16 πόντους, 9 ριμπάουντ, 4 ασίστ, 2 κλεψίματα και 3 τάπες! Και… 10 ράμματα!#U20Eurobasket #HellasBasketball
— Hellenic Basketball (@HellenicBF) July 19, 2024pic.twitter.com/mRu9Q6G0ig
So… now that we know a little bit about the player, what is he expected to bring if he signs with the Cards?
To put it succinctly, Zougris looks like a throwback player that would have dominated prior to the invention of the three point line. Zougris is just 6-8, but he plays much larger than that. That is thanks to the fact he is nearly 250 pounds, and he’s got really broad shoulders and long arms.
Zougris game is almost entirely played in the paint. He’s a great hustler, screener, and rebounder. He’s also a really versatile defender. He’s strong enough to hang with almost any bigs (7-footers do give him issues), but he’s also got the foot speed and arm length to guard out on the perimeter.
On the offensive side of the ball, you mainly see Zougris impacting the game as a roller in the pick and roll game, as a cutter in the dunker spot, and as a menace on the offensive glass. He does seem to have developed a little bit of a post-up game, and he is incredibly patient when he gets the ball in the post. I would also label him as an intelligent, but not great, passer.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like he has much of a jump shot. Zougris has yet to make a three pointer in his four years in the GBL. Nearly all of his shots come at the rim as dunks and layups. He does have a decent hook shot and a solid floater he can use up to 10 feet away from the basket.
I thin the defensive end is where you’d see Zougris thrive more. His defensive versatility will allow him to stay in front of all bigs and wings. His athleticism and long arms will also allow him to block shots at an above average rate. His hustle and strength should make him elite at grabbing defensive boards and ending possessions.
Overall, I think this is an interesting addition. For Louisville’s replacement of James Scott, I was hoping we’d grab a rim-protector or a three point shooter that could allow us to play five out. Zougris is an above average rim protector but is the farthest thing from a stretch five.
Despite my initial desires for a different style of player, I do think Zougris would be a solid addition to the team. He should have four years of eligibility, and I think he would come in as the teams best rebounder and possibly most well-rounded defender. I could easily see him coming in and providing 10ish minutes of gritty, hustle plays that get the fans off their feet. Plus, give him a couple of years to develop a jumper, and he could be lethal.
What’s the Latest Buzz?
You won’t find much of anything on Twitter, if you’re looking for posts linking Zougris to the Cards, but from what I have heard, it is very likely he ends up signing with Louisville sometime soon.
Daniel Rivera – F, UMASS (6-6, 210 Lbs.)
Along with a need for another big, Louisville’s other roster hole (if you think we have any) comes in the form of a backup wing. Daniel Rivera would go a long way in filling that hole.
Daniel Rivera, a slashing wing that seems like he would’ve thrived best before the invention of the three point line, has travelled all over the country. From San Juan, PR. to the Bronx, then to Texas, Missouri, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts; Rivera has travelled a ton in the name of basketball.
Rivera began his basketball journey as an unranked recruit in the class of 2021. After playing one season with his older brother at Odessa C.C., Rivera transferred up to the D-1 level to play at St. Louis. Following an impressive freshman year, Rivera expected to play a role for the Bilikens. Unfortunately, a broken foot kept him out all year long and forced him to redshirt.
After sitting out his first year at the division one level, Rivera transferred again. This time, he made a move down to the America East Conference (AEC) to play for Bryant. In his lone season with the Bulldogs, Rivera was very impressive. Rivera started 32/33 games and averaged 13.3 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.2 APG, 2.2 BPG, and 1.0 SPG. Rivera led the AEC in blocks per game and was first in the conference in Defensive Win Shares.
The following season, Rivera hit the portal once again. This time, he found a connection with Frank Martin at UMASS, thanks to their shared first language; Spanish.
With a step up in competition, Rivera’s numbers stayed pretty similar. 11.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.4 BPG, and 1.2 SPG. Rivera did see his field goal percentage drop below 45%, but he also upped his offensive rebounds, grabbing nearly three a game.
BREAKING: Former Bryant F Daniel Rivera is transferring to UMass
— Michael Bergman (@MLBergman_) May 7, 20246-6, 210. 2 yrs remaining. From Puerto Rico
13.3 PTS
8.1 REB
2.2 BLK
50.3 FG%
31.3 MIN (33 GP)
Physical frontcourt anchor for the Minutemen. Incredible motor & rebounder. Ultimate gluy guy@OSLBasketball pic.twitter.com/VMI5xwcSTm
So, what’s not to like about Rivera (outside of him playing at four schools in four years)? He’s athletic, a good defender, a great rebounder, and a solid passer.
…..Unfortunately, Rivera has yet to show any semblance of a jump shot.
Last season, (his best shooting season) Rivera shot just 22.7% from three and 55% from the free throw line. Rivera shoots almost exclusively at the rim. He attempted just 0.8 threes per game last season.
He reminds me a lot of a less lengthy Aboubacar Traore. I know that might not get fans super excited, but Traore had some nice moments off the bench for the Cards, and I think he could’ve had a much bigger impact last season if he hadn’t missed so much time to begin the year.
Just like Traore, Rivera cannot shoot a lick, is an undersized front court player, thrives in transition, passes well, plays great defense, and rebounds the heck out of the ball. Even though he cannot shoot, I think there is a spot for Rivera to fit in on this squad.
I think we ran into issues last year when we had to play Traore with non-shooters. That meant problems when Traore was on the floor with James Scott, Noah Waterman, and Frank Anselem-Ibe. I don’t think that would be nearly as much of an issue this year, as everyone on the roster is an above average to great shooter; outside of Sananda Fru.
What’s the latest buzz?
Rivera hit the portal nearly a month ago, but a list of schools interested just got announced to begin May.
Outside of this Jon Rothstein list, there isn’t much out there on Rivera. Based on the schools reaching out, I would expect Rivera to be looking at a reserve spot; unless he chooses UAB or FAU. He is currently unranked as a prospect. Louisville is certainly the biggest name on this list, but they likely won’t offer the biggest role.
We’ll see how this one plays out
