Louisville basketball’s 2025-26 season comes to an end as the Cardinals lost Saturday afternoon to the Michigan State Spartans in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament. Louisville will now turn its attention to the Transfer Portal, as Pat Kelsey and company will try to rebuild this roster after losing quite a few key players.
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When Louisville fans look at the roster they have right now and start previewing who they will lose, they will realize they have a lot to replace. The Cardinals are going to lose four starters and multiple key bench players, but it is worth noting which players they should try to keep and avoid entering the Transfer Portal.
So, with the season over and the Transfer Portal just around the corner, here are three players Pat Kelsey and Louisville must bring back next season.
Vangelis Zougris
Entering the season, Vangelis Zougris was someone many fans might not have had high expectations for, but towards the end of the season, he proved he is someone Louisville wants on their team next season. He didn’t get a ton of minutes this year, but towards the end of the regular season, he took the starting spot from Sananda Fru and was the physical center the Cardinals desperately needed.
Coming over from Greece, Zougris averaged 2.4 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 54.5 percent from the floor in his first season with the Cardinals. Now, with fans' expectations and the standard being to compete for an ACC Title and a spot in the Final Four, Zougris most likely isn’t Louisville’s dream starting center for next season, but the Cardinals should do what they can to keep him and have him come off the bench in 2026.