2. Newcomers to the rivalry
The Wildcats secured the No.1 ranked prospect in the state of West Virginia back in May. Braydon Hawthorne is a 6-foot-8 forward out of Huntington Prep. Hawthorne got an offer from Duke and his home state, West Virginia, but chose Kentucky basketball. He is a do-it-all forward with a 7-3 wingspan. Hawthorne will be a key name to watch in this game and could give the Cardinals trouble with his length. The forward averaged 23.5 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in his senior year in high school.
The Wildcats did not stop there; they grabbed their own home state No.1 prospect in Malachi Moreno. He is a 7-foot center with exceptional hands and footwork for a big man. Moreno attended Great Crossing High School, where he averaged 21.5 points, 14.9 rebounds, 3.6 blocks and 3.5 assists in his senior season. He racked up accolades in high school, including being named a McDonald’s All-American and receiving Mr. Kentucky Basketball honors after leading his school to the state title, and was selected for the 2025 USA Basketball U19 National Team.
Jaland Lowe was one of the best players in the portal, and the Wildcats snagged him from Pitt. Lowe led his team in scoring with an average of 16.8 points per game. He was one of eight players in Division I to average at least 16.5 points, 4 rebounds and 5.5 assists. It will be interesting to see if his game will transfer to a blue blood. Lowe could cause problems for the Cardinals with his pure scoring ability and the ease with which he gets to the line.
Now, for the newcomers to Louisville basketball. How can we not start with the man himself, Mikel Brown? He is a 5-star guard with untapped potential. Brown was regarded as one of the best high school players in the nation. He has big shoes to fill not only for the Cardinals but in this rivalry. Brown will be replacing Chucky Hepburn as the lead guard for Louisville basketball.
Ryan Conwell is a transfer from Xavier. He was one of the best shooters in the Big East last season. He averaged 16.5 points a game while shooting 41.4 percent from three-point range. Conwell made 99 three-pointers on the season and was named third-team All-Big East Conference. This is huge for Louisville basketball because they lost their sniper, Reyne Smith, in the offseason. Not only will Conwell be an excellent substitute for his three-point shooting, but he can also take defenders one-on-one. He will be able to stretch out the Wildcats' defense.
Adrian Wooley was a pure bucket getter in his first year at Kennesaw State. He averaged almost 19 points per game, with multiple games of 25 plus. Wooley can shoot the ball but can also finish at the rim. He is a pain to play for opposing teams. And on top of that, Louisville got one of the best shooters in the nation with Isaac McKneely and multiple elite forwards like Sananda Fru.