The transfer portal is officially here, and it is difficult to keep track of everyone who is entering it.
Everyone's phones are blowing up, and they are trying to follow along with who Pat Kelsey has reached out to, who is leaving, etc. So far, the Cardinals have been linked with many elite players, such as Josh Dix, Nick Davidson, Brock Harding, and Isaac McKneely.
While some players could enter the transfer portal, it is also crucial that Kelsey can get some key players to return to Louisville and represent the University of Louisville next season.
5 key players who will play for Louisville basketball next season
It is never 100 percent who will return for Louisville next season, but we will predict five key players who will most likely return for next season. Here is a brief rundown of five key players who will play for Louisville basketball next season under Pat Kelsey.
5. Sananda Fru
Louisville basketball landed a massive recruit back in February. Sananda Fru committed to Louisville after playing in Germany for Löwen Braunschweig. The 6-foot-11 forward will be a crucial piece in this lineup next season and will help solve the Cardinal depth issue from last season.
Fru averaged 12.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game last season while shooting nearly 75 percent from the field. The elite forward from overseas will bring tremendous experience, having competed in the U20 Euro Championships in 2022 and 2023.
Fru put up impressive stat lines, averaging 7.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 2022. However, in 2023, he increased his role, averaging 8.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in the Euro Championships.
However, the future Cardinal's best performance came in the FIBA Europe Cup, where he averaged 15.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting nearly 70 percent from the floor.
Fru will likely be a key piece off the bench next season for Pat Kelsey. His ability to play at a high level on offense and defense will make him a great backup to James Scott.
4. Aly Khalifa
Aly Khalifa transferred in from BYU but couldn't play last season due to a knee injury. The 6-foot-11 forward will provide much-needed depth to the roster and could be valuable off the bench.
After his body transformation, this center went viral in the middle of the season. Khalifa lost 50 pounds and looks like an absolute beast. He will likely come off the bench next season for Kelsey and look to pick up from his 2023 season with Charleston. He earned the 2022 Conference USA Freshman of the Year with Charlotte after averaging 7.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting 51.1 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from beyond the arc.
During his time at BYU, he averaged 5.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.0 assists. Kelsey will need to get the rust off Khalifa at the beginning of the season, but the Cardinals' center could be a valuable piece off the bench that can spread the court out and be trustworthy for solid minutes.
Khalifa is a type of player Kelsey needed towards the end of the season. Someone who could come off the bench and spread the floor for their guards but also get dirty in the paint. He has potential to be a key piece next season off the bench.
3. James Scott
It would be really hard to imagine James Scott leaving Louisville after all the praise Pat Kelsey has given him. Kelsey has said Scott is one of the biggest gym rats on the team and loves the game of basketball.
Scott could still hit the transfer portal, but we predict the Cardinals forward will return to the team next season and take a massive step in the right direction. Scott is 6-foot-11, 220 pounds, and made it clear last season he is one of the hardest workers on the team.
The elite two-way forward is an elite lob threat, as he secured over 60 dunks and 30 blocks last season. He averaged 7.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.9 blocks while shooting over 75 percent from the field.
Scott stepped up big time when Kasean Pryor went down for Louisville and demonstrated the next man up mentality. Kelsey brought this forward over with him from Charleston, which is another reason why it would be hard to imagine Louisville letting this key piece from last year leave.
2. J'Vonne Hadley
A name that fans don't want to see in any report is J'Vonne Hadley. The Cardinals' 6-foot-6 guard was one of their best players last season and stepped up big time when his name was called. Hadley had a career-high 32-point performance over Clemson early in the season and would continue to be one of the Cardinal's top scorers every game.
Hadley could hit the transfer portal, but it is hard to imagine he leaves after this successful season. He averaged 12.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists while shooting 51.8 percent from the floor and 38.1 percent from downtown. The senior guard is an elite defender and scorer and has the strength to back his defenders down and score an easy bucket.
He would bring veteran leadership and great experience to this young team next year and be a clear leader on and off the court. Yes, Louisville is expected to land some key players in the transfer portal, but it is hard to imagine Hadley's role would be affected enough to make him leave Kelsey and the Cardinals.
1. Mikel Brown Jr.
Louisville basketball's best player on the 2025-26 roster is, of course, their 5-star commit, Mikel Brown Jr. The McDonald's All-American guard is projected to be a top 10 NBA Draft pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Brown will bring international experience to the Cardinals' roster, having won gold at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup. Next year, the Cardinals' point guard will start every game for Team USA, where he averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game.
The 6-foot-3 point guard is ranked as a unanimous 5-star recruit and is the unanimous No. 1 point guard in the class of 2026 and is even ranked as high as the No. 6 recruit in the class. Brown has shown his potential in high school, and he is one of the best scorers in the nation. The future Cardinal can handle the pace of the game but can also drive and attack the rim while being a threat from downtown.
Last season with DME Academy, he averaged nearly 30 points per game at 29.6 while shooting an insane split of 62 percent from the floor and the field. Brown will look to secure the Cardinals' first NCAA Tournament win since 2019, and has stated he wants to get Louisville basketball's culture back.
Kelsey has done a great job of bringing life back to this program, but now the next step is to advance in the tournament. Louisville basketball fans hope to bring in some massive recruits this offseason, as well as Nate Ament next week.
It isn't certain that these five players will all return, but we are pretty confident in our prediction that they will. Some key players, such as Kasean Pryor, Khani Rooths, and Koren Johnson, aren't on this list because we are not sure if they will stay or enter the transfer portal at this time. Brown and Fru will definitely be on the team next year, and we predict Khalifa, Scott, and Hadley will all return to Pat Kelsey for the 2025-26 season.
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason, stay tuned.