Louisville basketball is taking over the college basketball world. They have now secured Isaac McKneely, a sharpshooter transfer from Virginia.
Pat Kelsey is working miracles this offseason and is becoming a true magician. Fans dreamed of Mikel Brown Jr. and Isaac McKneely, but no one thought it was possible to land Adrian Wooley, Ryan Conwell, and McKneely this offseason. If they can keep their returning players, Louisville basketball has quickly become one of the nation's deepest rosters.
This commitment will forever change the trajectory of this program, and the Cardinals will quickly become one of the favorites to win the 2026 National Championship.
5 key reasons Isaac McKneely committed to the Louisville Cardinals over Tennessee
It was reported last week that the Cardinals lost some ground on McKneely to the SEC giant, the Tennessee Volunteers. Then the Cardinals landed a 5-star transfer, Wooley, and a 4-star transfer, Conwell, and the Cardinals fans started to think it wasn't possible.
Well, Kelsey proved everyone wrong and went out and struck gold. It might come as a shock to some why McKneely would pick Louisville over Tennessee, but we will break down five glaring reasons why Isaac McKneely committed to the Louisville Cardinals over the Tennessee Volunteers.
5. Kelsey has formed one of best backcourts in college basketball
Pat Kelsey has now landed two 5-star guards and two 4-star guards. Mikel Brown Jr. and Adrian Wooley will look to be an explosive duo as both 5-star recruits can drive and score but also be lethal shooters. Brown will be the Cardinals' starting point guard next season, as the McDonald's All-America 3-point champion is projected as a top 10 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Wooley averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 42 percent from downtown last season for Kennesaw State. Two 4-stars will now join these two 5-stars in Ryan Conwell and Isaac McKneely.
Conwell averaged 16.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while knocking down 45 percent of his shots from the field and 41.3 percent from beyond the arc. Now, Kelsey adds McKneely to this rotation, and these four guards will make crazy lineups that will be nearly unstoppable.
McKneely picking the Cardinals over the Volunteers was a choice he made, as he will now be a part of a lethal lineup. The starting rotation will be hard to choose, but even if he comes off the bench to start, he will get valuable minutes, and now that he is a part of this explosive lineup, he will have more open looks.
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