5 Louisville Cardinals with the most to prove in the 2025-2026 basketball season

These Louisville Cardinals enter the college basketball season with high expectations, as well as some question marks, on the extent to which their presence will impact the upcoming basketball season.
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3. Ryan Conwell, G

Coach Kelsey made considerable waves in the transfer portal recruiting world immediately after the portal opened at season’s end earlier this year, pulling in 3 of the top graded shooting guards available in the portal. Senior guard Ryan Conwell has stood out early as a leader in the backcourt and is seen as one of the potential leading scorers throughout the season. Conwell was also awarded preseason All-ACC 1st team honors alongside freshman point guard Mikel Brown Jr. 

With these high expectations comes the pressure of living up to the hype. The former Xavier guard posted awe-inspiring numbers last season, including 16.5 points per game and a 41% 3-point shooting percentage. The question will soon become: Is Conwell the go-to guy in the backcourt when a score is needed? How will Conwell’s minutes coincide with newcomers Isaac McKneely and Adrian Wooley to ensure all parties are being utilized to their full potential? Having many weapons to choose from is definitely a good problem to have for coach Pat Kelsey.

Related: Louisville basketball’s forgotten 5-star is about to become a star in 2025-26

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