Louisville basketball was unfortunately bounced in the first round last week to Creighton in an 89-75 battle. The Cardinals made their first appearance in March Madness since 2019 but have been seeking their first March Madness victory since 2017.
The Cardinals took a tremendous step forward this season and shattered multiple program records. Louisville's 18 conference wins are now the most in a single season. The Cards are expected to keep this winning mentality into next year but also break their eight-year NCAA Tournament win drought.
The Cardinals nation is excited to be back in the mix for a National Championship and believes they are here to stay. Well, we agree and decided to list five glaring reasons Louisville basketball will be back in the NCAA Tournament next year.
5 reasons Louisville basketball will be back in the NCAA Tournament next year
5. Pat Kelsey
This one is quite simple. Pat Kelsey is a certified winner. Louisville basketball will be in great hands, as the ACC Coach of the Year is a certified winner and will bring this program back to the Big Dance. The Cardinals' head coach has won over 70 percent of the games as a head coach and has made five NCAA Tournaments.
Kelsey brought history and life to this Louisville program last year and will look to elevate it to the next level next year. The Cardinal's head coach is determined to bring a title back to Louisville, and the pure passion and energy he brings to his coaching are just a couple of reasons why he will get the Cardinals back to March Madness.
Louisville won 18 ACC games, a program record last season, and made a trip to their first ACC Tournament title. The Cardinals will have to replace some valuable pieces, but Kelsey has shown multiple times in his head coaching tenure that he will find a way to win.
Louisville basketball is back, and a lot has to do with Pat Kelsey. The Cardinals are here to stay, and Kelsey will ensure they are back in the Big Dance next year.
4. Louisville basketball set to go all-in
Louisville basketball is losing some crucial starters in Chucky Hepburn, Terrence Edwards Jr., and Reyne Smith. Those three players led the Cardinals in scoring and scored over half of their points per game.
While that will be hard to replace, the Cardinals are reported to be set to go all-in this spring and spend millions of dollars on the spring transfer portal. On3 reported last week that Lousiville will spend between $8-$10 million on the transfer portal.
This crazy amount of money can be used for stars or their glaring weakness: depth. Louisville is already in talks with the No. 1 recruit, Josh Dix, who would be a perfect replacement for Smith. The Cardinals spending this much money on the transfer portal will be a clear reason why Louisville should have full expectations of playing in the NCAA Tournament in 2026.
3. The ACC
Louisville should be a force to be reckoned with for many years in the ACC. The ACC had a down year this year, and the Cardinals entirely took advantage of that. Louisville secured 18 conference wins, which is a program's best, and will look to carry that into next year.
This year, only four ACC teams made the NCAA Tournament, and three of those teams lost in the first round. Louisville looks to dominate this conference for the second year in a row. Louisville secured 16 ACC wins last season by double-digits, including six wins by 20 points or more.
The Cardinals' will look to be a top team in the conference next year, and with the roster they have set for the 2025-26 season, there is no reason this team shouldn't be right back in the ACC Tournament Championship game.
2. The Cardinals' returning players
The Cardinals may be losing some key players, but they have also brought back valuable players. It is uncertain who will all come back as the transfer portal just opened up today, but now, the Cardinals will bring back J'Vonne Hadley, Kaseasn Pryor, Khani Rooths, James Scott, and Koren Johnson.
Louisville basketball lost Pryor and Johnson to an injury early into the season, but they showed great potential on the court. Pryor played seven games and averaged 12 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. Johnson only played two games and didn't really get to show his full potential, but the year prior with Washington, he averaged 11.1 points, 2.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 37.7 percent from downtown.
Then, of course, we all know what J'Vonne Hadley, James Scott, and Khani Rooths bring. Hopefully, all three will return and not hit the portal. Hadley will bring experience to this team that they will need, as last year he was the team's leading rebounder with 7.3 rebounds per game, while he also averaged 12.2 points per game. Scott is one of the league's biggest lob threats and will be a great duo with Mikel Brown Jr, as the 5-star commit and the Cardinals' center will connect on monster lobs all season. Rooths will continue to grow as a player and be a sophomore next year. He was a 4-star recruit and showed glaring potential. He will look to play more confidently on the court next year.
1. Louisville's elite star
This year, the Cardinals landed a historic commitment as Mikel Brown Jr. will play in a Louisville basketball uniform next season. Brown is the second-highest commitment in Louisville basketball history as he is ranked No. 6 in the nation, No. 1 overall point guard, and is already projected to be a top-10 draft pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Brown's high school accolades are among the best in the nation. Last summer, he secured a gold medal for Team USA at the FIBA AmeriCup. He started every game and averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game.
The 6-foot-4 point guard out of Daytona Beach averaged an impressive 23.5 points per game when he played for Team Loaded at the Adidas 3SSB circuit. He would then play for DME Academy and pop-off and average a career-best 29.6 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.1 rebounds per game, shooting 62.7% from the field and 61.5% from the 3-point line.
Brown has the full potential to not only lead this team to their second straight NCAA Tournament but to lead this team to a Final Four run. Louisville basketball will be in great hands with this unanimous 5-star recruit.
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason, stay tuned.