Pat Kelsey demonstrated last season that he prefers a fast-paced approach and wants his team to shoot from beyond the arc at a high level. The Cardinals' head coach has complete trust in his players, and he proved that last season as Louisville basketball lived and died by the 3-point line.
Louisville shot the fifteenth-most 3-pointers in college basketball last season, as the Cards' shot 999 3-pointers in the regular season and 28.5 3-pointers per game, the 24th most in the nation. In the ACC, the Cardinals were only behind Duke for the most 3-pointers made, 3-pointers attempted, and average 3-pointers per game.
Louisville basketball is expected to be one of the best 3-point shooting teams next season. The Cardinals proved last season that they love to run an offense from beyond the arc, and now, Kelsey added three elite shooters from the portal and one elite shooter from the class of 2025. This team is poised to shoot its opponents out of the gym, and make a run for the programs first-ever ACC title.
Louisville basketball's offseason could spark first-ever ACC Title
Isaac McKneely, Ryan Conwell, and Adrian Wooley shot the ball over 40 percent last season and made 70 3-pointers or more. The transfer from Virginia is expected to be the Cardinals' primary shooter, as he is one of the nation's top sharpshooters.
McKneely made 233 3-pointers in his three seasons with the Cavaliers, ranking No. 5 in program history. Last season, he averaged 14.4 points per game and 3.2 3-pointers per game, shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from beyond the arc. He made 101 total 3-pointers last season, ranking No. 27th for most in the nation.
Related: 5 key reasons Isaac McKneely committed to the Louisville Cardinals over Tennessee
Conwell joins McKneely, standing tall at 6-foot-4, and transfers from Xavier. The guard will play for his fourth team in four years, as he saw a drastic improvement last season for the Musketeers. Conwell averaged 16.5 points and 2.9 3-pointers per game while shooting 45 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from beyond the arc. The 4-star transfer can take over the game and dominate all aspects. Last season, he dropped 38 points, including seven 3-pointers against Marquette.
Finally, Wooley was the most significant addition to the Cardinals roster, was a 5-star transfer, the No. 5 overall prospect in the transfer portal, and will be a true sophomore next season. The Kennesaw State transfer averaged 18.8 points and 2.2 3-pointers per game last season while shooting 51.2 percent from the floor and 42.2 percent from beyond the arc. Wooley has tremendous upside as he is a shifty guard who can take over games with his ability to attack the rim or create space with a lethal step back. Last season, he made 73 3-pointers, including his career-high six mades 3's in one game.
Related: 5 key reasons Adrian Wooley committed to the Louisville Cardinals over Alabama
The three transfer additions will be a massive problem for the ACC, as Louisville is expected to be a National Championship contender. Louisville will be nearly impossible to guard as the Cardinals' elite offense is a recipe for disaster for all ACC opponents.
This elite backcourt has the full capability to shoot teams out of the gym and dominate all phases of the game of basketball. They will be led by the No. 1 point guard in the class of 2025 and consensus 5-star commit, Mikel Brown Jr. ACC and College basketball fans must look out for Kelsey and his Cardinals, as he has formed quite possibly the best backcourt in all of college basketball.
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason, stay tuned.