Louisville basketball got huge news Saturday afternoon that Adrian Wooley will officially return and wear red and black next season. Wooley's return is a massive update as the Cardinals' starting lineup is nearly set, and now Pat Kelsey and company will likely transition to adding their bench pieces.
Predicting Pat Kelsey's next 3 moves after Adrian Wooley returns to Louisville
The Cards don’t have many players on their roster at the moment, as they lost nine of their top 10 players from a season ago, including their entire starting lineup. Louisville has had five players enter the portal so far, but with Wooley returning, that means the NBA G League commit will officially come off the bench, and now London Johnson is on transfer watch.
Louisville's London Johnson is now on transfer watch
No one thought Johnson was going to be in Kelsey’s starting lineup, but with Louisville landing Jackson Shelstad and Wooley returning, Johnson’s minutes will likely not be where he wants them to be. The former G League guard committed to Louisville back in October, when it took the nation by storm.
He was one of the first former NBA G League players to commit to a college program, but now, Louisville fans think he might never even play for the Cardinals. The Cardinals and Kelsey are clearly not done yet in the portal and are showing no sign of slowing down, which doesn't favor Johnson and his minutes.
Kelsey continues to rebuild this roster and is reaching out to elite playmakers, as he flew out to John Blackwell earlier this week. Johnson would be a veteran bench piece for Louisville, but the guard will likely want to be a starter or a 6th man to try to get back to an NBA level.
With Wooley returning, the former 5-star transfer will likely play point guard and shooting guard minutes, cutting into Johnson’s minutes if he returns. Johnson has the potential to be an elite guard, especially with his experience, but many just think he will enter the portal sooner rather than later.
The 6-foot-3, 181-pound guard ranked as a 4-star recruit coming out of high school, No. 46 in the nation and No. 8 among combo guards. He decided to bypass college and played for the G League Ignite, where he averaged 10.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in his final season with them.
Now that Wooley is back, Johnson is officially on our transfer watch. The portal is only open for three more days, as it will close on April 21. Cards fans will keep a lookout for Johnson, as if he wants to enter the portal, the clock is ticking.
Related: Pat Kelsey and Louisville basketball aren't slowing down—and the nation is on notice
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