The Lousiville basketball NCAA Tournament is set to tip off in nearly 48 hours, and the Cardinals are making their return to the Big Dance. Pat Kelsey brought in 12 players from the transfer portal in his first year and took this team to their first ACC Tournament Championship.
The Cardinals locked up the 8-seed in the South region and will face the Creighton Bluejays in Lexington, Kent. Louisville has had a great season, but after their disrespectful draw, the Cardinals have a lot to prove in the NCAA Tournament.
The Cardinals will be in the South region, which consist of Auburn, Michigan State, Michigan, Texas A&M, and many more great teams. The Cardinals will need every player to step up on and off the floor.
Grading every Louisville basketball player ahead of 2025 NCAA Tournament
We are going to take a look back at the 2024-25 regular season and give every player who earns daily rotational minutes a grade for their performance this year.
These eight players etched their names in the program's record books and helped break countless records this season. However, the Cardinals were hit by the injury bug early in the season, as four players were announced out for the season.
This was a season in which the Cardinals showed the nation that they are back and elite contenders in the ACC, and fans truly believe this team is destined for a Final Four run.
J'Vonne Hadley
J'Vonne Hadley stepped up big time for the Cardinals this season and has become one of the team's best two-way players. Hadley is 6-foot-6 and can guard the opponent's best player but also take over on the other side.
Hadley has been crucial to this team's success, but the fans want him to be more aggressive in the NCAA Tournament. Hadley has shown games where he can take over and dominate. He scored 32 points against Clemson earlier in the season and has scored 15 points or more in 10 games.
Hadley has a soft touch on his shot, and because of his frame and position, he tends to back his smaller defender down and float the ball into the hoop. Hadley averaged 12.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 51.5 percent from the floor and 38.6 percent from downtown.
Hadley is a little rusty entering the NCAA Tournament, but his performance from the whole year earns him a B+. He is the perfect fit for this Cardinals offense, and his numbers have improved in nearly every stat from last year.
Khani Rooths
Khani Rooths was expected to have a solid year with the Louisville Cardinals entering this season. The freshman was the Cardinals' top prospect coming into 2024, ranked No. 38 in the nation, No. 6 in his position, No. 8 in his state, and with a score of 95 per 247Sports.
All signs pointed to Rooths as a valuable piece off the bench this season, but inconsistent minutes hurt him and caused him to see probably fewer minutes than he was expecting. Rooths averaged 3.3 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 39.4 percent from the floor and 23.5 percent from downtown.
His production is more valuable than what his stat line shows, as he is seen diving on the floor, snagging rebounds, and playing solid defense every time his name is called. However, on the offensive side, he has struggled this season. He is only a freshman, and to get this kind of experience this early in his career is huge for the 19-year-old.
He had a good performance against SMU, as he secured his career-high 12 points and seven rebounds while shooting 80 percent from the floor and 100 percent from beyond the arc. The offense flow is much better when Rooths is productive and attacking on offense. The freshman seemed slightly rattled at times this season on the offensive side, but more minutes will fix that issue.
Rooths earned a C+ because of his offensive struggles and turnovers. Khani Rooths will be a stud in this league next year and many years to come. He showed a lot of potential this season, and the Cardinals fans are thrilled to have him returning next season.
Noah Waterman
Noah Waterman has had a rollercoaster of a year. The senior forward has had some great moments but has also had some brutal stretches of not being able to buy a bucket.
This season for Louisville, Waterman is averaging 6.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 0.8 turnovers per game while shooting 36.5 percent from the field and 28.9 percent from behind the 3-point line. Waterman also missed four games this season with a thumb injury.
While Waterman is one of the better shooters on the team and is always supplying high energy, his full potential and game haven't executed the way it was supposed to.
Waterman plays a little out of pace and shoots poor shots. The 6-foot-11 forward has shown flashes of being a great shooter off the bench, but he has also gone through stretches of shooting poorly. The Cardinals will likely use him as a valuable bench player who can knock down a few shots from beyond the arc. Waterman is entering the NCAA Tournament on a high note. He averaged 9.0 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 46 percent from beyond the arc.
Waterman gets a C+ on the year, as inconsistency held him back. The potential of being Pat Kelsey's best bench player remains, but he must continue to play like he did in the ACC Tournament.
James Scott
James Scott has become the Cardinals' primary rim protector and main lob threat. The Cardinals have been searching for a player who can spark energy in the crowd, and Scott has emerged as that player.
He won't put up 15 points a game, but he will get massive blocks on one end and then hustle to the other end and slam it home for two. Scott has made the best of his minutes, as he averaged 7.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting 75.5 percent from the floor.
Scott is a game-changer on both ends of the floor as the Cardinals center and star guard Chucky Hepburn have built great chemistry. The two players are seen running a lethal pick-and-roll, and if Hepburn gets by the defender and Scott is rolling to the cup, it wraps for the defense. Hepburn will float for two or lob it to Scott, where he will flush it home.
Heading into the NCAA Tournament, Scott is playing at a high level, but it seems he can be a liability on the offense. However, that was without Reyne Smith on the floor, and now that the Cardinals get their sharpshooter back, expect the spacing and flow to be way better.
Scott earns an A- as his production this season on both ends of the floor was nearly perfect for this Louisville Cardinals team.
Aboubacar Traore
Aboubacar Traore has had some ups and downs this season but has been a valuable bench piece in the second half due to the Cardinal's injury bug.
Traore can be seen taking wild shots or playing a bit out of control at times, but he also provides a spark of energy off the bench and can get some timely buckets. The Cardinals guard off the bench is 6-foot-5 and averaged 4.7 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 52.4 percent from the floor.
Traore comes off the bench and allows the starters to get a quick breather, as he averages just 14 minutes per game. However, he has an issue handling the ball, as he averages 1.2 turnovers per game.
His ceiling was higher than the production Pat Kelsey and the Cardinals got this season, which is why he gets a C for the season. The guard averaged 1.5 blocks and steals last season for Long Beach State, and in the postseason, the Cardinals need that production from him. He will get some minutes in the NCAA Tournament, and he has to take care of the ball and be a valuable defensive piece off the bench.
Reyne Smith
Reyne Smith was a sharpshooter who played for Pat Kelsey in Charleston. When Kelsey came to the Cardinals, the sharpshooter followed. Smith's name wasn't the biggest name to hit the transfer portal or even one of the biggest names to come to Lousiville, but he has been one of the key players this season.
He started as a key bench piece but has become a crucial starter for Pat Kelsey. Reyne Smith averaged 13.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.7 steals per game while shooting 38.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Smith averages around 3.5 made three-pointers a game and shoots around 10. Both are in the top 10 in the country, and this has helped him make 104 total threes this season, which is also in the top 10 in the country. The lefty-shooter is key to this Cardinals offense even when he doesn't have the ball. He moves around to find the open space and draws defenders his way, which frees up Chucky Hepburn and Terrence Edwards Jr.
Smith missed the ACC Tournament with an ankle injury but is set to return to the NCAA Tournament. Before his injury, Smith was struggling a bit, shooting 24-76 from downtown, which is 31.5 percent. The Cardinals sharpshooter got a much-needed rest and will be 100 percent when they travel to Lexington.
Smith earns an A for this season. He has clearly been a crucial piece to this offense and has proven his worth from the time he is off the floor. The Cardinal's deep playoff run will rest on how hot Smith can get in March.
Terrence Edwards Jr.
Terrence Edwards Jr. has become an absolute star on this Cardinals team. He had somewhat of a slow start to the season and even came off the bench in a few games, but he really proved his worth when Chucky Hepburn missed a couple of games.
Edwards filled in for Hepburn and showed that he could take over and dominate games, and he never looked back. The two guards are now one of the best duos in the ACC and will look to bring it to the March Madness.
This season for Louisville, Edwards averaged 16.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 0.7 steals per game while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 33.0 percent from downtown. Edwards was spectacular for Lousiville this season, and his ability to close out games in the second half stood out the most. The Cardinals All-ACC guard gets into a zone and becomes nearly unguardable, especially in March.
Edwards is averaging 24.8 points this March, including a career-high 35-point performance against Cal and a 29-point performance against Duke in the ACC Tournament Championship. Edwards scored 20 points or more in 13 games this season.
Terrence Edwards Jr. gets an A+ on the season. Edwards is a great role player next to Chucky Hepburn and Reyne Smith and has emerged as a vocal leader for this Cardinals squad. Louisville basketball will need Edwards's hot streak to continue in the NCAA Tournament.
Chucky Hepburn
Chucky Hepburn is the unsung hero that the Cardinals needed. Lousiville basketball hasn't had a star in the year, and Hepburn wasn't supposed to be the main guy. The Cardinals stud guard was named First-Team All-ACC and won the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Hepburn is a leader on this team and has helped etch its history in the Cardinals' books.
Hepburn was ranked No. 101 in the transfer portal by 247Sports, and after this season, he jumped up to No.6. The Cardinals point guard improved every stat line from last year to this year as he averaged 16.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.5 steals while shooting 43.5 percent from the floor and 33.2 percent from downtown.
Hepburn's ability to lock the opponent's best player on one end and then control the pace of the game, play calmly, and either create a shot for himself or facilitate the ball is why he is a top 10 point guard in the country.
Hepburn gets an A+ for his performance this season for Lousiville. The Cardinals point guard scored a career-high 37 points and went 6-6 from downtown against Pitt. He also broke the Cardinals record for most made free throws in a single game with 17.
Louisville looks to shock the world by beating Creighton and then the No. 1 seed Auburn. For that to happen, Chucky Hepburn has to channel his game against Pitt and score at will.