Louisville basketball is quickly approaching, and the Cardinals are bringing in some fan favorites to get this new Pat Kelsey team ready for the 2026-27 season. The Cardinals have added 11 players this offseason, including most recently LJ Wells.
Wells comes to Louisville from Northern Kentucky, adding depth at the forward position for the Cardinals. Kelsey has one of the top portal classes in the nation, but with the team looking so different, he thought it would be good to bring in some former Cardinals to build chemistry.
J'Vonne Hadley and Ryan Conwell return to Louisville
When thinking about Cardinals fans' favorite players during Kelsey’s era at Louisville, two players who might come up are J’Vonne Hadley and Ryan Conwell. The two former Cardinals embraced what it means to be a Louisville Cardinal, and UofL fans were thrilled to see these fan favorites back at Louisville getting some practice with the Cardinals this week.
Look who's back in the gym 👀#GoCards x @MiamiHEAT pic.twitter.com/U38BpJkO6H
— Louisville Men's Basketball (@LouisvilleMBB) September 11, 2026
Hadley played his final two seasons at Louisville, where he was a key starter in both seasons. This past season, Hadley averaged 11.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 steals per game, while shooting 56 percent from the field and 44 percent from the 3-point range. As for Conwell, he transferred to the Cardinals as a 4-star transfer from Xavier and led Louisville in scoring in his lone year at UofL. Conwell finished the year averaging 18.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 40.8 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Now, the two former Cardinals are teammates on the Miami Heat, as Conwell was drafted in the second round by Miami with the No. 37 overall pick, while the Heat picked up Hadley as an undrafted free agent.
It is always great to see former Cardinals back in the gym, and to see these two return and help get Louisville’s 2026 squad ready for the upcoming season is what Louisville fans love to see. Hadley and Conwell know how to succeed at Louisville, and they can really push this new-look Louisville team.
There is always something to learn when former players come back to practice, especially when both are with an NBA team. The 11 new players on this team could learn a lot from Conwell and Hadley, and it's a huge reminder of the culture Kelsey is building at UofL.
Add us as a preferred source on Google