Louisville basketball had a historic 2024-25 season as the Cardinals broke multiple program records, skyrocketed this program back to the top of the ACC, and set the future up for success. The Cardinals' season may have fallen short, and they might have lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but that is not to diminish just how amazing their season was.
The Cards' were one of the worst teams in the ACC for multiple years, but Louisville hired Pat Kelsey as their new head coach, and the Cardinals' head coach rebuilt this program quicker than any fan could have dreamed of. Louisville added 11 players from the transfer portal entering the 2024-25 season, four of whom were 4-stars.
Fans had some expectations entering the season, but none could have predicted the records they broke or the season Kelsey's Cardinals had. ESPN recently put out a report card for all the ACC teams for the 2024-25 season, and Louisville got the exact grade it deserved.
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Louisville basketball receives perfect 2024-25 season grade in latest evaluation
The Cardinals broke the program record for the best turnaround season, as Louisville improved by 19 wins with their impressive 27-8 record. Louisville had a combined ACC record of 5-35 in their previous two seasons, making them finish dead last in the conference in both seasons.
Kelsey quickly changed Louisville's culture and put the Cardinals on the map. They finished second in the ACC standings and made their first-ever ACC Tournament championship game. Louisville was led by its ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Chucky Hepburn, and ESPN writer Myron Medcalf praised the Cardinals' impressive 2024-25 season, and gave Louisville the much-deserved 'A'.
"A year after stumbling in his third season at Wisconsin, Chucky Hepburn bounced back upon transferring to Louisville to earn an AP All-American honorable mention in the Cardinals' first campaign of the Pat Kelsey era.Myron Medcalf
Kelsey was so successful in his reboot of this program that an "A" grade is still likely insufficient in measuring what he achieved in Year 1: a second-place finish in the ACC, the Cardinals' first 27-win campaign in a decade and an 8-seed in the NCAA tournament. He quickly put his stamp on a name-brand program that had struggled for years before his arrival, winning more games in his first season at the helm than the Cardinals had won in the previous three combined."
Louisville's 18 conference wins last season were not only the program's most ACC wins in a single season but also broke its conference win total. The Cardinals returned to the Big Dance after five seasons without making the NCAA Tournament. Louisville had players step up big-time all season. Reyne Smith's 107 made 3-pointers are the second most in a single season, and James Scott's 79 dunks are the third most in a single season.
Louisville was projected to finish ninth in the ACC last season, and shattered all expectations. The Cardinals' future is now set as they have the sixth-best odds to win the National Championship next season, as Kelsey has this program back and better than ever.
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason, stay tuned.