Louisville basketball is expected to be one of the top teams in the nation next season, as the Cardinals are trending upward ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Louisville currently has the tenth-best odds of winning the 2026 National Championship and the second-best odds of winning the ACC Championship. A couple of 5-star commitments will lead the Cardinals, as Mikel Brown Jr. and Adrian Wooley are going to team up in Pat Kelsey's backcourt.
The Cardinals also added Isaac McKneely and Ryan Conwell this offseason and will bring back key starters from last season, J'Vonne Hadley and Kasean Pryor. However, there is a glaring name that the Cardinals must remember, as he is trending to be the future of this program and Kelsey's top-secret weapon next season.
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Louisville basketball's 4-star commit is emerging as top secret weapon next season
Louisville's 2025-26 roster was recently ranked No. 1 by Sleeper Media, and a significant reason is the additions. However, a name that is expected to take a massive leap this season is 4-star commit Khani Rooths.
The former 4-star recruit from IMG Academy is ranked as the Cardinals' tenth-highest commit in program history. After high school, he was ranked as high as No. 31 in the nation and a consensus 4-star recruit. He was the No. 6 small forward and eighth-best recruit from Florida in the 2023 class, indicating that his future is bright.
Rooths emerged as one of Kelsey's top players off the bench once the Cardinals got hit with the injury bug. Although his numbers weren't particularly impressive, his production, hustle, and potential demonstrated that he would be a force to be reckoned with in the future.
K9 getting right to it#GoCards x @Khani_Rooths pic.twitter.com/4j52Glyc1q
— Louisville Men's Basketball (@LouisvilleMBB) June 13, 2025
Last season for the Cardinals, the 6-foot-8, 2025-pound forward averaged 3.3 points and 3.0 rebounds, shooting 39.3 percent from the field in 13.4 minutes per game. Cardinals fans have extremely high hopes for this rising star, as he is expected to be a crucial piece of the bench once again.
Pryor and Hadley will lead Louisville's forward position, but Rooths is expected to run a small forward and power forward this upcoming season. The former 4-star is a high-flying forward who is extremely explosive at the rim and can flush it for two.
The forward can finish through contact and is shifty for a player with his height. He has showcased the ability to slam it for two over defenders while also going up and under. The Cardinals have their eyes set on another historic season, aiming to cut down some nets this upcoming season. Rooths will be the Cardinal's secret weapon off the bench, providing the energy, spark, and explosiveness that this team desperately needs.
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For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.