The college basketball season isn’t as far off as many may think, as Louisville basketball already played its first exhibition game, defeating Bahamas Raw Talent in the Bahamas in late July. Now, the Cardinals are back in Louisville and are gearing up for their 2026-27 season, and Pat Kelsey is fired up.
The Cardinals added nine players this offseason, including six from the Transfer Portal (No. 1 Transfer Portal class) and three from the 2026 recruiting class (No. 18 recruiting class in the nation). There are a lot of new faces on this Louisville roster, but there are a couple of key familiar faces.
One key returner who Louisville fans and Kelsey are excited about is the former 5-star transfer, Adrian Wooley. Not only is Kelsey excited to have Wooley back on UofL’s roster, but the Cardinals head coach has high expectations for the guard.
Pat Kelsey is all-in on Adrian Wooley this season
Wooley was one of Louisville’s three key transfers the past offseason, when Kelsey landed Wooley, Isaac McKneely and Ryan Conwell. Wooley ranked the highest of the three as he ranked No. 9 overall and No. 2 among combo guards in the 2025 Transfer Portal.
Now, after his first season with Louisville, the Cardinals fans are hoping Wooley is poised to take a major leap, and Kelsey just said exactly what they want to hear.
“He can score, he can facilitate, he is a tough, nasty defender,” stated Kelsey on a podcast with 247Sports' Kyle Tucker. “I have high, high hopes for Adrian Wooley, and I think he is going to be one of the best guards in college basketball”
Last year Wooley started in 16 games and averaged 8.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.7 steals per game while shooting 45 percent from the field and 35 percent from downtown. Wooley showed a lot of promise towards the end of the season as the guard began to gain confidence.
Wooley hit a game-winning shot against Miami in the final regular-season game and finished with 15 points. In the last game of the year, he scored 17 points while shooting 70 percent from the field in the 'Cardinals' loss to Michigan State. Wooley is a crafty guard who can create shots for himself and has the ability to be a consistent shooter from beyond the arc.
Before his year with Louisville, Wooley won the Conference-USA Freshman of the Year award and earned First-Team All-CUSA honors in his true freshman season. He averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while making 73 3-pointers and shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc.
Rob Dauster of Field of 68 stated he wouldn’t be shocked if Wooley “takes a really, really big leap this year” and even stated he thinks Wooley might lead Louisville in scoring. So, a lot of people are high on Wooley, Kelsey included, and now with the season just a few months away, the hope is for the former 5-star transfer to emerge as a star in his second year with the Cardinals.
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