Louisville basketball's 2025-26 season is just three days away from tipping off as the Cardinals are going to host the No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks for a thrilling preseason game. The Cards come in ranked just outside the top 10 at No. 11 in the AP Polls, and they have the second-best odds to win the ACC, only behind the Duke Blue Devils.
This Cardinals team is loaded with talent and depth, and a significant reason for this is Pat Kelsey's dominant run in the Transfer Portal this offseason. The Cardinals' Transfer Portal addition generates a lot of talk, mainly regarding Ryan Conwell and Isaac McKneely. Conwell and McKneely both transferred over from big-time programs in Virginia and Xavier and are projected to be starters for Kelsey's squad.
However, Louisville added three players from the Transfer Portal, and it feels like the nation has forgotten about the third. Louisville's forgotten gem is a 5-star transfer and a true sophomore who will flourish in Kelsey's system.
Related: Louisville basketball lands massive 5-star recruit in transfer portal over SEC giants
Louisville's secret weapon is poised to have another breakout season.
The Cardinals' nation is excited for Adrian Wooley, but it feels like the rest of the country has forgotten about the 5-star transfer. Everyone talks about McKneely and Conwell, but for some odd reason, Wooley is the forgotten transfer who is rarely brought up.
Wooley will most likely come off the bench to start the season, but the combo guard is an athletic 6-foot-5, 180-pound guard who can become a dominant two-way player. The Kennessaw State transfer averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc.
Adrian Wooley is the best player that no one knows about in college basketball.
— State of Louisville (@thestateoflou) October 18, 2025
That will change very soon. https://t.co/cwUgkH72ru
Wooley was a 5-star transfer and a consensus top-10 player to enter the portal, ranked as high as No. 8 by On3 Sports. When he committed to Louisville, he was ranked No. 3 in the Transfer Portal, and the Cards earned his commitment over powerhouse programs in Alabama, Kansas, and Auburn.
He had a dominant true freshman season, winning Conference-USA Freshman of the Year, earning First-Team All-CUSA honors, and being named to the All-CUSA Tournament Team. The Cardinals fans wanted to improve their 3-point shooting and their defense, and that is exactly what they will get from this 5-star.
Wooley splashed 73 3-pointers last season on 42 percent shooting from beyond the arc, while earning 1.4 steals per game. The elite transfer is going to bring much-needed depth to this Louisville roster and will be part of the Cardinals' lethal backcourt.
The country is sleeping on this elite transfer, and he is poised for another massive season. Louisville fans cannot wait to see him in red and black and have high hopes that he will be a key player in taking them back to the Final Four. The nation is soon going to remember the name Adrian Wooley, but for now, it appears he is the Cardinals' biggest secret weapon entering the 2025-26 season.
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.