A true small forward
The Cardinals last year ran a small lineup with Isaac McKneely at small forward and J’Vonne Hadley at the power forward. And while that worked sometimes, Louisville fans made it clear they want a true small forward who can play physical basketball and isn’t undersized.
One area Kelsey has to attack this offseason is the small forward position. Louisville will lose McKneely and Hadley, and the Cardinals need to learn from last season not to go get a guard to play the “3” but to go grab a true small forward who is around 6-foot-6 or 6-foot-7 and is a two-way player.
Louisville has to add a lot more muscle this offseason and get that gritty player like Hadley, but they need him playing the small forward. Against these elite teams, McKneely was a major weakness on the floor, as he was one-dimensional and not strong enough on defense to play small forward. Adding a player with muscle and height who can be a solid two-way player is exactly what the Cards are looking for.