Louisville basketball faced Tennessee last night in a game to forget. The Cards lost by over 20 points for the second consecutive season: last year, 77-55; this year, 83-62. Playing without star point guard Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville relied on Adrian Wooley for a major opportunity. Next, let's look at how the team responded to these challenges and what steps they might take moving forward.
Wooley has been one of the best pieces off the bench this season for the Cardinals, and entering the season, he was one of Louisville’s three elite transfers. So, with the Cards getting their teeth punched in by Tennessee for the second straight season, the fans were looking for a silver lining, and it was Wooley and his production when his name was called.
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Adrian Wooley continues to gain confidence with Louisville
Entering this season, Wooley was highly looked at. He is an elite scorer who transferred in from Kennessaw State after winning the C-USA Rookie of the Year. He is a true sophomore and was a 5-star transfer, and when he committed to Louisville, he was ranked as the No. 5 player in the Transfer Portal.
Wooley accepted his role coming off the bench, but understood that next season, the keys are going to be his. The Cards will lose Ryan Conwell, Isaac McKneely, and most likely Mikel Brown Jr., giving him the keys to the ship. Last night, he got a taste of what that feels like as the 5-star transfer was the star of the night for Louisville.
He started in his first game of the 2025-26 season and scored 19 points on 46 percent shooting, including two 3-pointers. Wooley continues to get more comfortable with Kelsey and his Cardinals, and the Cardinals' head coach was pleased with his performance.
“Adrian did a really good job,” Kelsey stated after the game. “I thought he played with great aggressiveness. Played with a lot of confidence. Played on the attack. Made some baskets to start the game and get us going. I thought he did a really good job.”
Wooley now averages 9.4 points per game while shooting 46.5 percent from the field after his 15-point performance against Memphis and last night's 19-point performance against Tennessee. His ability to attack opponents' defenses while creating his own shot is what makes his future so bright. The hope is that Wooley grows confidence from this performance and rides the momentum into conference play.
Kelsey didn’t provide a timeline for Brown's injury, so it is unclear when he will return. If Brown misses the Montana game this Saturday, then Wooley is likely to get the start again and hopefully continue this run.