Louisville basketball fans are keeping a close eye on a few things entering the 2025-26 season, and one of them is injury updates. The Cardinals were hit by the injury bug big-time last season, and Louisville must enter the 2025 season healthy.
Kasean Pryor was able to play six games last year, but he suffered a knee injury against Oklahoma in the seventh game, making him sit out the remainder of the season. Louisville fans are keeping up to date on Pryor and making sure he is trending in the right direction, and Pat Kelsey reassured fans recently on a podcast with Jon Rothstein that Pryor is on schedule or even ahead of schedule.
After giving a brief injury update again, Kelsey gave a quick preview of what the 6-foot-10 forward is going to bring to this Cardinals team next year, and it is exactly what Louisville needs.
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Kasean Pryor's defense is vital for Louisville basketball's championship dreams
Everyone knows what Pryor brings to the table on the offensive side. The forward can stretch the floor and knockdown fadeaway jumpers, or 3-pointers, while also attacking the rim and throwing it down for two.
Pryor is aggressive on the offensive side, and he fits perfectly with the elite backcourt that Kelsey brought in. His last full season was with USF, and he had an impressive season where he averaged 13.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 44.7 percent from the field. He was the Bulls' third-leading scorer that season and earned 12 double-doubles.
However, something that Kelsey just reminded us all of is his defensive skills. The 6-foot-10, 225-pound forward is a beast on the defensive side, and he is going to play a pivotal role on Kelsey's defense.
"He's just an absolute disruptor on the defensive end," Kelsey stated on Jon Rothstein's podcast about Pryor's defense. "He disrupts the ball, he deflects off the ball. He can rim protect. He's terrific in pick-and-roll coverage. Just a dynamic college player we're excited to have back at some point."
Last season, in his limited time before his injury, he was a dominant force on the defensive side. Pryor averaged 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game and was creating havoc all over the court for the opposing teams.
Pryor's defensive skills are exactly what Louisville needs. His ability to protect the rim and defend the paint is crucial to Kelsey's defense, and once he steals or blocks the ball, the Cardinals can move in transition, and that is where this team gets scary.
He secured a steal in every game last season, including two steals against Indiana and Winthrop and three steals against Morehead State. He also earned at least one block in five of the seven games, two blocks against Winthrop and three blocks against West Virginia.
Pryor is trending to be Kelsey's defensive star next season, and with a player with his skills mixed with the Cardinals' ability to score, it is going to be a glaring reason why this team is poised for a Final Four run. Kelsey is stoked to have his defensive gem back on his roster. Now, he has to make sure he gets healthy and then stays healthy.
Related: Kelsey's Kasean Pryor injury update is exactly what Louisville fans wanted to hear
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.