Louisville basketball has one of the best off-seasons in college basketball after Pat Kelsey landed three elite commitments from the transfer portal.
Louisville's first commitment was the 5-star transfer Adrian Wooley. Kelsey emphasized that Wooley's commitment was a massive signing, as he is an elite playmaker, but he was also the first domino to fall the Cardinals' way.
After Wooley committed, the next player to sign with Louisville was the 4-star Xavier transfer Ryan Conwell. The guard will play on his fourth team in four years and is expected to be a star on the 2025-26 Cardinals roster. It was a massive signing for Louisville, and in a recent podcast with the Field of 68, Conwell explained what made Louisville so special.
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Conwell is coming off his best season in three years. The 6-foot-4 junior earned a spot on the All-Big East Third Team after averaging 16.5 points per game, which ranked No. 7 in the Big East. The Xavier transfer is ranked as high as the seventeenth-best player to enter the portal and the fourth-best combo guard.
Early on in his recruitment, 247Sports' Travis Branham reported that the Texas Longhorns were "the team to beat" to land Conwell. Now, in a recent interview with Field of 68, the Xavier transfer explained why Louisville was the perfect fit for him and his future.
"The style of play that Coach Kelsey runs," Conwell stated. "The five-out offense, the fast pace, shooting a lot of threes, and layups are definitely something I was looking towards where I would find my next school."
Well, Conwell hit the jackpot because the Cardinals had one of the best shooters in the nation last season in Reyne Smith, and he was also a left-handed shooter. Smith shot over nine 3-pointers per game, and the Cardinals shot 28.5 3-pointers per game.
Conwell must be thrilled after watching the film from last season. The left-handed sharpshooter made 2.9 3-pointers per game on 7.1 attempts for the Musketeers. He made 99 3-pointers in the 2024-25 season on an impressive shooting split of 41.2 percent from beyond the arc and 45 percent from the field.
The future Cardinal sharpshooter averaged 16.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists last season. He is expected to be a crucial piece in the Cardinals' elite backcourt, but he also might see some minutes at small forward.
"My ability to play different positions to be on and off the ball would be able to help Louisville, and Louisville would be able to help me. I think the players that I'll be playing with as well, it will all just come together well. So, I am very excited for this upcoming season."
Louisville will also bring in two 5-star commits: Mikel Brown Jr., the No. 1 point guard from the class of 2025, and Adrian Wooley, the No. 2 combo guard in the transfer portal.
Many predict that Conwell will be moved to small forward, and he will become the Cardinals' starting small forward, allowing Kelsey to play a three-guard lineup. Louisville also added one of the best shooters in the nation, Isaac McKneely, making it nearly impossible for the Cardinals' nation to agree on a way-too-early starting five.
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Fans can agree that Louisville will have one of the best lineups in the nation, and their backcourt should be the best in college basketball.