Chucky Hepburn, from Wisconsin
Expected role: Starting point guard.
Hepburn is so much better when he doesn’t have to be a go-to scorer. When Hepburn can unleash extra energy on defense, his value elevates. He projects to be one of the best on-ball defenders in the ACC while giving Louisville’s offense a steadying hand. Hepburn is a career 36% 3-point shooter who makes great decisions and can go for 20 on nights when he has the right matchup. But he hits the floor trying to make others better.
Terrence Edwards Jr., from James Madison
Expected role: Starting wing.
Hepburn is comfortable operating in ball screens, but so is Edwards. He had one of the highest pick-and-roll usages last year, and he’s got lots of counters in his bag. He owns a tight spin move to get to the rim or to his soft-touch floater. Edwards has grown a ton as a shooter, but he’s still at his best when he hits attack mode and seeks out the creases. Edwards is slated to earn a heavy usage rate when he’s on the floor, and Louisville’s decision to load up on big men who can stretch the floor should open the paint for Edwards’ drives.
Kasean Pryor, from USF:
Expected role: Starting small-ball big.
Pryor could be the X-Factor for this Louisville offense. Pat Kelsey just desperately needs the South Florida transfer to keep making 3-pointers at a high clip to pull centers away from the rim. Pryor is very comfortable playing in space and attacking long closeouts, but he gets very hard to guard in transition after he grabs-and-goes and attacks defenses who can’t get set yet. His playmaking and unselfishness is really something. Pryor’s effort on the glass will be enormous if Louisville’s defense wants to hold serve. He was a great defensive rebounder last year at South Florida. That has to translate up to the ACC to buff up his impact.
Reyne Smith, from Charleston
Expected role: Backcourt rotation.
The 6-foot-2 guard shot nearly 40% from downtown on over eight attempts per game. He’s a special, special shooter with a lightning-quick release. Smith is a specialist, but he’s darn good at what he does.
J’Vonne Hadley, from Colorado
Expected role: Starting wing.
Hadley is a low-usage, high-efficiency beast. He’s great in transition. You can use him in post-ups to mismatch-hunt or draw two defenders to create open looks. He’s a stout, wing defender. Hadley is not a high-volume shooter, but all of his other strengths are complemented by this roster construction. You could pair Hadley with snipers like Smith and Pryor and use him as a hand-off hub in various actions or as an off-ball screener. Kelsey can tinker with these lineups, but Hadley is going to be a staple of this rotation because of all the little things.
Aboubacar Traore, from Long Beach State
Expected role: Wing rotation. Not a shooter but doesn’t pretend to be. Might not see Traore and Hadley on the floor together, but his strengths as a 6-foot-5 junkyard dawg could get him onto the floor. He racks up so many deflections defensively which will get Kelsey fired up. More likely than not, Traore serves as a high-energy, bench piece for Kelsey who wants to play 10 guys and get after it in transition. The open floor is where Traore is at his best. He scored nearly a fourth of his points in transition last year. His rebounding, playmaking, athleticism and mayhem defensively can cover up for the shooting deficiencies, but it could be tough to close games with him on the floor.
Koren Johnson, from Washington
Expected role: Guard rotation, potential starter.
Johnson can go create a bucket out of thin air. That’s a special trait. Johnson provides a jolt of scoring pop that Louisville didn’t have on this roster outside of Edwards. Johnson gave Washington a microwave scorer/creator to bring off the bench. When he was rolling, he’d play. When he wasn’t, he’d sit. That might be what’s on tap for him at Louisville. Kelsey might not start him, but Johnson can get his numbers thanks to the sheer volume of possessions that Louisville will play at. He is a real threat to lead Louisville in points on any given night.
Noah Waterman, from BYU
Expected role: Frontcourt rotation.
You better find Waterman in transition. He’s very good at running to the 3-point arc and lining up his smooth jumper. That worked well at BYU and it’ll play for Louisville. Both Kelsey and now-Kentucky coach Mark Pope had similar gameplans in transition, so it’s a good fit for Waterman. He’s not some elite defensive forward, but he’ll chip in with some secondary rim protection and he plays with great energy and a lot of bite. Louisville will likely play four big men and two of them (Waterman and Pryor) can really shoot it. One, or both, will be on the floor for all 40 minutes.
Frank Anselem-Ibe, from Georgia
Expected role: Frontcourt rotation.
Anselem-Ibe is the next closest thing to a real rim protector on this roster, but he’s not much of an offensive threat outside of rebounding and rim-running. He’ll play but he’s not a star.
James Scott, from Charleston
Expected role: Frontcourt rotation.
Scott had an 8.4% block percentage at Charleston as a freshman. That demands your attention from the jump. He’s continuing to fill out his 6-foot-11 frame and the body type is there to be an absolute difference-maker down the road. Louisville wisely insulated him with numerous veterans in this frontcourt, but Scott fits the Year 2 transfer breakout mold. He’ll be a helpful piece this season with his rim protection and his play-finishing, but there’s room for so much more in the years to come.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Louisville also added Aly Khalifa (from BYU) and Kobe Rodgers (from Charleston) but both are redshirting the 2024-25 season and will not be included in this exercise.
