Latest news with #RyanConwell
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Scouting Louisville basketball's 2025-26 roster: Ryan Conwell
After leading Louisville basketball to one of the largest turnarounds in Division I history, Pat Kelsey built a 2025-26 roster that's garnering lofty expectations. This summer, The Courier Journal is taking a player-by-player look at the team, dissecting what each one will bring to the Cardinals. Up next: Ryan Conwell. To catch up on previous entries in the series, click here. Advertisement Ryan Conwell made quite the first impression on Louisville basketball fans. On April 2, the day after committing to Pat Kelsey via the NCAA transfer portal, Conwell shared a message to Cardinals supporters on Instagram. It reads, "New city. New family. Same mission. "This isn't just a commitment — it's a promise," the 6-foot-4 guard from Indianapolis wrote. "Louisville, I'm all in. Let's build something special!" Then, to his story, Conwell posted a photo from his childhood. It was of him and his late grandfather smiling outside the KFC Yum! Center. All in, indeed. Conwell was the second of Kelsey's three portal commitments this offseason. U of L is his fourth school in as many years, following stints at South Florida (2022-23), Indiana State (2023-24) and Xavier (2024-25) — all of which ended in coaching changes. He's started 83 consecutive games dating back to Jan. 29, 2023. Advertisement In a statement when Conwell signed with Louisville, Kelsey called him "one of the best all-around guards in the collegiate game." He also said Cards fans are going to love "his bravado and big-game, big-moment mentality." The latest projections from The Athletic and ESPN have Conwell as a second-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. "Ryan is a pro in every sense of the word on and off the court," Kelsey said in the statement. "One person that we spoke to that was around him for a long time told us he is one of the best humans they've ever worked with. That is powerful praise." In short, Conwell is exactly the type of player U of L needs at the forefront if Kelsey's Year 1 revival is to become an arrival in Year 2 — proven but still teeming with potential. Here's a look back at his junior season and a breakdown of what his role could be in 2025-26: Advertisement Scouting report: Recapping Ryan Conwell's 2024-25 season Xavier Musketeers guard Ryan Conwell (7) smiles as he picks up the ball in a timeout in the second half of the NCAA Men's Basketball game between the Xavier Musketeers and the Jackson State Tigers at the Cintas Center at Xavier University in Cincinnati on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. Xavier won 94-57. Conwell's collegiate career has been one of steady growth. He worked his way into South Florida's starting lineup as a freshman, was named the Missouri Valley Conference's Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore at Indiana State and earned third-team All-Big East honors as a junior at Xavier. Conwell finished 2024-25 as the Musketeers' second-best scorer, averaging 16.5 points to go along with 2.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists against 1.6 turnovers and 1.3 steals across 33 minutes per game. The lefty led XU in made 3-pointers (99, eight shy of the program's single-season record) and attempts (240) — good for a career-high 41.3% clip from beyond the arc. Advertisement How's this for rare company? Conwell, per was one of only two high-major players who made 90 or more 3s and 100-plus free throws. He shot 50% or better from 2-point range last season. Florida's Walter Clayton Jr., a consensus first-team All-American and the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, was the other. In addition to his three-level scoring, Conwell offers Louisville solid facilitating abilities. As a junior, he assisted nearly 15% of his Xavier teammates' baskets when he was on the court and posted the lowest turnover rate (12.8) among Musketeers players with minute shares of 70% or more. Defensively, Conwell fits Kelsey's mold — experienced, versatile and accustomed to playing at a fast pace. He doesn't have an elite propensity for disruption like Chucky Hepburn but should be comfortable against tough assignments on the perimeter. Advertisement "He really doesn't have any weaknesses," said Evan Miyakawa, the analytics guru behind "He's going to be a do-it-all guy." Ryan Conwell's 2025-26 outlook with Louisville basketball Xavier Musketeers guard Ryan Conwell (7) jumps up for a layup in the first half of a NCAA men's basketball game between the Xavier Musketeers and DePaul Blue Demons, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, at Cintas Center in Cincinnati. Why did Conwell choose Louisville? In an interview with The Field of 68, he said Kelsey's scheme was a major factor. "The five-out offense — fast paced, shoot a lot of 3s and layups — was definitely something I was looking (for)," Conwell said. "(With) my ability to play different positions and being able to be on and off the ball, I can help Louisville; and Louisville can help me." The Cards' backcourt is loaded for 2025-26, with McDonald's All-American Mikel Brown Jr. expected to start at point guard and Conwell, Isaac McKneely, Kobe Rodgers and Adrian Wooley competing for minutes alongside him. In an ideal world for Kelsey, the group stays healthy and gives him one of the deepest rotations in the country to work with. Advertisement That said, it's really hard to picture Conwell taking much of a backseat to anyone. He's got 104 games at the Division I level under his belt — 71 of which he played in more than 80% of the available minutes — and rarely has an off night. lists three player projections for next season: balanced, optimistic and pessimistic. At his very best, Conwell has a projected net rating of 9.0 (in the 99th percentile), meaning he'd be nine points per 100 possessions better than the average DI player. At his worst, the number drops to 5.9 (in the 93rd percentile). Try keeping that off the court. Advertisement Fortunately, as Conwell alluded to, he has experience playing multiple positions. His best fit at U of L could be as a wing who can stretch defenses with his accuracy from deep and attack off the dribble — either finishing at the rim or dishing to other knockdown shooters such as McKneely and Wooley at the 2. Regardless of where he lines up, Conwell could prove to be one of the country's most impactful transfers. It's a great problem for Kelsey & Co. to have, figuring out how to maximize his game on a team with no shortage of weapons. Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@ and follow him on X at @brooksHolton. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball roster 2025-26: Ryan Conwell scouting report
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Louisville basketball shares first look at Pat Kelsey's 2025-26 roster. Watch it here
Louisville basketball fans have been clamoring for a first look at Pat Kelsey's 2025-26 team since the Cardinals arrived on campus for the start of summer workouts. On Thursday evening, they got it in the form of a practice highlight video posted to X, formerly Twitter. Advertisement The video is only 59 seconds long but has made quite the impression on the fan base, which is dreaming big after Kelsey pulled off one of the largest turnarounds in Division I history during his first season at the helm and assembled a talented Year 2 roster. The featured players: Mouhamed Camara, Ryan Conwell, J'Vonne Hadley, Isaac McKneely, Kobe Rodgers, Khani Rooths Adrian Wooley and Evangelos "Vangelis" Zougris. You can watch the video below: Louisville's 2025-26 roster boasts five scholarship returners and seven newcomers — three NCAA transfer portal additions and four newcomers to the DI ranks. Advertisement The Cards as of Friday ranked No. 7 in ESPN's way-too-early top 25 for the upcoming season. U of L will be tested early and often in 2025-26, with an exhibition vs. Kansas at the KFC Yum! Center on tap in addition to nonconference matchups against Arkansas, Baylor, Cincinnati, Indiana, Kentucky, Memphis and Tennessee. Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@ and follow him on X at @brooksHolton. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball shares first look at Pat Kelsey's 2025-26 roster
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Louisville basketball roster look for Year 2 under Pat Kelsey after transfer portal window
The NCAA transfer portal has closed, and Pat Kelsey's Louisville basketball roster for the 2025-26 season is almost complete. Between the portal opening March 24 and it closing April 22, the Cardinals had two scholarship players enter (junior guard Koren Johnson and sophomore forward James Scott) and brought in three from other Division I programs. Advertisement Factor in two other newcomers and the five players from the 2024-25 roster who decided to stay put, and U of L had 10 of its 13 scholarship spots accounted for Year 2 of Kelsey's tenure as of April 23. There are still moves to be made, but the group Louisville has assembled to this point is garnering high praise. Coming off a 27-8 finish to 2024-25, the Cards appeared in the top five of six way-too-early top 25s for 2025-26 that were released after Florida beat Houston in the national championship. Here's a rundown of where the roster stood as of April 23: Mikel Brown Jr. Mar 31, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; McDonald's All American West guard Mikel Brown Jr. (11) dunks the ball during the Sprite Jam Fest at Barclay's Center. Mandatory Credit: Pamela Smith-Imagn Images Mikel Brown Jr. is the 29th McDonald's All-American in Louisville history. The 6-foot-3 product of DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Florida, ranks among the top 10 players in the 2025 cycle, regardless of position, on the 247Sports Composite. In February, ESPN had the incoming freshman point guard as a lottery pick in its first 2026 NBA Draft projections. Ryan Conwell Ryan Conwell #7 of the Xavier Musketeers dribbles in the second half of a quarterfinal game against the Marquette Golden Eagles during the Big East Men's Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 13, 2025 in New York City. The Golden Eagles won 89-87. Louisville is Ryan Conwell's fourth school in as many years. The 6-4 rising senior guard from Indianapolis was Xavier's second-best scorer in 2024-25, averaging 16.5 points on 45% shooting en route to third-team All-Big East honors. He led the Musketeers in made 3s (99) and attempts (240), good for a 41.3% clip, and also tallied 2.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists against 1.6 turnovers and 1.3 steals across 33 minutes per game. Sananda Fru Jan 28, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey gives instruction during a time out during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at KFC Yum! Center. Louisville defeated Wake Forest 72-59. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images Sananda Fru, a 6-11, 245-pound destroyer of rims, has been playing in Germany's top-flight Basketball Bundesliga since 2021; this year, he's averaging 12.1 points on 66% shooting with 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per appearance. Fru committed to Louisville in February but, at the time of publication, had not yet been announced as a signee. A source close to the program told The Courier Journal that the 21-year-old "should" have two years of collegiate eligibility upon arriving in the 502. J'Vonne Hadley Louisville's guard J'Vonne Hadley (1) makes a shot against Stanford Saturday at KFC Yum! Center. March 8, 2025 Having been granted an additional year of eligibility due to time spent in the junior college ranks, J'Vonne Hadley announced his return for another go-around on April 8. The Minnesota native was the consummate glue guy for Louisville in 2024-25, starting all 35 games, leading the team in rebounding (7.3), finishing fourth in scoring (12.2) and punching above his 6-6 frame defensively. Aly Khalifa Louisville center Aly Khalifa during Louisville Live at the KFC Yum! Center Friday night. Oct. 4, 2024 Regarded as one of the best passing big men in the country, Aly Khalifa is the first of two Louisville seniors who redshirted in 2024-25 while recovering from injuries they suffered at their previous stops. The 6-11 Egyptian, who joined Louisville from BYU, underwent surgery to repair a hole in the cartilage of his left knee and proceeded to drop 50 pounds with the help of strength coach Eli Foy. He led the Big 12 — and all DI bigs — with a 3.6 assist-turnover ratio as a junior with the Cougars to go along with 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds across 19.4 minutes per game. Isaac McKneely Virginia transfer Isaac McKneely was the only ACC player more accurate than Louisville's Reyne Smith from 3-point range in 2024-25 with a clip of 42.1% (101 for 240). The 6-4 guard led the Cavaliers in scoring with 14.4 points on 43.9% shooting to go along with 2.9 assists and 2.7 rebounds across 34 minutes per contest as a junior. For his career, he's 233 for 552 (42.2%) from beyond the arc. Kasean Pryor Nov 27, 2024; Paradise Island, Bahamas, BHS; Louisville Cardinals forward Kasean Pryor (7) reacts after dunking during the second half against the Indiana Hoosiers at the Atlantis Resort. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Kasean Pryor waited until the day the portal closed to announce his return to Louisville for the 2025-26 season after a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee cut short his 2024-25 campaign in late November. Across seven appearances, the 6-10 forward averaged 12 points on 36.8% shooting (5 for 33 from 3) with 6.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks across 23 minutes per. Kobe Rodgers Louisville Cardinals guard Kobe Rodgers (11) makes a pass during practice before the first round of the 2025 NCAA men's basketball tournament In Lexington, Kentucky Wednesday, March 19, 2025. Kobe Rodgers joined Khalifa in redshirting this season after suffering a knee injury during Charleston's first-round loss in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. That ended the 6-3 guard from Cincinnati's first campaign with Kelsey; and he finished it averaging 9.7 points on 50% shooting, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals — with a 1.4 assist-turnover ratio. Before signing with the Cougars, Rodgers was part of a Nova Southeastern team that went 36-0 and won the DII national championship. Khani Rooths Nov 27, 2024; Paradise Island, Bahamas, BHS; Louisville Cardinals forward Khani Rooths (9) reacts with Louisville Cardinals guard Terrence Edwards Jr. (5) after scoring during the second half against the Indiana Hoosiers at the Atlantis Resort. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images The lone freshman on Louisville's 2024-25 roster, Khani Rooths, showed flashes of potential throughout the season. The 6-8 forward averaged only 3.3 points on 39.3% shooting and three rebounds across 13.4 minutes per game but threw down some of the most electrifying dunks of the campaign. "The thing that you can 100,000% count on," Kelsey said of the Washington, D.C., native, "is that kid's going to empty the tank every time he takes the floor." Adrian Wooley Feb 15, 2024; Birmingham, Alabama, USA; Paul Bryant guard Adrian Wooley (14) shoots in the lane with McAdory forward Jacobe Whitted (2) defending during the 6A Central Regional semifinal game in Bill Harris Arena. Kennesaw State transfer Adrian Wooley, the reigning Conference USA Freshman of the Year, had one of the most productive 2024-25 campaigns of any newcomer across the country. The 6-5 guard from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, finished the regular season ranked fifth among first-year DI players in scoring (18.5), sixth in field-goal percentage (51.3%) and 13th in assists (3.5) — with 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game to boot. Advertisement Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@ and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball transfer portal: Where Pat Kelsey roster stands
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Xavier guard Ryan Conwell commits to Pat Kelsey's Louisville Cardinals
Former Xavier assistant coach and Cincinnati native Pat Kelsey landed a commitment from another former Musketeer. On Tuesday night, Jonathan Givony of ESPN reported that Ryan Conwell has committed to Kelsey's Louisville Cardinals. Advertisement More: 'This community deserves a winner.' Richard Pitino introduced as Xavier basketball coach More: 'It just fits you.' Why Rick Pitino encouraged his son to become Xavier's next head coach On March 28, Conwell became the fifth Xavier player to enter the NCAA's transfer portal after Sean Miller left to become the head coach at Texas. Conwell, an Indianapolis native, visited the Indiana Hoosiers on Monday, according to 247Sports. Conwell averaged 16.5 points per game last season and was a third-team All-Big East selection over 34 starts. He ranked third in the Big East in three-point shooting percentage (41.2%) and scored a career-high 38 points in Xavier's loss to Marquette in the Big East Tournament. Ryan Conwell (7) averaged 16.5 points per game for Xavier last season. Louisville will be Conwell's fourth school in as many years after dealing with a head coaching change in each of his first three collegiate seasons. Advertisement Louisville finished 27-8 overall and 18-2 in the ACC in the first season under Kelsey. The Cardinals made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 and lost in the first round to No. 9 Creighton. Louisville ranked No. 30 in KenPom in offensive efficiency but just No. 222 in 3-point shooting. With Conwell, the Cardinals add one of the transfer portal's top perimeter weapons. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ryan Conwell commits to Louisville basketball
Reuters
02-04-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Reports: Xavier G Ryan Conwell transferring to Louisville
April 2 - High-scoring Xavier shooting guard Ryan Conwell is transferring to Louisville, according to multiple reports Tuesday. Conwell entered the transfer portal after Xavier coach Sean Miller left the school for the Texas job. Conwell was reportedly considering Indiana as a destination as well. It will be Conwell's fourth school in four seasons, as he began his college career at South Florida in 2022-23 and moved to Indiana State for 2023-24. He was one of the top players on that Sycamores team, which narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament and made a run to the NIT final. After averaging 16.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 38 starts for the Sycamores, Conwell landed at Xavier and put up 16.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per contest over 34 starts. He shot 41.3 percent from 3-point range. In 104 career games (93 starts), Conwell has tallied 13.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 44.7 percent overall and 39.3 percent from the arc. Louisville had already added Kennesaw State guard Adrian Wooley in the portal Monday. Wooley averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game in 33 games (32 starts) as a freshman at Kennesaw State. He earned Conference-USA Freshman of the Year and first-team All-CUSA honors.
