Scouting Louisville basketball's 2025-26 roster: Adrian Wooley

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: Adrian Wooley.

To catch up on previous entries in the series, click here.

Adrian Wooley didn't fly under the radar for long.

Having authored one of the best 2024-25 seasons by a Division I freshman, the 6-foot-4 guard from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, made the jump from Kennesaw State basketball to Louisville as Pat Kelsey's first 2025 addition via the NCAA transfer portal.

"He is a two-way player who can guard multiple positions," Kelsey said in a statement when Wooley signed with the Cardinals in April. "He is a dynamic scorer and playmaker with a high basketball IQ. As we did our background on him it was apparent that his approach, character and professionalism matches his talent.

"He has endeared himself to Card Nation already by being the first player to say 'Yes' in the portal; and that love will only grow when he puts the jersey on."

Landing Wooley, the reigning Conference USA Freshman of the Year, was no small feat for U of L. Other top contenders for his pledge reportedly included Alabama, Auburn and Kansas — three programs that have more Final Four appearances than the Cards have NCAA Tournament wins dating back to 2018.

"I came to Louisville because I just love the culture, the environment, the desire and the connections that can be built out here, as well," Wooley said in a video the team posted to X, formerly Twitter, in early July. "... Card Nation, I'm coming to give you everything that I've got. I'm willing to put my life on the line for this team and get wins and win a national championship."

Wooley might only have one crack at making good on that promise. The Athletic's Sam Vecenie tabbed him as a second-round pick (42nd overall — one spot ahead of fellow Louisville transfer guard Ryan Conwell) in his first mock 2026 NBA Draft.

Will Wooley continue his meteoric rise in the 502? Here's a breakdown of his freshman season and what his role could be in Year 2 of the Kelsey era:

Scouting report: Recapping Adrian Wooley's 2024-25 season

When Wooley was named CUSA's top freshman on March 10, Kennesaw State reported he was one of two first-year players across the country to lead their respective teams in scoring and field-goal percentage. The other? Duke phenom Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

That's pretty good company — and should silence any doubt about whether his game will translate from the mid-major ranks to the ACC.

Wooley started all but one of the Owls' 33 games and had 15 outings of 20-plus points. Averaging 33.6 minutes per contest, he led the team in scoring (18.8), field-goal percentage (51.2%) and assists (3.6) with 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals to boot. Seventy-three of his 208 makes came on 173 attempts from beyond the arc, good for a 42.2% clip; and he converted 60.4% of his chances at the rim.

Kennesaw State finished the 2024-25 season with a 19-14 record. Per KenPom.com, the Owls went 8-2 in games that saw Wooley produce performances worthy of the website's Most Valuable Player designation. He became the first CUSA freshman since the conference was founded in 1995 to average more than 17 points per game while shooting better than 50% from the field.

Wooley finished the 2025 transfer cycle as the No. 9 player to hit the market in the eyes of 247Sports.com evaluators. He was five spots ahead of Conwell and 11 ahead of Louisville's third portal addition, Isaac McKneely.

"When it's all said and done, you look back in one or two years, I think he's an all-conference guard at the power (conference) level and/or he's playing in the NBA," 247Sports analyst Travis Branham said in late March.

EvanMiya.com, however, was not as bullish on Wooley. There, he ranked 142nd — more than 100 spots behind Conwell and McKneely. When asked why, the website's founder, Evan Miyakawa, directed The Courier Journal to the guard's high turnover rate (109 in 33 games).

"Sometimes, guys who are just primarily volume scorers struggle to have the same level of efficiency and effectiveness in scoring the ball when they go up levels," Miyakawa said. "If they're not able to supplement that with other things outside of that that they do well, then they can oftentimes be pretty hit or miss."

Adrian Wooley's 2025-26 outlook with Louisville basketball

Despite his criticism, Miyakawa believes Wooley found an optimal landing spot in Louisville.

"They can craft a role that works well for him without putting too much burden on him," the analytics guru said. "The way that my transfer ratings work is: I'm not adjusting the projection for a player once (we) find out where he's going; it's kind of fit agnostic. You can make an argument that he should be ranked higher based on him going to Louisville."

To Miyakawa's point, the Cards' backcourt is loaded. Wooley won't — and doesn't have to — be the guy like he was at Kennesaw State in a rotation that features not only Conwell and McKneely but also five-star freshman Mikel Brown Jr. and redshirt senior Kobe Rodgers. He just needs to be the most efficient version of himself when his number's called.

Hoop-Explorer.com lists three player projections for the 2025-26 season: balanced, optimistic and pessimistic. At his very best, Wooley has a projected net rating of 9.8 (in the 99th percentile), meaning he'd be nearly 10 points per 100 possessions better than the average DI player. At his worst, the number drops to 2.7 (in the 77th percentile).

Welcome to Wooley-Ville#GoCards x @WooleyAdrianpic.twitter.com/eTn4MPycNj

— Louisville Men's Basketball (@LouisvilleMBB) June 11, 2025

Fortunately for Wooley, there should be plenty of minutes to go around in Kelsey's high-octane system, which thrived (at a slower pace) in 2024-25 when a trio of guards shared the court — Terrence Edwards Jr., Chucky Hepburn and Reyne Smith. It also rewards volume shooters, so his plus-40% clip from deep, like Conwell and McKneely's, will be difficult to keep off the court.

On July 16, Kelsey told reporters he was nowhere close to a set starting lineup. He said the next three months of practice are where "roles are defined" and playing time is "divvied up."

"I think everybody's probably saying right now, this time of year, 'Depth is our strength,'" the coach added. "I really believe we have one of the deepest teams in the country."

Wooley could easily find himself as a starter or as a leader of the second unit when the season rolls around. Regardless, he's going to have a huge part to play in ensuring the above statement from Kelsey rings true.

Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at [email protected] and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball roster 2025-26: Adrian Wooley scouting report