Way-Too-Early Starting Lineup Projection for Louisville in 2026-27

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville men's basketball program's 2025-26 season came to an end this past weekend, getting knocked out of the NCAA Tournament by Michigan State in the second round. While the offseason for the Cardinals is less than a week old, the arduous task of roster construction has already begun.

Head coach Pat Kelsey and his staff will have to bring in plenty of newcomers for next season. For starters, they graduate Ryan Conwell, J'Vonne Hadley, Aly Khalifa, Isaac McKneely and Kobe Rodgers. It's also likely that Kasean Pryor might not return since he went through Senior Day activities, and, Mikel Brown Jr. is extremely likely to declare for the NBA Draft.

With that in mind, on top of the fact that Louisville has no commitments in their 2026 recruiting class, the Cardinals have just six players currently on their roster for the 2026-27 season. Of course, this is going to chance once the portal opens, but if next season were to start today, what would be Louisville's starting five?

Louisville’s London Johnson is red shirting this year in the KFC Yum! Center | Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Point Guard: London Johnson

Johnson joined Louisville this past November from out of the G-League, with Kelsey opting to redshirt the 6-foot-3, 175-pounf guard this past season in order to get him acclimated to the college game. Time will tell how he performs, but he did show promise in the G-League. He averaged 10.5 points, 3.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds during the 2022-23 season with the G-League Ignite, then 10.6 points, 4.9 assists and 2.2 boards the next season.

Mar 12, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Adrian Wooley (14) with the ball as Miami (FL) Hurricanes guard Dante Allen (35) defends in the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Shooting Guard: Adrian Wooley

If there's any returner who has an actual chance to be a starter next season, it's Adrian Wooley. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard played in all 35 games, putting up 8.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per contest while shooting 45.0 percent overall and 35.0 percent on threes. He even made 16 starts in the wake of Mikel Brown Jr.'s back injury, and he played his best basketball over the final few weeks of the season.

Louisville Cardinals forward Khani Rooths (9) celebrates slamming the ball home for two against SMU Saturday at the KFC Yum! Center. Jan. 31, 2026 | Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Small Forward: Khani Rooths

Rooths is a full of potential and has flashed his high ceiling on multiple occasions, but has had trouble playing at a consistent level from a game-to-game bases. The 6-foot-10, 215-pound wing had eight games where he scored double figures (along with three double-doubles), but also had seven games where he scored zero. If Rooths is to be a significant contributor next season, he has to be more reliable.

Mar 11, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Louisville Cardinals forward Vangelis Zougris (53) reacts late in the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Power Forward: Vangelis Zougris

Zougris started the season as an end-of-the-bench front court piece, but by the end of the year, he had carved a niche role on the team. Over his first 21 appearances of the season, the 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward averaged just 2.0 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. But after earning a starting role in order to help negate slow starts, he put up 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds over the final six games. It's not a massive impact in the grand scheme of things, but his motor and effort has a place on the team.

Mar 19, 2026; Buffalo, NY, USA; Louisville Cardinals forward Sananda Fru (13) looks to pass during the second half against the South Florida Bulls during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Center: Sananda Fru

On paper, Fru wound up having a good first season at the college level after coming over from Germany. The 6-foot-11, 250-pound forward/center played all 35 games, was Louisville's fifth-leading scorer at 9.0 points, and led the Cards in rebounds and blocks at 6.1 and 1.4, respectively. But he was resorted to a bench role in favor of Zougris. Fru has a lot of skill, but needs to put a big time emphasis on physicality this offseason.

Louisville freshman forward Mouhamed Camera during the Cardinals' media day for the 2025-26 basketball season on Wednesday Oct. 15, 2025 in Louisville, Kentucky. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sixth Man: Mouhamed Camara

Camara is the last man in the (current) rotation simply due to the unknowns surrounding him right now. On one hand, the 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward seems to have all the athletic intangibles in the world. On the other, he's the youngest on the roster, and is coming from NBA Academy Africa. He's a true wild card right now, but once he gets properly acclimated after redshirting the 2025-26 season, who knows what is in store for him.

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